Cross country: Cards compete with the best at Nike Heartland

• Hasz sisters

Contributed Cardinals Bethany and Megan Hasz (left to right) both competed in the Nike Cross Nationals Heartland championship 5K race in Sioux Falls, South Dakota last week, along with Alexandria’s Jamie Piepenburg and a field of Cardinal boys’ cross country runners. Bethany Hasz finished sixth in the seven-state race, less than one second from qualifying for the National meet in Portland, Oregon.

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Cardinal 8th grader Bethany Hasz fought her way to a sixth place finish at the seven-state Nike Cross Nationals Heartland championship race in Sioux Falls, South Dakota last weekend, racing to an 18:26.3, less than a second from advancing to the national event in Portland, Oregon.

Her time, along with that of Megan Hasz’s and Jamie Piepenburg’s, met the national silver standard for the 5K event of 19:45.00. Only 76 of the 475 racers between both the boys’ and girls’ divisions reached that mark.

Alexandria senior Jamie Piepenburg finished 16th overall, running an 18:47.9, while M. Hasz finished 29th in 19:08.5.

The girls’ championship race was won by Maria Hauger of Shakopee, who finished in 17:52.7.

On the boys’ championship side, junior Zac Bartolomeo was 80th in 16:38.3 and Will Sieling was 144th in 17:11.5.

The top two placing clubs and the top five individuals not part of qualifying teams all advance to the national event. The Heartland Regional encompasses the top high school teams and individuals from Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

In all, Minnesota claimed the top team honors as Stillwater won the boys’ title and Monticello the girls’ crown. Individually, three of the top five girls were from Minnesota – Hauger; Jenna Truedson of Bemidji, third; and Danielle Anderson of Eagan, fourth. Two of the top boys’ individuals were from Minnesota – Brandon Clark of the Blake School, fourth; and Josh Thorson of Wayzata, fifth.

The Cardinals also placed an individual and a boys’ team in the Open Black Division, with Jimmy Lovrien finishing 57th overall in 17:52.8.

In the team portion, the Cardinal runners – Central Lakes – finished 30th overall.

Freshmen Colton Sailor was 120th in 18:19.08, Aaron Runge was 135th in 18:29.60, Brandon Jerde 139th in 18:34.52, sophomore Austin Thom was 167th in 18:56.17, freshmen Aaron Pietrowski was 170th in 18:59.17 and Jimmy Pfeffer was 218th in 19:38.50.

The Nike Cross Nationals is comprised of eight regional qualifying meets and the national finals in Portland.

Following in the tradition of European cross country meets, the national event features a multiple loop race course with man-made obstacles built on the inside of the horse race track at Portland Meadows in Oregon.

Fields of 22 seven-person clubs and an additional 45 individuals (male and female) will lay it all on the line in the quest for the sport’s biggest prize, the coveted Winged Goddess of Victory statue.

Tags: alexandria sports, cross country, sports, cardinals, nike, cross, nationals, heartland