Nechanicky produces No. 3 girls effort in meet history, as Wayzata rallies for first crown since 2013, with Dowling Catholic boys achieving first championship since 2015, as Breker edges Heidesch; Venters guides Utah women to title, with Michigan State’s Smith and Wisconsin men earning wins
By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor
Two of the elite individual competitors in Roy Griak Invitational history also celebrated memorable team achievements Friday in the high school gold races at Les Bolstad Golf Course in St. Paul, Minn.
Abbey Nechanicky ran away from the field in the final two miles of the Gary Wilson girls gold competition, but the performances of her Wayzata teammates – especially fellow seniors Teegan Anderson and Grace Mignone, along with freshman Maddie Gullickson – in the last two kilometers, helped the Trojans rally for an inspiring come-from-behind victory against Cherry Creek of Colorado.
Jackson Heidesch was unable to hold off Noah Breker of Robbinsdale Armstrong High in Minnesota in a thrilling stretch run in the Larry Zirgibel boys gold race, but fellow senior Flynn Milligan, sophomore Jack Flori and juniors Max Derocher and Matthew Bootman sparked an incredible comeback for Dowling Catholic High of Iowa, which elevated from third at the 3-kilometer mark to capture its first team title since 2015.
Nechanicky produced the third-fastest 5-kilometer prep performance in meet history to prevail in 17 minutes, 37.9 seconds, becoming the first Wayzata female athlete to capture the individual crown.
But it was the late surges of Anderson, Mignone and Gullickson that helped Wayzata overcome a projected 29-point deficit at the 3-kilometer mark to prevail by a 113-114 margin.
Olathe West of Kansas, last year’s gold champions, took third with 142 points.
Anderson moved up nine spots to take 13th in 19:07.8, Mignone elevated 10 places to finish 23rd in 19:28.6 and Gullickson ascended 11 positions to secure 30th in 19:41.4, with sophomore Alyson Kleyman also passing one runner in the final stretch to grab 51st in 20:11.0.
Cherry Creek, which captured the title in 2019, led throughout the race, but couldn’t maintain its advantage in the final kilometer, resulting in Wayzata winning for the first time since 2013.
Senior Addison Price was seventh in 18:21.5 and freshman Emily Cohen earned eighth in 18:29.3 for the Bruins, who had sophomore Kinley Wolfe (19:31.2) and senior Catalina Aguilar-Rosenthal (19:33.9) earn 27th and 28th, in addition to junior…
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