Athletes of the week: Wayzata cross-country senior climbs to the top

After two consecutive top five finishes, Olson finally reached the highest point on the podium. The senior won the Class 2A cross-country championship Saturday at St. Olaf College in a 5K time of 15:17.1.

"It's been pretty tough, coming up short year after year," Olson said. "But I had a good year of training, and it was nice to come through at the end.

Olson's victory was far from easy. Minnesota's No. 2-ranked runner in Class 2A in the final coaches association's poll, Olson ran most of the race step for step with close friend and nearest rival Joe Klecker, a Hopkins runner who was ranked No. 1.

Making the matchup more interesting was that Klecker had defeated Olson in the Section 6 meet on Oct. 22.

With 500 meters left in the race, Olson showed a kick that Klecker couldn't match, pulling away for the victory. Chaska's Joey Duerr slid into second and Klecker finished third.

Olson's performance paced Wayzata to its second consecutive team championship.

The bruising senior has established himself as the Panthers' top rushing threat and designated workhorse. In Friday's 26-7 victory over Hopkins, he lugged the ball 39 times for 203 yards, the highest total for a Lakeville North runner this season.

Quarterback Seth Green gets the publicity, but the 5-8, 194-pound sophomore put the Raptors on his back in a tight 20-17 victory over Osseo, rushing 28 times for a career-high 201 yards and a touchdown as East Ridge qualified for the state tournament for the first time.

If the Wildcats are to repeat as Class 3A state champs, it will be Orr, a sophomore setter who leads them. The versatile Orr does much more than set the ball. She had 10 kills and three times that many set assists in a 3A, Section 3 title match victory over Lakeville South.

The combination of Rains, a senior running back blessed with amazing balance and brute force, and the Eagles' plowhorse offensive line has proved hard to stop. Rains ran for a season-high 178 yards and scored three TDs in a 34-14 victory over Burnsville.

JESSICA WOESSNER

While her teammates were scoring goals, the junior goalkeeper was denying them. She had two shutouts in the Class 1A state tournament, beating Park Center and shutting down Minneapolis Washburn in the final in which she made six saves and the winning stop during penalty kicks.