Packer girls win first ever Big Nine cross country title
Published 9:29 pm Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Austin’s Madison Overby clocks in a third-place time of 15:21.46 at the Big Nine Conference Meet on Tuesday at Brooktree Golf Course. (Kaleb Roedel/People’s Press)
They may have a young squad, but the Packer girls cross country did something no other Austin girls cross country team has done — they won a Big Nine title.
The Packer girls took first in the Big Nine cross country meet for the first time since they started the meet 33 years ago in Owatonna Saturday.
Austin’s Andrew Baker crosses the finish line at 16:54.04 for ninth place at the Big Nine Conference Meet on Tuesday at Brooktree Golf Course. (Kaleb Roedel/People’s Press)
“We knew we had a chance to be in the top two or three, but we didn’t talk about it too much,” Austin head coach Tony Einertson said. “We just wanted the girls to run how they normally run.”
Austin had four runners in the top five as sophomore Madison Overby ran her best time in two months to take third, eighth grader Paiton Schwab took fifth, seventh grader Abby Lewis took ninth, and seventh grader Morgan Hose took 10th. Eighth grader Tasia Martinson finished 30th and ran a career best time for the Packers.
“Tasia really stepped up for us today and Madison ran a great race,” Einertson said.
The Packers finished with a score of 57 and Albert Lea was second with a score of an 82. Einertson knew the girls team had potential going into this season, but he wasn’t sure they’d be this good.
“We came in to the year a little optimistic,” he said. “We knew they’d be competitive, but even in our wildest imaginations, we didn’t think they’d be Big Nine champs. That’s a credit to their hard work.”
The Packer boys were hit a by a recent slew of illnesses and injuries as they finished in seventh place. Andrew Baker took ninth place to lead Austin.
“The boys were a little disappointed, but it’ll give them some fire as we get healthier for sections,” Einertson said. “It was bad timing.”
AUSTIN RESULTS
Girls: Madison Overby (third, 15:21.5); Paiton Schwab (fifth, 15:27.9); Abby Lewis (ninth, 15:38.8); Morgan Hose (10th, 15:43.3); Tasia Martionson (30th, 16:25.9); Justice Tabor (50th, 17:13.7); Ochudo Cham (67th, 18:18.8)
Boys: Andrew Baker (ninth, 16:54.1); Quin Brunner (38th, 17:48.6); Mitchell Mayer (47th, 18:07.0); Mikah Kelly (50th, 18:17.4); Jacob Striker (53rd, 18:23.7); Clyde Carver (56th, 18:36.2); Joseph Kroymann (57th, 18:38.1)
