Despite not having all its top runners available at full speed, Falls’ girls cross country team still placed fourth out of more than 10 teams Thursday in the Eveleth Lions Invitational.
Albrook/Cotton/Cherry/Tower-Soudan won the meet with 60 points, followed by Ely (71), Pequot Lakes (93), the Falls (94) and Virginia (110) as the top-five teams.
Sophomore Sydney Raboin was the top finisher for the Broncos by placing third out of 96 runners on the 4,000-meter course in 16 minutes, 38 seconds. The two other Falls girls finishing in the top 15 included senior Amber Harms in 10th at 17:24 and sophomore Amy Auran in 12th at 17:32.
“I’m very proud of all of my teammates, a lot have injuries and are sick, but they are still very supportive,” Raboin said.
In the boys competition, which featured 140 runners along the 5,000-meter course in the varsity race, the Broncos ended up in sixth place as a team with 164 points.
Mesabi East won with the low score of 45, followed by Proctor (67), Virginia (73), Eveleth-Gilbert (79) and Pequot Lakes (130) rounding out the top five.
Falls’ best individual finish came from junior Marco Griffith, who placed 21st in 18:59.
The four other Broncos who counted in the team standings included: Charlie Gordon, 31st in 19:38; Wyatt Ulrich, 32nd in 19:42; Cade MacKay, 38th in 19:55; and Logan Veillieux, 42nd in 20:02.
“It was tough to breath because of the cold weather,” Gordon said. “The course was also very hilly, which is something we aren’t used to.”
