Eagan cross country standout Danielle Anderson ran last Saturday's Roy Griak Invitational meet looking to justify more than just her No. 4 ranking in the latest poll.
The course at Les Bolstad Golf Course is five kilometers in length, one more than the state meet in November. Anderson, who never had run a 5K before the Griak, said the experience taught her some good lessons.
"I think it will make the 4K a lot easier because I've never run this hard for this long," Anderson said. "It will make the 4Ks go a lot faster."
Anderson's time of 18 minutes, 34 seconds placed her fourth in the Gold Race, one spot behind Blake's Clare Flanagan, the top Minnesotan.
With more experience in 5K races, Anderson might have edged closer to first place.
"I probably should have started picking up the pace a little earlier," Anderson said. "But other than that, it went well."
As a team, No. 4 Eagan took first among Minnesota schools and fourth overall. The Wildcats running Saturday were Anna Van Wyk, Alanna Stangl, Kelli Praska, Raissa Hansen, Karina Johnson and Phoebe Craig.
Anderson and her teammates were among 419 runners competing in the Gold Race. She called the size of the field "overwhelming" but "thought it was cool racing people from across the Midwest."
