stillwatergazette . com Stillwater Ponies Fall Sports Preview • Friday , September 6 , 2024 Page 21
BOYS CC
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to overcome the loss of Riniker after the section meet . The team features strong depth and that will need to be required to keep pace with the other leading contenders in the state .
“ We are extremely deep this year , with lots of senior experience / leadership and at least 16 different athletes that all have a legitimate shot at being in our top seven by the end of the year ,” Miller said . “ Dylan should provide a very low score in our top spot at many of our meets , followed by Andrew Walsh leading our chase pack . Our pack ’ s ability to be assertive throughout the race and to run it as evenly as possible will determine our success this year .”
Quotable — “ We want to be a top five program in the state , continue to grow the program , trust our process , and ensure that every athlete feels welcomed and knows that they play a role in our team ’ s success ,” Miller said . “ No one ’ s influence is neutral .”
Notable — Stillwater has captured five state championships in boys cross country . The Ponies won three straight state championships in 1995 , 1996 and 1997 and added back-to-back state titles in 2011 and 2012 . The Ponies finished second in 2003 , 2005 and 2017 and have placed third five times ( 1998 , 2002 , 2013 , 2014 and 2015 ).
• Stillwater has qualified for the state meet in cross country 33 times since its inaugural appearance in 1976 , which is one more than Alexandria ( 32 ) since 1975 when the state meet was split into two classes
— the MSHSL added a third class in 2021 . The Ponies never finished among the top five until winning the championship in 1995 and that set off an impressive run of success . Since 1995 the Ponies have placed in the top five in 17 of their 25 trips to state .
• The Ponies have produced two MSHSL individual state champions in boys cross country with Luke Watson in 1997 and Wayde Hall in 2012 . Watson was also the state runner-up in 1996 . Stillwater graduate Andy Tate ‘ 96 won back-to-back Class A state titles in 1993 and 1994 while competing for Morris Area .
Ethan Vargas was the individual medalist in the Cross Country Showcase in 2020 — a replacement meet after state was canceled due to COVID-19 — and was also named the Gatorade Minnesota Boys Cross Country Player of the Year .
• Stillwater was named the national champion by Harrier / USA Today in 1997 . The Ponies placed 11th in their only trip to Nike Nationals in 2011 . Eric Colvin also competed as an individual at Nike Nationals after advancing out of the Heartland Regional in 2012 .
• Former Ponies coach Scott Christensen , who guided the program for 42 seasons , has been inducted into seven hall of fames , including two as an athlete .
He was inducted into the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2018 after previous inductions into the Minnesota Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame ( 2006 ), the True Team Track and Field Hall of Fame ( 2001 ), the USATF Minnesota Track and Field Hall of
Fame , and the Minnesota Track and Field Coaches Association Hall of Fame ( 2017 ). Christensen led the Ponies to five state championships in cross country and five more in track and field — not to mention three True Team state track titles . His teams captured a remarkable 60 section championships in the two sports , with 31 coming in cross country ( four of those coaching girls ) and 29 in track and field .
• Ryan Miller ran for Christensen as a prep and also for long-time St . John ’ s coach Tim Miles . Before taking over as head coach in 2023 , Miller spent 10 years as an assistant coach under Christensen .
• Last year marked the first time since 1990 the state meet was held at the University of Minnesota ’ s Les Bolstad Golf Course . Miller suggest there were things they like about the new site and also a few things that will be missed about St . Olaf , a site that has hosted many memorable moments for the Ponies over the years .
“ To me it seemed just as fast ,” Miller said of the course after last year ’ s race . “ I ’ d put it on par ( with St . Olaf ). I actually think the topography is more challenging , but the crowd support seemed to really drive the athletes more
Senior Andrew Walsh , above , is joined by Caleb Berry , Carson Fellows , Max Gerald , Evan Goddard , Cal Heinz , Dylan Riniker and Davis Rolstad in serving as captians for the Stillwater boys cross-country team . consistently throughout the race and the sight lines are so much better with the amphitheater and ability to move without flags up everywhere .”
The lack of indoor space available at Les Bolstad was mitigated by the pleasant weather conditions .
“ I felt like talking with a lot of the kids , the meet sort of took the pressure off many of them in that St . Olaf is very regimented in terms of where they could be and the rest of the team could be . You also felt like you were a jungle tiger on display . It was great to have the climate control , but having the campsite with kids around in a tent and have our space heater going made it feel like a more traditional meet . I saw a lot less nervous body language and conversation that I had the previous 10 years at St . Olaf .”
• The Ponies received an Academic Gold Award from the Minnesota Cross Country Coaches Association last season , an honor which requires a grade point average of 3.75 or higher .
• Sixteen of the top 22 finishers in last year ’ s state meet were seniors .
• There are several former Ponies running for various college programs , including : Ethan Vargas
See Boys CC , Page 22