Albert Lea’s Hanke wins first home meet of season
Published 7:39 pm Tuesday, August 30, 2022
Gavin Hanke won the cross country meet on Monday with a time of 17:10. Photo courtesy Laura Mae Murtaugh
Albert Lea's Isaiah McGaffey and Tyrone Stout carry on strong through the race. Photo courtesy Laura Mae Murtaugh
Jaira Maligaya was the first Albert Lea girl across the finish line during the cross country meet Monday. Photo courtesy Laura Mae Murtaugh
Ella Schultz and Mya Hanke were toward the front of the pack at the cross country meet on Monday. Photo courtesy Laura Mae Murtaugh
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The Albert Lea boys’ and girls’ cross country teams hosted seven other schools Monday night in the first home meet of the season.
Senior Gavin Hanke reigned supreme in the boys’ race, winning the 5,000-meter jaunt with a time of 17:10.86. As a team, the boys finished in second place just six points behind Owatonna.
Junior Isaiah McGaffey came in fourth place with a time of 17:56.86 and freshman Ty Stout was the third Tiger to finish in the top 10, coming in ninth place with a time of 18:24.00.
Rounding out the top five finishers for the Tigers were freshman Andrew Tscholl in 17th place with a time of 19:21.48 and senior Luke Wangsness in 19th place with a time of 19:23.60.
“The coaching staff was pleased with how well the boys teams were able to continue the success they had from 2021 when they went to state,” said head coach Jim Haney. “The boys ran with a purpose as we have the goal of going back to state. At the meet were six teams that are in our section, and we were able to defeat all the section teams.”
In the girls’ race it was senior Jai Maligaya coming in as the top finisher for Albert Lea. Maligaya came in 18th place with a time of 23:50.40. Also racing for the Tigers was eighth grader Elle Schulz in 24th place with a time of 24:28.77 and sophomore Mya Hanke in 39th place with a time of 26:02.57.
The girls’ team started three racers, making them ineligible for the team scores, but Haney was proud of their effort nonetheless.
“The girls did a great job and with the help they will get later this season from our junior high program,” Haney said. “The coaching staff believes that the girls will improve.”
The Tigers will be back in action Thursday when they head to St. Olaf College.
