Let the Cross Country Season Begin!

The high school cross country season will be in full stride on Friday when six Class AA-ranked teams take to the starting line at the Rosemount Invitational.

Coon Rapids, the #2-ranked Class AA girls team will battle with #5 Chaska, #6 Lakeville North, and #11 Prior Lake, among others for the team title. On the boys' side, #5 White Bear Lake expects to battle #8 Lakeville North.

Defending individual girls' champion Caitlin Hewes of Stillwater, the #4-ranked Class AA individual, returns.

Action begins at 9:00 a.m. at the Rosemount High School campus.

Early Action ... More than a few top teams and individuals have raced already this week. Two-time Class AA boys' champions and #1-ranked Wayzata opened their season with a perfiect 15 point performance at the Apollo Early-Bird Invite, topping Andover and #7 Coon Rapids.

Defending Class AA individual boys' champ Lukas Gemar of #3 Moorhead opened his season by winning by more than a minute over teammate Christian Larson at the Moorhead Rotary Invite.

Maddie McClellan, the #1-ranked girls' individual in Class A topped teammate #10-ranked Abby Anderson for the win at Moorhead.

For More Information ... The Star-Tribune's annual high school cross country preview is HERE. The active members of Minnesota's Dyestat forum are collecting the week's results HERE.

Photo by Charlie Mahler.