Young team making strides
The numbers are thin. There’s youth and inexperience.
Yet, someone is going to have to step up and show they are ready to compete at the varsity level for the 2009 Blue Earth Area boys cross country team.
The Bucs will have to find a replacement for All Conference runner Eduardo Vega, who was third at last year’s South Central Conference Meet. Vega also placed 23rd at the Section 2A Championships to close out his career.
Of the 20 athletes reporting for practice, there are nine varsity letterwinners and only one is a senior.
“Practices have been going well. There’s a few newcomers. We have some young guys I think will step right in,” says Head Coach Tom Plocker.
The Bucs will be trying to improve on last year’s fourth-place finishes in the conference and section meets.
Plocker has four runners returning who competed in last year’s SCC meet and Section 2A Championship.
Juniors Riley Holmseth, Brandon Christians, Aaron Wilhelmi and Wade Wilhelmi all have earned three varsity letters.
Holmseth was 13th overall in last year’s SCC meet and took home an All-Section medal with a 15th-place finish.
Aaron Wilhelmi finished 19th at the conference meet, followed by Christians (22nd) and Wade Wilhelmi (23rd)
At the section meet, Aaron Wilhelmi again led the way with an 18th-place performance, eight spots ahead of brother Wade.
Christians’ time was 31st overall.
On the Varsity Club list, Holmseth is No. 18, Aaron Wilhelmi (25), Wade Wilhelmi (28) and Christians (33).
Junior Alvin Goracz-kowski is a two-year letterwinner, while fellow junior Hans Kittleson has earned one varsity letter.
To read more of this story, see this week’s Register.