DETROIT LAKES - Last year’s state runner-up Megan Hasz won the Lakers’ home girls cross country meet to lead Alexandria to the runner-up team performance behind Moorhead, while DL junior Sarah Schumacher placed 10th overall for the fourth place Lakers. Hasz was the star of the show finishing nearly two minutes ahead of runner-up Mackenzie Kelly of the Spuds. Hasz ran 14:20.6 to Kelly's 16:12.6. Hasz was running without teammate and twin sister Bethany Hasz, last year's Class 2A state champ, who was out nursing an injury. “I was expecting to have someone to run with, Bethany, my sister, but she got some soreness in the Achilles before the race, so, I knew going in it was going to be about me running my race and looking to push myself even though there wasn't much competition.” Hasz’s lead spread out the field and the Lakers as a team throughout the course. “Our first three were spread out,” Head Coach Jon Freeman said. “We had our next three grouped up pretty well. We need to start moving that group of three up to our number four spot.”
While most of the racers ignored the winds on the course or just didn’t notice them, like Hasz and Schumacher, the course proved difficult in the pack. "It was a hard race,” Schumacher said. “My legs were really sore from those hills. I feel like I slowed down a lot on those." Schumacher finished in a time of 17:44.9 for her top 10 finish. Schumacher knows she can do better after only the second race of the season. "I thought it wasn't as good,” she said. “I was expecting to get a little bit better of a time. I'm not going to be too bummed about it. One bad race...I'm not going to get so upset about it." Running at a level less than expected and still earning a top 10 finish is something to build upon. “I thought she got out really well, we've talked about pushing the envelope and she definitely did that,” said Freeman. “When a kid does that and bites off a little bit more than they can chew they will learn how much they can. Unless a kid is really willing to put their heart on the line they never really figure out how far and fast they can go. I was really happy with the way she got after it.” The Laker girls face a number of the top racers statewide during their season as Alexandria boasts the top two finishers from 2013 in the Hasz sisters; Moorhead has a pack of runners, placing three in the top four Thursday and five in the top eight for the team win. Lurking later in the year is Bemidji’s Jenna Truedson, who was third at state last year behind the Hasz girls. “That is so typical of Section 8,” said Freeman. “We've got the one, the two, the three. We'll see her sister (Bethany Hasz) come with and Truedson from Bemidji and there will be a big gap and who knows who will assume that. You hope it's your kid. Sarah will do a fine job at that.” It’s a tall task to run up front with the top runners in the state and Schumacher did well Thursday making a fine effort to lead Detroit Lakes in a battle of stiff competition, as did a pair of underclassmen. Sophomore Makenzie Ostlie placed 16th overall (18:23.5), along with junior Haley Groth with a top 20 mark placing 19th in 18:38. Kendra Kvebak and Elizabeth Kvebak had relative finishes in 27th and 29th. Heather Kunkel placed 31st with teammate Auroura Eckberg right behind in 33rd. The Lakers placed fourth as a team behind Fergus Falls in third place separated by only five points 95-100. Frazee-Vergas got two top ten finishes from Megan Danielson in fifth place and Ellie Morgan in ninth to lead the Hornets to a fifth place finish. DL travels to Little Falls Thursday, Sept. 11 for a 4 p.m. race. Team results: 1. Moorhead 24; 2. Alexandria 66; 3. Fergus Falls 95; 4. Detroit Lakes 100; 5. Frazee-Vergas 119; 6. Pelican Rapids 139; 7. Breckenridge 190. Individual results: 1. Megan Hasz, Alex, 14:20.6 2. Mackenzie Kelly, Moor, 16:12.6 3. Mallori Johnson, Moor, 16:19.5 4. Lexi Maddux, Moor, 16:48.0 5. Megan Danielson, Frazee, 16:56.7 6. Paige Larson, Fergus Falls, 17:10.8 7. Anna Christian, Moor, 17:23.8 8. Brianna Gruenberg, Moor, 17:28.0 9. Ellie Morgan, Frazee, 17:38.9 10. Sarah Schumacher, DL, 17:44.9 16. Kenzie Ostlie, DL, 18:23.5 19. Haley Groth, DL, 18:38.0 27. Kendra Kvebak, DL, 19:45.4 29. Elizabeth Kveback, DL 19:51.1 31. Heather Kunkel, DL, 19:55.4 33. Auroura Eckberg, DL, 19:57.0 DETROIT LAKES - Last year’s state runner-up Megan Hasz won the Lakers’ home girls cross country meet to lead Alexandria to the runner-up team performance behind Moorhead, while DL junior Sarah Schumacher placed 10th overall for the fourth place Lakers.Hasz was the star of the show finishing nearly two minutes ahead of runner-up Mackenzie Kelly of the Spuds. Hasz ran 14:20.6 to Kelly's 16:12.6.Hasz was running without teammate and twin sister Bethany Hasz, last year's Class 2A state champ, who was out nursing an injury.“I was expecting to have someone to run with, Bethany, my sister, but she got some soreness in the Achilles before the race, so, I knew going in it was going to be about me running my race and looking to push myself even though there wasn't much competition.”Hasz’s lead spread out the field and the Lakers as a team throughout the course.“Our first three were spread out,” Head Coach Jon Freeman said. “We had our next three grouped up pretty well. We need to start moving that group of three up to our number four spot.”
While most of the racers ignored the winds on the course or just didn’t notice them, like Hasz and Schumacher, the course proved difficult in the pack."It was a hard race,” Schumacher said. “My legs were really sore from those hills. I feel like I slowed down a lot on those."Schumacher finished in a time of 17:44.9 for her top 10 finish. Schumacher knows she can do better after only the second race of the season."I thought it wasn't as good,” she said. “I was expecting to get a little bit better of a time. I'm not going to be too bummed about it. One bad race...I'm not going to get so upset about it."Running at a level less than expected and still earning a top 10 finish is something to build upon.“I thought she got out really well, we've talked about pushing the envelope and she definitely did that,” said Freeman. “When a kid does that and bites off a little bit more than they can chew they will learn how much they can. Unless a kid is really willing to put their heart on the line they never really figure out how far and fast they can go. I was really happy with the way she got after it.”The Laker girls face a number of the top racers statewide during their season as Alexandria boasts the top two finishers from 2013 in the Hasz sisters; Moorhead has a pack of runners, placing three in the top four Thursday and five in the top eight for the team win. Lurking later in the year is Bemidji’s Jenna Truedson, who was third at state last year behind the Hasz girls.“That is so typical of Section 8,” said Freeman. “We've got the one, the two, the three. We'll see her sister (Bethany Hasz) come with and Truedson from Bemidji and there will be a big gap and who knows who will assume that. You hope it's your kid. Sarah will do a fine job at that.”It’s a tall task to run up front with the top runners in the state and Schumacher did well Thursday making a fine effort to lead Detroit Lakes in a battle of stiff competition, as did a pair of underclassmen.Sophomore Makenzie Ostlie placed 16th overall (18:23.5), along with junior Haley Groth with a top 20 mark placing 19th in 18:38. Kendra Kvebak and Elizabeth Kvebak had relative finishes in 27th and 29th. Heather Kunkel placed 31st with teammate Auroura Eckberg right behind in 33rd.The Lakers placed fourth as a team behind Fergus Falls in third place separated by only five points 95-100. Frazee-Vergas got two top ten finishes from Megan Danielson in fifth place and Ellie Morgan in ninth to lead the Hornets to a fifth place finish.DL travels to Little Falls Thursday, Sept. 11 for a 4 p.m. race.Team results: 1. Moorhead 24; 2. Alexandria 66; 3. Fergus Falls 95; 4. Detroit Lakes 100; 5. Frazee-Vergas 119; 6. Pelican Rapids 139; 7. Breckenridge 190.Individual results:1. Megan Hasz, Alex, 14:20.62. Mackenzie Kelly, Moor, 16:12.63. Mallori Johnson, Moor, 16:19.54. Lexi Maddux, Moor, 16:48.05. Megan Danielson, Frazee, 16:56.76. Paige Larson, Fergus Falls, 17:10.87. Anna Christian, Moor, 17:23.88. Brianna Gruenberg, Moor, 17:28.09. Ellie Morgan, Frazee, 17:38.910. Sarah Schumacher, DL, 17:44.916. Kenzie Ostlie, DL, 18:23.519. Haley Groth, DL, 18:38.027. Kendra Kvebak, DL, 19:45.429. Elizabeth Kveback, DL 19:51.131. Heather Kunkel, DL, 19:55.433. Auroura Eckberg, DL, 19:57.0
