Sean Allan wonders what kind of time Karly Ackley could run against stiff competition.
The Grand Forks Central High School cross country coach hopes to get an answer today, when Ackley will be the favorite to win the Eastern Dakota Conference meet. The race begins at 1 p.m. in Fargo, with the sophomore going in as the No. 1 ranked runner in the Class A state coaches’ poll.
“We don’t know how fast Karly can go,” Allan said. “Everyone runs faster when you have somebody shoulder to shoulder with you, pushing you. A lot of times this year, by the two-mile mark, she’s had a decent lead and hasn’t been pushed.
“It will be fun to see how she does if she does get pushed the whole race. She loves competition.”
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Ackley set a Central record for fastest time in a cross country race last season. Three times this year, Ackley has re-set that record.
Ackley has a lot of reasons to be considered the favorite in the conference meet. She’s defending champion, placed fifth at state last season and hasn’t lost a race this season.
“I’d say she has a good shot at repeating,” Allan said. “She’s running with confidence. And she should be confident. But I’ve been involved in sports my whole life. You don’t assume anything.
Karly expects to have a battle every race. She knows how to compete.”
Ackley isn’t a one-runner show for the Knights. Teammate Alexis Roehl is ranked seventh in the state coaches’ poll. Grace Roehl, Mandy Williamson, Rachel Torrey and Rachel Cox (the lone senior of the six top runners) all have been consistent top-20 finishers this season. Of those six, only Williamson wasn’t a top-20 placer in the EDC meet last season.
Central is the team favorite, as the Knights are ranked second, behind Bismarck Century, in the state poll. The Knights are defending EDC champions.
Red River doesn’t figure to contend for the title. The Roughriders have two runners contending for top-20 finishes and all-EDC designation in freshmen Ashley Conneran and Peytun Campbell.
Rider boys to contend
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Grand Forks Red River is fourth in this week’s Class A boys cross country coaches poll. But the Roughriders are underdogs in today’s EDC meet in Fargo.
Fargo Davies is one spot ahead of the Roughriders in the poll. And Red River has yet to beat the Eagles this season.
“Davies is pretty strong,” Red River coach Richard Dafoe said. “It would take a real strong day for us and some stumbling on their part for us to beat them. But we’ve had a real solid season.”
Red River’s strength is its depth. Ty Boucher leads a group that includes Vlod Collins, Ben Hutchinson, Zach Relling and Ernest Ntakiratimana. The Riders’ strength is their depth.
“Ty has been our leader, but he’s not necessarily a top-five or top-10 guy going into state,”
Dafoe said. “The thing going for us is that we have a solid pack. We could have five guys in the top 20 (at the EDC meet).”
Individually, Central’s Leif Larsen is the favorite. The junior finished fifth at the EDC last season and hasn’t lost to a conference opponent this season. He’s ranked third in this week’s coaches state poll. “He’s had a good season,” Allan said. “He’s been lost in the shadow of our girls’ team.”
Allan looks for Dave Hettich and Richie Osborn to also contend for top-20 places.
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Koberinski sets marks
East Grand Forks Senior High will have a school record holder in its lineup when it hosts Fergus Falls at 1 p.m. today in the second round of the Minnesota Section 8A girls soccer playoffs.
Riley Koberinski holds the school single-season record with 46 goals and, when she scored six in the Wave’s regular-season finale against West Ottertail, it gave her a school-record 89 career goals.
Jaclyn Scanlan held the record with 88 career goals, while Francie Piche had been the previous single-season school record holder with 37 goals.
“Jaclyn Scanlan was Miss Soccer in Minnesota, the only player from East Grand Forks who has won that award,” Green Wave coach Marco Campoverde said. “Francie Piche was an all-state player. Those are two of the best players to come through here. To pass them, that’s huge for Riley.”
Koberinski is currently fourth all-time in Minnesota for goals in a season, Campoverde said, with the record being 60.
