Grant Strukel giving it his all in a recent cross country race.

Grant Strukel is off to State. During the Section 2A Championship on Oct. 25, at Montgomery Golf Course, Strukel pushed hard to make his way to the head of the pack, earning second place at the Section meet with a time of 16:18.

“Grant qualified for his third consecutive State meet with a brilliantly-executed race,” said head coach Tom Plocker. “He hit the mile mark in 12th, then proceeded to gobble up his competitors with an astounding 30-second personal record.”

Strukel’s coach went on to say that he achieved the highest Section place of a Blue Earth Area Buccaneer since Jonathan Leitzke in 2007.

Strukel will be heading to St. Olaf College in Northfield on Nov. 3, to compete in the Minnesota State competition.

The Buc boys team earned 394 points for the day, but did not place at the meet. St. James was able to place first with 70 points, while Loyola/Cleveland placed second with 88 points. Third place went to Belle Plaine who had a team total of 119 points.

Plocker went on to say that Brady Olsen uncorked his best race of 2018 with a near-personal-record and five-place improvement. Cameron Germain cruised to his best 5K mark ever, moving up 15 places from last year.

As for the girls team, Callie Stevermer concluded her six-year career with her fastest-ever 5K and personal best-ever Section place with a time of 22:09.

Amanda Jacobson also improved her time at the Section meet, moving up 73 spots from last year in her final race, says the coach. Emma? Germain almost made her personal record from last year but fell short, however, according to Plocker’s statistics, she did move up 17 places from her 2017 Section run.

The girls team earned 443 points for the day. Belle Plaine took first place with 77 points, Glencoe-Silver Lake placed second with 107 points, and third place went to Waterville-Elysian-Morristown/Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton with 131 points.

Boys Results

Boys Varsity (5,000 meters): Brady Olsen (18:15), Cameron Germain (20:36), Angel Martinez (21:15), Blake Townsend (21:17), Nate Phippen (21:48), Thomas Lindsey (DNF).

Girls Results

Girls Varsity (5,000 meters): Callie Stevermer (22:09), Amanda Jacobson (22:27), Emma Germain (25:12), Leah Becker (25:40), Arianna Nagel (26:10), Elizabeth Jacobson (27:50), Aubrey Hueper (29:42).