Cambridge girls, boys sending teams to state

CAMBRIDGE — Both Cambridge cross-country teams placed second at Thursday’s D-5 district and qualified their entire lineups for state next week.

Coach Peter Bogardus saw his Trojan girls total just 56 points with senior Cali Gunderson (eighth/23:54.47) , freshman Kori Koeppen (11th/24:12.12) and sophomore Megan tenBensel (13th/24:18.68) all earning individual places in the Class D field.

Junior Siobhan Donohue (32nd/26:18.12), sophomore Paige Sickels (36th/26:34.94) and junior Korinne Benson (38th/26:38.35) will also be running the Kearney Country Club next week.

All state championship races take place one week from today.

Cambridge’s girls were second behind only Ravenna (29) while Axtell (59) claimed that other D-5 team spot.

Meanwhile, the Trojan boys totaled 100 points which still earned a No. 2 team finish behind B-5 champion Axtell (23).

Ravenna’s 104 points took the third team spot ahead of Maywood-Hayes Center (113).

Cambridge senior/RPAC champion Joshua Paisley finished fourth to lead the Trojans with Axtell taking those top three places.

Junior Shane Horwart finished 13th (19:28.27) followed by Trojan teammates Aidan Gunderson (22nd/20:28.73), Brandon Horwart (32nd/21:09.56), Bobby Evans (46th/22:31.17) and John tenBensel (48th/22:53.76).

Several other area runners earned their trips to Class D state during D-5 competition:

Maywood-Hayes Center senior Eli Handsaker qualified (sixth/18:58.97) though his team missed by one place.

Southwest junior Jake O’Dea will run his first state meet after placing seventh (18:59.35).

Arapahoe sophomore Ashton Vargas (14th/19:38.87) completes the area boys’ state contingent.

Southwest junior Bruce Teeter was one place from making state as he took 16th (19:39.62) — .19 seconds behind final qualifier Cooper Franzen of Brady.

No other area girls qualified from D-5 at Cross Creek Golf Course, Julia Broker from M-HC finished 30th (26:06.93), Arapahoe’s Hannah Whitson 31st (26:17.67) and Southwest’s Jesse Rolland 33rd (26:23.04).