Moorhead runners earn spots at Nov. 7 state cross country meet

Moorhead High School juniors Sophia Johnson and Kade Polomny secured individual berths at the Minnesota state cross country meet on Thursday. The duo competed in the Section 8-3A championships held at Bluestem Amphitheater, where both athletes posted career-best times to earn their spots.

Johnson finished sixth in the girls division with a time of 18 minutes and 46 seconds. Her performance placed her behind top competitors from St. Michael-Albertville and Brainerd. The Moorhead girls team placed third overall in the event. St. Michael-Albertville took the team title, while Brainerd finished second.

Polomny competed in the boys race, where he crossed the line in 16 minutes and 11.5 seconds. That time ranked him ninth among all runners in the field. The Moorhead boys team finished fifth in the team standings. Brainerd won the boys team title, narrowly edging out Alexandria by two points to claim second place.

The state meet is scheduled for Nov. 7 at Majestic Oaks Golf Club in Ham Lake, Minnesota. Individual qualifiers will join their teammates for the final round of competition. The event serves as the culmination of the state cross country season for Minnesota high school athletes.

Other Moorhead runners also advanced in the section meet. In the boys race, Conner Copeland finished 16th, Dylan Riepe 30th, and Spencer Polomny 33rd. In the girls race, Isabelle Lockhart placed 14th. The full list of section qualifiers includes runners from nine different schools across the region.

The team scores reflected a competitive field. In the girls division, St. Michael-Albertville recorded a score of 30 points, followed by Brainerd with 87. Moorhead posted 106 points for their third-place finish. In the boys division, Brainerd scored 43 points, Alexandria 45, and Moorhead 127. These scores determined the final team rankings for the section championship.