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Gaels ready for another state XC run

—Submitted Photo the st. edmond cross country team will run Saturday at the state meet. Competing for the Gaels will be, front row, left to right: Sydney Schulte, Jacey Ash, Aleksandria Aljets and Caroline Shelly. Back row: Kelli Kersten, Anna Kolacia, Aaron Lursen, Klara Baker and Aubrey Bemrich.

For Mike Szalat, the goal of each cross country season is has remained the same for two decades at St. Edmond.

Be competing at the state meet.

The Gael girls earned their sixth consecutive bid by placing third at districts last week, with freshman Aaron Lursen joining them in the Class 1A field Saturday at Lakeside Golf Course.

St. Edmond will be in the final two races inside Kennedy Park, with the girls hitting the trail at 2 p.m. and the boys at 2:30 p.m.

Five of the senior runners from last year return for the Gael girls led by junior Aubrey Bemrich. Joining her will be classmates Jacey Ash, Kelli Kersten and Sydney Schulte along with sophomores Aleksandria Aljets, Caroline Shelly and ninth-grader Anna Kolacia.

“The way we design things, we are trying to peak at districts,” Szalat said. “We want to be running this Saturday. That is the goal every year and the way we train our kids. It’s the way we get ready for the season and why we beat them up so hard in the middle of the year.”

Bemrich secured an individual state spot after placing ninth at districts to go along with a fourth place showing at the 3A and 2A heavy North Central Conference meet earlier this year.

Kolacia and Aljets were in the Top-20 at districts, with Kersten right behind.

“Abby (Landwehr) was a big loss, but we felt like Aubrey could slide into that No. 1 spot and if everybody else moved up accordingly, we’d be a team with a year experience under our belts this year,” Szalat said. “My approach is always to have somebody ready to assume the spot of someone graduating.

“We’ve had some incredible runners over the years, but you have to always be looking towards the next group at the same time.”

St. Edmond is healthy for the most part outside of Shelly, who continues to battle through an injury suffered earlier in the year.

“Caroline has just been gutting it out here over the past several weeks and it is a truly a testament to her tolerance to pain,” Szalat said. “I’m so impressed by her ability to fight through it.”

Bemrich, Ash, Shelly and alternate Klara Baker will be competing at the Iowa High School State Cheerleading Championships before joining their teammates for state cross country.

“These girls have proven they can handle it,” Szalat said. “I am very blessed to have (assistant coach) Monica (Shelly) going down with them. I know she is going to take great care of them and have them ready to go.”

Lursen made the most of his first opportunity at districts, setting a school record time for a freshman runner. His finish in 17;34 was good for fifth overall and broke the mark set by Josh Madsen.

“We kind of knew what we were getting in Aaron because of the success he had in middle school,” Szalat said. “He is a go-getter and a kid that sets goals for himself. I think his goal is to improve on his time at districts and he definitely has that opportunity.”

The Gael boys have had a state qualifier three consecutive years, as Jed Tracy was a two-time participant at state.

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