WARRIOR CROSS COUNTRY

BOYS

• Photos

The Brainerd Warriors have graduated 11 runners in the last two years.

BHS cross country

Head coach: Dave Herath, 18th season.

2009 boys finish: Third in CLC, fourth in section

Boys captains: Alec Haug, Jack Hegarty, Cuyler VanDerwerker

2009 girls finish: Third in CLC, fifth in section

Girls captains: Rebecca Yeh, Megan Holmes, Anna Gessell

Assistant coaches: Carl Schirmer, Owen Trout.

Schedule

Sept. 2, Brainerd Invite at Northland Arboretum 3 p.m.

Sept. 10, Bemidji Invite 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 16, Little Falls Invite 4:15 p.m.

Sept. 20, Pierz Invite 4:15 p.m.

Sept. 25, University of Minnesota Invite 9 a.m.

Sept. 30, Fergus Falls Invite 4 p.m.

Oct. 7, Crosby-Ironton Invite at Ruttger's Bay Lake Lodge 3 p.m.

Oct. 12, St. Cloud Tech Invite 4 p.m.

Oct. 19, Central Lakes Conference meet at Alexandria 3:25 p.m.

Oct 28, Section 8-2A meet at Fergus Falls 3:30 p.m.

Nov. 6, State tournament at St. Olaf College, Northfield

What remains is a sophomore-loaded team that will rely heavily on its three senior captains and junior returner Riley Nelsen.

Last season, Nelsen placed 18th in the Central Lakes Conference at 17:44.4. He was 25th in the Section 8-2A meet at 17:39.3.

Jack Hegarty is the only other runner returning from the conference and section meets. He was 41st in the CLC, 77th at the section meet.

Brainerd's other captains are seniors Alec Haug and Cuyler VanDerwerker.

"They're going to be very important early on," said Warrior head coach Dave Herath. "We'll lean heavily on them to pull the team through the first part of the season.

Jack Hegarty (left) Rebecca Yeh, Megan Holmes, Cuyler VanDerwerker, Anna Gessell and Alec Haug are captains of Brainerd Warriors boys and girls cross country teams.

Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls

"Riley and Jack are running really well. Riley had a great summer training-wise. He already looks to be leaps and bounds ahead of where he finished last year. Jack is right behind him.

"We'll count on those two and after that we are really young with less experienced guys."

Hoping to fill out the roster are junior Damon Grilz and seven sophomores.

"They are all working very hard," said Herath. "Zean Baker and Justin Warling are two sophomores that have stepped up and are coming in and doing well for us. Nick Schwen and Justin Kuglin are two freshmen that have looked good, but we have a lot of boys on the team who are working hard.

"We had a talk with the whole group and told them, 'The team is coming from this group. It's time for them to step it up,' and I think they took that to heart. They are all practicing very well."

Thursday's Run for your Melon meet will give Herath and his long-time staff a good indication of the early front-runners for the remaining spots. From there it will be a matter of maintaining confidence and the work ethic that Herath is happy about so far.

From a competition standpoint, Herath said Alexandria, under the leadership of Mark Nelson, who was coaching when Herath was in high school, is considered the early conference and section favorite.

"Moorhead has always been very tough and I think Bemidji will be a very good boys team in the section," said Herath. "Behind them it's anyone's race. We'll have to perform very well to get into the mix."

Brainerd boys' roster

Seniors: Alec Haug, Jack Hegarty, Cuyler VanDerwerker

Juniors: Damon Grilz, Riley Nelsen

Sophomores: Peyton Argir, Zean Baker, Timothy Nelson, Jordan Schmaltz, Stafford Thompson, Trevor Vukelich, Justin Warling

Freshmen: Sam Guida, Justin Kuglin, Nick Schwen

GIRLS

Dave Herath isn't shy about saying what he thinks about this year's Brainerd Warriors girls cross country team.

In his words, this year's team "Is as good a group as we've had here. The way they train and the way they came into the season, I don't want to put too much pressure on them, but they are very comparable to the team that was runner-up in state a few years ago."

With that said, Herath still believes they are underdogs to win the Central Lakes Conference and Section 8-2A titles. That distinction goes to Alexandria for now, but with six runners from last year's fifth-place section team returning, anything is possible.

The Warriors will be led by varsity veterans Anna Gessell and Megan Holmes. The two have state cross country and track and field experience. Both have battled injuries during their careers, but look to be ready to lead a talented lineup.

Herath said the key will be health.

"I like to think we're getting smarter," he said. "Anna had a couple of surgeries and other things. When we train we try to get her a day on a bike when she needs it.

"More than anything Anna is more in tune with her body than she was. She's just such a competitor and never wants to let herself or anyone else down. Before she just trained through things where maybe she should have backed off. Being a senior and being on the varsity for so long she finally understands how to take care of her body."

Holmes battled health issues last fall, but enjoyed a successful spring in track and field. Herath said that may have pushed her and the other distance runners to train as well as they did during the summer.

"I think we had a lot of girls that came off the spring track season feeling pretty good about things," he said. "When you end your spring season well it gives you that extra drive to get even better and I think all the girls really looked forward to the cross country season. They all competed with each other.

"We try to create a pack mentality and Anna and Megan have both bought into that. If we don't have any health issues we'll be very good."

In the conference meet last year, Gessell finished eighth, Holmes 12th, junior Michaela Quast was 16th, senior Rebecca Yeh 17th and sophomore Sarah Fairbanks 28th.

Yeh was the top finisher at the section meet in 21st place. Gessell was 23rd. Holmes 26th, Quast 34th, Fairbanks 49th and junior Gretchen Kletscher 75th.

"Rebecca had a fantastic summer training and Michaela is looking very good," said Herath. "We're about 12 runners deep. All of our juniors to our freshmen are really strong. Allison Kosobud is a sophomore that is really looking good.

"We are going to have a very good varsity team and an extremely good junior varsity. Hopefully they'll push each other along the way and good things will happen."

Five of the top 13 runners from last year's state meet were from Section 8-2A, including Alexandria's junior Jamie Piepenburg, who placed third individually. Of those five, four return, including all but one from Monticello's fifth-place team.

"We are in a tough section," said Herath. "Monticello, Moorhead and Alexandria are all very strong programs. Sartell will still be a good team. We'll be in the hunt. If we run to our ability we'll be fine. I wouldn't put us in the leader role just yet, though."

Brainerd girls' roster

Seniors: Anna Gessell, Megan Holmes, Rebecca Yeh

Juniors: Maria Comeau, Gretchen Kletscher, Chelsie Manton, Michaela Quast

Sophomores: Sarah Fairbanks, Allison Kosobud, Brooke Nelson, Jessica Walters

Freshmen: Abby Selisker, Maria West, Sarah Yeh

Eighth-graders: Lydia Herath

JEREMY MILLSOP may be reached at jeremy.millsop@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5856.