Staples-Motley edges out Perham for first at Olson Invitational

Perham's Carson Hespe pushes forward during one of the backstretches of the Olson Invitational at the Whitetail Run Golf Course in Wadena. (Jason Groth / Perham Focus)

By Jason Groth

September 04, 2020 at 1:55 PM

For the second straight meet, the Perham boys cross country team was edged out for first place when they competed in Wadena on Sept. 3 for the Johanna Olson Invitational.

The Yellowjacket pack was edged by Staples-Motley by just six points in the three team event. Staples-Motley finished with 26 points, while Perham came in second with 32 points. Wadena-Deer Creek fielded an incomplete team for team standings.

Perham had three runners inside the top five, but it was the Cardinal mid-pack that separated from Perham to secure the win.

The Cardinals were led by Emmet Anderson. Anderson is the second-ranked runner in the state and he was able to cruise to the victory. He finished with a time of 16 minutes and 15.4 seconds to secure the win. He was followed by a pair of Yellowjacket runners in Jakob McCleary and Carson Hespe.

Perham's Jakob McCleary leads the way for the Yellowjackets during the Olson Invitational. McCleary finished second behind Staples-Motley's Emmet Anderson. (Jason Groth / Perham Focus)

McCleary is the third-ranked runner in Class A and finished with a time of 17 minutes and 20.3 seconds for second place. Hespe came in third with a time of 17:45.8. Isaiah Tabbatt finished fourth for Staples-Motley with a time of 18:00.9, while Perham’s Micah Thompson was fifth overall at 18:02.6.

Perham's Carter Flatau sprints towards the finish line of the Olson Invitational on Sept. 3 in Wadena. ( Jason Groth / Perham Focus)

The Cardinals claimed the next four spots in the top 10 before Perham’s Carter Flatau crossed the line in 10th place. Flatau finished with a time of 18:43.1. Bjorn Anderson came in 12th place with a time of 19:26.0, while Caden Doll was 13th at 19:30.2 for Perham. Elijah Morris rounded out the field for the Yellowjackets when he came in 17th place with a time of 20:45.6.

The Yellowjackets are back in action when they run on Sept. 10 at Detroit Lakes. The varsity races are set to begin at 6 and 6:40 p.m.

Perham's Bjorn Anderson focuses in on the finish line as he closes out the Olson Invitational at the Whitetail Run Golf Course in Wadena. (Jason Groth / Perham Focus)

Johanna Olson Invitational

Boys Team Results

Staples-Motley 26, Perham 32, Wadena-Deer Creek INC.

Individual Results

1 Emmet Anderson, SM, 16:15.4; 2 Jakob McCleary, PER, 17:20.3; 3 Carson Hespe, PER, 17:45.8; 4 Issiah Tabatt, SM, 18:00.9; 5 Micah Thompson, PER, 18:02.6; 6 Lyle Brownell, SM, 18:24.4; 7 Tanner Robben, SM, 18:35.9; 8 Luke Brownell, SM, 18:36.2; 9 Logan Robben, SM, 18:39.2; 10 Carter Flatau, PER, 18:43.1; 11 Grant Johnson, SM, 18:43.5; 12 Bjorn Anderson, PER, 19:26.0; 13 Caden Doll, PER, 19:30.2; 14 Sam Jennissen, SM, 19:38.8; 15 Bjorn Brunsberg, WDC, 19:57.3; 16 Lane Hoefs, WDC, 20:01.0; 17 Elijah Morris, PER, 20:45.6; 18 Phillip Ross, WDC, 21:46.9; 19 Eric Malone, WDC, 23:04.1.

By Jason Groth