The Big Lake boys varsity cross country team took the team title at the Hutchinson Invitational at Lake Marion County Park last Thursday.

The defending AA state champions were led by Owen and Kade Layton. Owen, a junior, crossed the finish line in second in 16:21.4. His older brother Kade was a step behind in third in 16:24.6. Cade Sanvik of Osseo, currently rated #11 in AAA, won the race in 16:10.9.

Big Lake sophomore Jack Leuer  finished sixth in 17:22.5. Spencer Vold was 14th in 18:17.6 and David Guyse took 18th in 18:25.

Alton Ahamed (22nd, 18:44) and Tanon Jacobson (32nd, 18:576.8) were the sixth and seventh finishers for the Hornets.

Final team scores were Big Lake 39, Mankato East 59, Osseo 70, Mankato West 72, Dassel-Cokato 132 and New Prague 149. Hutchinson and Waseca competed in the race but did not have complete teams.

The boys varsity was the only race Big Lake competed in.

A week earlier, the boys varsity took the title at the Norm Ayen Invitational at Isanti Middle School.

The Hornets placed all seven runners in the top 10 and easily outdistanced second-place Coon Rapids, 17-51 in the five-team race.

Owen Layton, Kade Layton and Jack Leuer finished 1-2-3 just steps apart in 17:08.4, 17:10.9 and 17:12.9 respectively.

“These three returning All-State runners have a demeanor and attitude towards training and competition that is infectious, said Coach Todd Trutna, “And the rest of the boys team has caught it too.”

Spencer Vold was fifth in 18:08.9 followed by Tanon Jacobson in sixth in 18:15.8.

David Guyse (ninth, 18:31.9) and Alton Ahamed (10th, 18:33.8) were the sixth and seventh runners for Big Lake.

The JV boys also won the title, edging Cambridge-Isanti, 41-43. The Hornets had a 2-3-4 finish from Gavin Flavin (19:19.3) Luke Hugo (19:39.8) and Trent Erickson (19:39.9).

For the girls varsity, Emilee Doperalski was the top Big Lake finisher. She placed 17th in 23:01.3.

She was followed by Campbell Slattery (24th, 24:24.3), Jadyn Rust (27th, 26:40.4), Nicole Rempel (29th, 24.44.2) and Elsie Johnson (30th, 28:11.2).

Rylie Ostrum was Big Lake’s top finisher in the girls JV 5000 meters in 29:28.9.

The Big Lake Middle School boys finished a close second to Centennial, 41-46. The Hornets had three runners in the top 10: Max Baron (third, 12:23.9), Judd Layton (fourth, 12:30.8) and Theo Johnson (sixth, 12:39.1).

The Hornets competed in a multiple-school invitational in Cold Spring Thursday, results to follow next week. They run next in the Foley Invitational Sept. 29.