Class 2A cross-country: Champions find another gear

Eden Prairie junior Aaron Bartnik has something in common with the groundhog. When they see a shadow, things happen.

In the late stages of the Class 2A boys' cross-country state championship Saturday, Bartnik was leading the pack when he noticed a shadow moving ever closer behind him. It belonged to Woodbury senior Marty Joyce. That's when Bartnik, the top-ranked runner in 2A, found another gear and ran to victory at St. Olaf College in Northfield.

"I was feeling pretty confident but I saw his shadow and I was like, 'Wow, I don't want this. I need to kick it,'" Bartnik said. "And I got it. It feels great, it feels really great."

Bartnik's victory helped top-ranked Eden Prairie capture the team title. His time of 15 minutes, 55.1 seconds over 5,000 meters was the slowest winning time in 2A since 1993 but was more than good enough to win. Joyce was second in 15:58, and St. Paul Central senior Kemal Jarso was third in 16:02.4. Defending champ Lukas Gemar, a junior from Moorhead, placed 31st.

Eden Prairie, last year's state runner-up, won its first boys' team title in a tight finish with second-ranked Wayzata. The Eagles had a team score of 47 points, followed by Wayzata with 57 and Burnsville with 113. A year ago, Wayzata won the title with 55 points and Eden Prairie was next with 106.

Behind Bartnik, Eden Prairie junior Mohamed Mohamed placed third among team competitors, senior Christopher Mueller was eighth and senior Erick Meszaros-Jones was 10th.

Wayzata's top finisher was senior Oliver Haughland, who was fourth among team competitors.

All season, Shakopee ninth-grader Maria Hauger had a simple strategy: Go out fast, take the lead and win the race. That was the formula Saturday as the top-ranked Hauger captured the 2A girls' championship and completed an undefeated season.

The finish was close this time, with Elk River senior Emma Bates closing in on Hauger down the home stretch. Hauger held her off by less than a second; Hauger's time was 14:40.8 and Bates finished in 14:41.7. Placing third for the second year in a row was Alexandria sophomore Jamie Piepenburg.

"That's definitely my closest race by far," Hauger said. "I could hear the cheering. I didn't know it was that close, but I was giving it all I ever had because I wanted this so bad."

Bates ran at her own pace, even if it meant letting Hauger take the big lead. And Bates' strategy almost paid off.

"Almost," she said. "That was exciting, very exciting. I always think, 'I can, I can, I can.'"

Elk River won the team title by a three-point margin over Prior Lake. The Elks, who had 120 points, were led by Bates, Abbi Aspengren (fifth among team competitors), Chelsea Schegel (29th) and Victoria Janasz (39th).

Prior Lake was led by Paige Foster in 15th place. The Lakers had 123 points and third-place Eden Prairie had 127.