WEBSTER – Aberdeen Roncalli will have a strong presence at next week’s State A Cross Country Meet after the Cavaliers had a big day at the Region 1A meet in Webster on Wednesday afternoon.
Roncalli had four of the top eight finishers to win the girls’ team crown for the first time since 2019, while Cavaliers finished third in the boys’ standings qualifying the entire team as well. It marks the first time since 2020 that Roncalli has qualified both teams for a state meet.
“I’m so proud of my team and where we’ve come together,” said Roncalli’s top finisher Addison Cassady who came in second. “Even if things were to change, I’d still be just as proud as I am as a first leader as if I were the last.”
The Cavaliers had three runners come in back-to-back-to back as Hazel Kannegieter, Taylor McComsey, and Hannah Eskro finished sixth, seventh, and eighth, respectively.
“We just went into this today, we were just ready to push each other and be there for one another as a team,” Kannegieter said. “I think that having that positive and group mentality, and not just individuality, really helped us to have a good outcome.”
Roncalli’s ability to pack it up and run as a group helped to pave the way to the team championship.
“When we looked at our spread from Addi to Hannah there, we’re looking at 70 seconds,” said Roncalli coach Casey Steele. “That’s a pretty tight spread. We’d like to have it under a minute, but I can’t argue with that.”
Conditions were nearly ideal for the runners with temps in the 40s and no wind.
“I love this weather,” Cassady said. “I think this is the best weather and I love all the competition being here. It gives me something to work towards.”
While Roncalli had just one individual among the top 10 in the boys’ division, it did have four total among the top 21.
Ben Weigel finished ninth. The seventh grader said the meet felt different than last week’s Northeast Conference event on the same course.
“It was a big difference. There was a lot more pressure, I think,” Weigel said. “There’s just more schools and a greater reward.”
As he has all season, Weigel led the Cavaliers’ delegation with a solid race.
“He loves to get out fast,” said Roncalli coach Taylor Thorson. “That’s just his personality. … He’s a high energy guy. He puts that into the cross country course and he’s just a tone-setter.”
Roncalli received major contributions from twin brothers Evan Hansen and Blake Hansen, who just finished playing soccer on the Aberdeen Central JV squad and ran their first cross country race of the season.
“Blake and Evan Hansen are not just good runners, they’re good people,” Thorson said. “They had an option after their soccer season to come and join our cross country team.”
The sophomores finished one in front of the other at the conclusion of the race with Evan edging Blake.
“I was just making sure he didn’t beat me,” Evan said, “because that was my one goal, just to make sure he doesn’t beat me.”
The brothers enjoy running, whether on the soccer pitch or on a golf course.
“I feel like I was just born with running long distance,” Blake said. “We just kind of love long distance running, especially in soccer. It’s just always fun to keep running those distances.”
Blake said playing soccer kept the siblings in good shape, allowing them to make the quick transition to cross country.
“I feel soccer was a good stepping stone to make it to where we are now,” Blake said.
So will there be a choice to make next year between the two sports?
“It’s going to be kind hard next year,” Evan said, “because I don’t know whether I should go with soccer or cross country.”
Weigel pointed out a sacrifice that was made by a team member that allowed the Hansens a chance to compete.
“Thanks to Leo Madsen, Evan and Blake can join now,” Weigel said. “He gave up his varsity spot … so they could come with us.”
Clark-Willow Lake’s Kamryn Nesheim won the girls’ individual championship, leading from start to finish.
“I always come to a meet and think that I need to get a good start,” Nesheim said, “because the girls, they’ll come with me, and my goal is to kind of let them die out as I go.”
Nesheim did not compete in last week’s NEC because she is the starting setter for the CWL volleyball team, which has lost just one match so far this season.
“I come to the meets that I can come to,” Nesheim said. “Setting for varsity is kind of a big deal. I kind of have to lead the team. If I’m gone, it kind of messes a lot of things up.”
Nesheim will definitely be competing at the state meet in Rapid City next week. Despite missing several meets this year, the junior is hoping she can be among the contenders next weekend.
“I’m kind of hoping top five, to be in that top mix,” Nesheim said. “I ran with those girls at the (Augustana) Twilight, so I’m hoping I can do it again.”
Deuel won the boys’ team title with four runners among the top eight. Milbank’s Jeter Scoular won the individual race with Sisseton’s Ryder Graff runner-up.
Scoular had a bigger margin to work with compared to last week when he won the NEC championship.
“I knew I had a little bit bigger gap this week from last,” Scoular said, “because I could hear them right behind me last week, not as much this week.”
Scoular said there was a reason for the larger lead throughout the race.
“I went out a little bit harder,” Scoular said. “I felt a little bit better, so I tried making that gap earlier, and it worked out better.”
The senior was 14th at state last season. When asked what it will take to move up in the placings this time, Scoular responded, “Just trying to stick with that front pack, see what happens towards the end.”
Roncalli is also hoping to have a major impact on the state meet, especially in team points.
“That’s our hope. Last year we went in seeded 12th and finished up eighth,” Steele said. “Last time I looked we were seeded eighth or ninth.”
So does that make the goal to be able to finish in the top five?
“That’s a lofty goal,” Steele said, “but that’s what we’d like to do.”
One thing is certain, the Cavaliers will be competing with something bigger in mind.
“Our main goal is to run not just for each other, but for the glory of God,” Kannegieter said. “I feel like having that as our main base just really helps us.”
To see complete meet results, click on the following link:
