Local girls continue to top cross-country meets

By Kevin Fee
Grand Forks Herald

The individual domination at the East Grand Forks Senior High Invitational cross country meet extended to the far reaches of northern Minnesota — and beyond.
As expected, Warroad (Minn.) High School senior Moses Heppner won the boys race. The girls race was more wide open, with eighth-grader Victoria Alexander of Lake of the Woods-Rainy River winning at the wire over a teammate.
Alexander lives in Atikokan, Ont., which is about 31⁄2 hours from Rainy River. Lake of the Woods, which is located in Baudette, Minn., and Rainy River have a co-op in several sports.
Victoria Alexander of Lake of the Woods-Rainy River races to the girls individual title at the East Grand Forks Senior High Invitational meet Thursday at Valley Golf Course.
Victoria Alexander of Lake of the Woods-Rainy River races to the girls individual title at the East Grand Forks Senior High Invitational meet Thursday at Valley Golf Course.
But because of the distance between Atikokan and the Rainy River-Baudette area, Alexander often trains on her own. She sometimes stays in Rainy River, does her homework during the day and works out with the team in the afternoon.
“She comes down and trains with us as much as possible,” Lake of the Woods-Rainy River assistant coach Jeff Fraser said.
Alexander obviously has some training miles behind her. She won Thursday’s 4,000-meter race in 15 minutes, 33.53 seconds. Teammate Saragh Fraser was right behind in 15:35.09.
Lake of the Woods-Rainy River’s Emily Fraser was third, completing the win-place-show finish for the Bears.
Coach Fraser said the team’s strategy on a Valley Golf Course layout with hairpin turns was to “get ahead and stay ahead, so you’re spread out a little bit when you get to those turns.”
Saragh Fraser has been the Bears’ top runner most of the season. But Lake of the Woods-Rainy River showed it has three quality runners in the Fraser sisters and Alexander.
“She’s usually way faster,” Alexander said of Saragh Fraser. “I just tried to keep up with her.”
Grand Forks Central’s Shane Harlow did his best to keep up with Heppner, who’s ranked second in the latest Minnesota state Class A poll. Heppner finished in 16:32.52, compared to Harlow’s 17:16.67.
(Reprinted from the Grand Forks Herald, Sept. 26, 2008)