Made for the mist: Nevis' Jade Rypkema wins Class 1A girls' race

NORTHFIELD — The morning turned to a misty, drizzly afternoon on the St. Olaf College campus in Northfield for the cross-country state meet Saturday.

Just the way Nevis senior Jade Rypkema likes it.

"I always say I love running in the rain," Rypkema said. "It just sets me in a good mood to race."

Her good mood carried over to a great result when she finished in 17 minutes, 43.5 seconds, winning the Class 1A girls' championship. Murray County Central senior Amanda Overgaauw, last year's champion, was close behind at 17:49.0. They exchanged the lead throughout the race, Rypkema said.

The two hugged after the finish line. Murray County Central senior Ashley Overgaauw, Amanda's twin, finished third (18:52.1).

In the team competition, Perham won with a score of 56, followed by St. Cloud Cathedral at 78 and Staples-Motley at 107.

Nova Classical Academy's Henry Karelitz and Sauk Centre's Brandon Kampsen took second and third place in last year's Class 1A boys' championship race. This year, as seniors, Kampsen passed Karelitz, who led throughout the race, on the last hill to win the title.

"I was just trying to stick with him," Kampsen said. "He runs the two-mile in track, and I run the 800. So I got that little extra speed on him. I knew if I just stuck by his hip … I could most likely take him in the last 200 meters."

Kampsen finished in 15:49.5. Karelitz in 15:55.6. Perham sophomore Bjorn Anderson finished third in 15:57.9.

In the team competition, Heritage Christian won with 99 points, with Luverne (102) second and Perham (133) third.

Last year, Luna Scorzelli watched from the sidelines as her St. Paul Highland Park teammates won the Class 2A girls' championship. She was out with tendinitis on the tops of her feet.

"My motivation and drive just went up after that," said Scorzelli, a junior. "I really wanted to be part of it, so I'm happy that I get to run this year."

She ran herself right into a state championship, finishing in 17:45.1. Last year's champion, Isabelle Schmitz of Hutchinson, finished second in 18:18.2.

St. Paul Highland Park won again, with 79 points. Alexandria finished second (105) and Marshall third (125).

Belle Plaine senior Emmett Gerres said he was in seventh or eighth place after about a mile of the Class 2A boys' race. That was when he made a move for the lead.

"I felt really good," Gerres said. "That was the first time I started leading. Didn't really look back."

Didn't need to. He won in 15:13.7. Cameron Stocke, a Rock Ridge senior, finished second in 15:24.0. Stocke helped his team to a second-place finish with a score of 113 behind winner Mankato East's 111 and ahead of Big Lake's 136. Stocke led the race until about the two-mile mark.

"Then Emmett made a really good move," Stocke said. "He kind of just slowly pulled away."