Four MCC / Fulda girls finish among top eight, six place in first 13
By Les Knutson
Murray County News Sports
Running, perhaps, its best overall team race yet, the state’s fourth-ranked Class A high school girls’ cross country team — the Murray County Central / Fulda Warriors — dominated their own 9-Team Invitational at the Slayton Country Club last Tuesday, September 24.
On another rather hot and humid day, the Warriors won their fifth team title of the fall with a low score of 24 — 33 points better than second-place Southwest Minnesota Christian / Edgerton’s total of 57.
Leading the victory was junior Morgan Gehl — who claimed her sixth consecutive individual title, having finished first in every one of MCC / F’s meets in 2019. Gehl ran away from the 42-finisher varsity field with a 5,000-meter time of 18:26 — 119 seconds faster than the second-place time of 20:25 run by Marissa Whitehead of Martin County West.
Gehl’s spectacular time was 21 seconds faster than the sixth-place time of 18:47 in the varsity boys’ race over the same 5,000-meter course.
“Morgan was so far in front that we needed a second lead cart to show the way for the rest of the runners,” declared MCC / F head cross country coach Dominick Damm. “She continues to really run strong and smooth.”
Warrior freshman Ashley Overgaauw entered the chute in third place with her time of 20:41, followed closely by twin sister Amanda (fourth, 20:43), giving MCC / F three of the first four.
“Ashley and Amanda always run together and are getting better and better,” Damm said. “Having both of them finish near the front is a good thing for us and a big reason why we are able to win meets.”
Eighth-grader Brylei Schreier was the fourth Warrior finisher, placing eighth overall (seventh in the team scoring), clocked at 21:48, while sophomore Ella Stapek (11th overall, ninth team scoring) was just six seconds back with her time of 21:54.
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