—Photo by Julie Vinsand, The Gowrie News St. Edmond’s Michaela Leiting runs for the Gaels at the Southeast Valley Invitational. The Gaels captured the team championship.

GOWRIE — The St. Edmond girls cross country team clipped ACGC to claim the title here Thursday night at the Southeast Valley Invitational.

The fourth-ranked Gaels finished one point ahead of ACGC in the season opener at the Gowrie Golf Course.

“We always stress how important each and every runner is because anyone you pass adds a point to their team total and can lower ours,” SEHS head coach Mike Szalat said. “When it is this close, that definitely proves just that.”

Anna Lursen, Hannah Landwehr, Michaela Leiting, Ellie Knox and Anna Kolacia comprised the first five runners for St. Edmond, with Andee Barwin and Klara Baker rounding out the lineup.

“This just showed how important each runner is 1-through-7,” Szalat said. “Our girls ran like we typically do with getting out to a slow start. We were pretty well behind ACGC at the mile-marker, but we started passing girls as the race continued.

“It was a good way to start the season out.”

On the boys side, Aaron Lursen finished fourth to lead the way for the Gaels.

Newell-Fonda made its debut as a cross country program at the meet.

Due to computer issues, complete results were not made available to The Messenger.