Prep athletes of the week: Wayzata running champion Hussein 'at a different level'

Wayzata • cross-country

It wasn't until July that Hussein, a senior, felt fully recovered from a knee injury that had plagued him for most of the previous school year. In terms of training, he had some catching up to do.

"He didn't start getting quality miles until then," Wayzata coach Mark Popp said. "It takes awhile to build fitness."

He clearly has built his fitness to high level since then, which showed in his victory Saturday in the Class 2A state meet. He covered the 5-kilometer course at St. Olaf College in 15 minutes, 22.6 seconds, pulling away from Roseville's Acer Iverson in the final 400 meters.

"Khalid is at a different level than other runners," Popp said. "It was just a matter of knowing what Iverson was going to do. Iverson blitzed on the long downhill in the final 800 meters, but Khalid came up fast and opened it up. When his fitness is good, he's pretty tough to beat."

Popp said that, while other runners were peaking around the state tournament, Hussein's peak is still a few weeks away.

"He's got the Nike Regional next week and then, if things go the way he's planned, he'll be peaking at the Nike Cross Nationals a few weeks after that," Popp said.

Champlin Park • volleyball

The junior stood out both as a setter, chalking up 37 set assists, and as an attacker, pounding 11 kills, as the Rebels won their third consecutive Class 3A, Section 5 title with a five-set victory over St. Michael-Albertville.

Minneapolis Washburn • cross-country

The junior became the first female cross-country state champion from a Minneapolis public school when she won the Class 2A race Saturday. Her time of 17:30.1 was nearly four seconds faster than runner-up and defending champion Anna Fenske of Farmington.

Jordan • football

The senior quarterback had another terrific outing in a 42-41 victory over Glencoe-Silver Lake in the Class 3A, Section 2 final, completing 26 of 43 passes for 336 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for the game-winner in overtime.

Totino-Grace • soccer

The sophomore forward assisted on two goals, including the game-winner in overtime, in a 3-2 victory over Orono in the Class 1A semifinals. He scored the lone goal as the Eagles defeated St. Thomas Academy 1-0 in the championship game.

Wayzata • soccer

In helping the Trojans to the Class 2A state championship, the talented sophomore forward had a goal and an assist in a 6-2 semifinal victory over Maple Grove and had the same scoreline in a 2-0 victory over Stillwater in the final.

Math & Science • cross-country

An expected duel with Winona Cotter's Grace Ping never materialized (Ping was nursing an injury) but Wolfgram, a freshman, remained motivated enough to blow away the field for Class 1A state championship, winning in 17:31.6.

JIM PAULSEN

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