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Long state drought ends

By Tom Schardin, 10/26/14, 12:00PM CDT

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The Prior Lake boys cross country team ended its long state drought in style Oct. 23.

The Lakers dominated the Section 3AA field at Valleywood Golf Course in Apple Valley, winning the title with 49 points, 34 better than runner-up Rosemount.

The Lakers had two runners in the top four and five in the top 17.

The last time Prior Lake ran at state as a team was in 1993. This year's Class AA meet is Nov. 1 at St. Olaf College in Northfield. The boys' race is at 1 p.m.

Last year, junior Trenton Galloway and senior Ben Garrison represented the Lakers at state. Galloway had a impressive showing finishing 21st overall, while Garrison was 104th.

Meanwhile, the top-two teams at sections earn state spots. Rosemount was the defending champion and the Irish finished one spot ahead of the Lakers in the South Suburban Conference Championships Oct. 10, taking second. Shakopee won the title.

But there was no way the Irish could keep up with the Lakers at sections - not with five in the top 17. If Prior Lake can run like that at state or just a little better, a top-five finish is a possibility.

Sophomore Colin Dwyer and Galloway led the way for the Lakers at sections, finishing third and fourth, respectively on the 5,000-meter course with times of 16:32.1 and 16.32.7.

Garrison was 12th (17:01.4), followed by senior Shawn Doherty (13th, 17:03.9), sophomore Thomas Vallez (17th, 17:13.7), sophomore Devon Genrick (33rd, 17:44.2) and sophomore Noah Torvik (51st, 18:04.8).

Meanwhile, in the team standings, Apple Valley gave Rosemount a run for second place, finishing third with 94 points.

Burnsville was fourth (119), followed by Eastview (139), Eagan (171), Henry Sibley (172), Bloomington Kennedy (174), St. Thomas Academy (240), Bloomington Jefferson (255), Richfield (289), South St. Paul (310), Holy Angels (357), Park (376) and Simley (466).

Prior Lake has made big strides under second-year coach John Maresh. The Lakers were third at sections last year and fourth in the SSC.

Prior Lake hadn't been in the upper half of the SSC since the conference debuted in 2010, finishing ninth the first three seasons.

Prior Lake has been in Section 3AA since 2007 with its best finish before last year being seventh in 2011. It was eighth in 2012 and in 2010 and out of the top 10 the three years before that (11th in 2009, 12th in 2008 and 13th in 2007).

The three previous years before moving to Section 3AA, the Lakers were in Section 2AA and had finishes of 12th in both 2005 and 2006 and ninth in 2004.

So the program has a come a long ways in the last couple of years.

To see more photos of the Lakers at the section meet, go to Scoreboard's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.890917654266919.1073742264.197190936972931&type=3.