Maverick Beckmann finishes as fifth-place team’s second runner on Slayton’s course
By Les Knutson
Murray County News Sports
Running on the challenging hills of the Slayton Country Club last Tuesday (September 24), the Murray County Central / Fulda varsity boys’ cross country team was led by senior Lukas Stapek, who placed 11th among a field of 49 finishers, representing nine teams.
It was the first time that Stapek, a first-year cross country runner, has been the lead guy for the Warriors. In MCC / F’s previous five meets, Lukas had the team’s second finisher four times and third runner once.
“Lukas continues to improve,” praised MCC / F head cross country coach Dominick Damm of Stapek’s progress. “He ran another strong race and just missed the Top 10, among a very strong field, by one place.”
Stapek ran the 5,000-meter (3.1 miles) distance in a time of 19 minutes, 22 seconds (19:22), entering the chute just seven seconds after the 10th-place finisher, Paul Salentiny of Heron Lake-Okabena (19:15).
Warrior junior Maverick Beckmann, who has been the team’s lead runner in all five of the squad’s previous meets, finished within 10 seconds and two places of Stapek at Slayton, clocking a 13th-place time of 19:32.
“Maverick’s been consistent all fall, running as our front guy,” declared Damm. “That’s becoming good competition between him and Lukas to see who our first finisher is going to be.”
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