The 2024 Park Region Conference cross country meet delivered exciting performances as Otter Tail Central athletes took on the best in the region. Competing against strong teams like Bertha-Hewitt and Wadena-Deer Creek, OTC made their presence known with several standout performances in both varsity and junior varsity races.

The junior high girls started the Bulldogs out on a high note as OTC’s future stars delivered impressive results. Claire Mansker dominated the girls’ 3,200 meters, finishing first with a time of 13:16.4, Quinn Hagemeister added to the junior high success, finishing third with a time of 14:14.4, while Katelynn Suchy rounded out OTC’s strong showing in 13th place (17:47.4).

The OTC junior varsity boys showed great promise, securing second place with a team score of 43, falling only behind Wadena-Deer Creek. Nelson Hubert led the way for OTC with a fourth place finish, clocking in at 20:19.8. Other notable performances included Benjamin Sanmoogan (seventh place with a time of 20:49.8) and Jack Robinson (eighth place with a time of 21:11.8), contributing valuable points to OTC’s strong team showing.

The OTC varsity girls faced stiff competition, finishing sixth overall with 137 points. 

Tegan Brandon was the top finisher for OTC, crossing the line in 14th place with a time of 20:43.8. She was followed closely by Brielle Malone, who finished 19th place with a time of 21:11.7. Both Brandon and Malone secured all-conference honors. 

Delia Tebugge took 33rd place and teammates Emily Christensen and Mae Hagemesiter took 44th place and 53rd place. Despite a challenging field, the girls demonstrated resilience, improving on their earlier performances throughout the season.

The last race was the highly anticipated varsity boys’ 5,000 meters, OTC’s Peter Newark once again delivered an impressive performance, securing a third place finish with a time of 16:25.6. Newark’s exceptional run follows his school-record-breaking performance earlier this season. 

Newark was joined by strong performances from teammates Aidan Heggem and Talyn Setterholm, who took 13th place with a time of 17:56.1 and 14th place with a time of 17:59.8, respectively. All three Bulldog runners were first team all-conference. With these key placements, OTC finished third in the team rankings, with a score of 81 points, trailing Bertha-Hewitt (29) and Wadena-Deer Creek (44).

As the season draws to a close, head coach Brady Speicher said it’s bittersweet to see the high school cross country careers of seniors like Cayden Mansker and Emily Christensen come to an end. Both athletes have contributed greatly to OTC’s program. Their presence will be missed and Speicher said he wishes them all the best in their future endeavors. 

The Bulldogs varsity squads will compete on Thursday in Wadena at the section 6A meet. The top six athletes and top two teams will advance to the state meet.