Going into the MSHSL State Cross Country Championship, the Becker boys’ cross country team was predicted to finish the event in fourth place. 

That fueled the boys to surpass that prediction. Before the boys left for the meet, they were escorted by the Becker PD, with people cheering along the way. 

“We felt a great wave of support from our community as we prepared for the state meet,” Coach Dustin Weege said. 

The boys had previously been to this course during the Roy Griak meet, so they were somewhat prepared for the demanding course. 

Last year, the Bulldogs placed seventh in the meet. It also helped that three of the runners (Alex Swanson, Tanner Felton, and Parker Spindler) had been to the state meet in past years. The Bulldog runners did not let the nerves of the meet get in the way of them trying to surpass a fourth place finish. 

At the one-mile mark, the order of the Bulldogs included Felton, Swanson, Spindler, Evan Hubbard, Brandt Hemmelgarn, Holden Hubbard, and Mason Tschida. 

At the two-mile mark, the Bulldogs were still close to their target times, though the runners did become more spread out. Spindler, Holdan Hubbard, and Tschida all earned season bests/PRs. Tanner Felton (16:09.6=22nd) managed to earn the only known three-time All-State Cross Country runner in the history of Becker cross country. Parker Spindler (16:17=28th) is also recognized as a three-time All-State Academic winner. 

The Bulldogs pulled off a fourth place finish with a total of 165 points. 

The rest of the Bulldogs finished in the following: Evan Hubbard (17:10=88th), Hemmelgarn (17:31=110th), Holden Hubbard (17:54.5=126th), and Tschida (18:24=145th). 

“Those seven, along with alternates Weston Denne, Cooper Pany, Carson Schuster, and Aiden Jacobs, have a lot to be proud of, and I look forward to seeing them continue to work hard to run this ‘race of life’ well in their futures,” said Weege.