Oft-injured Chaska runner revs up for state meet in a big way

When healthy, Chaska senior Joey Duerr always is mentioned among the top cross-country runners in Minnesota.

But that's the rub. Duerr's high school career has been striped with injury. He missed a good portion of his sophomore year, the 2013 state meet and most of the current regular season battling nagging injuries.

Duerr returned in a big way last week, winning the Class 2A, Section 2 meet at Lake Marion Park in Hutchinson. He completed the 5K course in 15 minutes, 58.7 seconds, the only runner to break 16 minutes.

The girls' race was won by Shakopee's Tess Misgen. Chanhassen sophomore Anastasia Korzenowski finished second.

All three runners will compete at the cross-country state meet on Saturday in Northfield.

Practices started Monday for the girls' hockey season. The Minnesota State High School League requires teams in all sports to practice at least 10 days before they can play official games.

Teams can play games on Nov. 6. Among west metro teams in action that evening are four of the five in the Lake Conference: Centennial at Eden Prairie, Armstrong/Cooper at Edina, North Metro at Hopkins and Anoka at Wayzata. In addition, Holy Family/Waconia plays at Chaska/Chanhassen, Brainerd is at North Wright County and Breck plays at North St. Paul.

• It's been a prolific two-game stretch for Holy Family quarterback Hank Hopkins. In a 35-7 rout of St. Paul Highland Park on Saturday in the Class 4A, Section 3 playoffs, Hopkins completed 16 of 32 passes for 266 yards and four touchdowns. He also had a rushing touchdown. In the Fire's 36-29 victory over Delano in the final game of the regular season, Hopkins rushed for 143 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 212 yards and a pairs of scores.

• Even though Rogers lost to Elk River 42-34 in the Class 5A, Section 6 semifinals, the play of Rogers running back Gunnar Bloom should not go unnoticed. Bloom provided the bulk of the Royals offense, rushing 26 times for 277 yards and three touchdowns, including scoring runs of 72 and 80 yards.

• The tandem of senior Theresa Mueller and sophomore Grace Ennis paced Trinity of River Ridge to the Class 1A, Section 4 girls' cross-country championship at Battle Creek Park. Mueller won the race in a time of 15:10.4, with Ennis coming in second in 15:12.1. Trinity's top five runners all finished in the top 10.