Bears Shine at Class S State Cross Country Championships

by Coach Kenny Miller

The Bertha-Hewitt boys cross country team, along with individual qualifiers Kendra Miller and Miette Hansel, competed at the MSHSL Class A State Championships on Saturday, November 1st. The meet was held at the challenging Les Bolstad Golf Course in Falcon Heights, a venue known for its rolling hills, tight corners, and demanding layout. With temperatures hovering in the upper 30s, conditions added another layer of difficulty to an already tough course.

The boys’ race kicked off at 10:00 a.m., and the Bears entered with confidence, knowing they had a chance to place among the top ten teams in the state. They delivered in impressive fashion—finishing sixth overall in the 16-team field, marking the program’s second-best finish in school history at the state meet.  Leading the way for the Bears was Brady Rach, who earned All-State honors for the second straight year by placing 8th overall in a time of 16:08.1, matching his best-ever state meet performance. Nolan Rach followed with a strong run, taking 42nd (16:52.9), while Gunnar Barthel was close behind in 44th (16:55.1). Henry Lockwood finished 81st (17:27.3), Vance Lockwood placed 114th (17:54.3), Jakub Stovicek ran 150th (19:11.9), and Ambrose Heinze rounded out the lineup with a 160th place finish (21:07.5).  Together, the Bears totaled 171 points in the team scores, finishing just five points shy of a top-five finish. The team title went to Lewiston-Altura/Rushford-Peterson/Houston, which captured the championship with 67 points...

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