Cross country numbers nearly double in BP

Blooming Prairie High School cross country coach John Bruns welcomed 40 prospects for his boys and girls cross country teams. Practice began on Aug. 17.
The season opens Friday, Aug. 28 at the River Bend Nature Center in Faribault with Medford hosting Blooming Prairie and Maple River.
The turnout of 40 runners, which includes 19 boys and 21 girls, this year nearly doubles the total of 23 runners who reported last year. The added depth is due to several runners coming out for the team who normally would have been involved in volleyball or football.
Volleyball and football players were available since their season normally runs in the fall but has been moved to the spring because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bruns said there are several newcomers who will compete for the top seven varsity spots. "This will make our team stronger," he said.
Coach Bruns also welcomed an assistant coach, Ryan Slack. The Blooming Prairie School Board on Aug. 17 authorized the hiring of an assistant to Coach Bruns. Slack has been involved in the BP track program for eight years.
This year marks Coach Bruns' 22nd year as head coach of the Blooming Prairie cross country teams and 35th year involved in cross country. Bruns ran cross country in high school for seven years and in college for four years. Bruns was an assistant cross country coach for two years.
Bruns has also coached track, boys basketball, girls basketball and girls softball at Blooming Prairie. He is currently head girls basketball coach.
Seven letter winners return to the boys team this year. They are: senior Ethan Grant, five-year letter winner; senior Alex Miller, three-year letter winner and Honorable Mention All Conference in 2018; senior Joe Pirkl, two-year letter winner; senior Dylan Johnson, three-year letter winner; sophomore Hosea Baker, two-year letter winner; freshman Tyler Forystek, two-year letter winner and eighth grader Jack Bruns, one-year letter winner.
Boys lost to graduation were Isaac Ille and Adam Larson.
Leading the girls team will be five-year letter winner Rose Michaud, a senior. Other letter winners are: senior Abby Braaten, three years; junior Asha Lighthizer, four years; junior Emily Anderson, three years; junior Bobbie Bruns, three years and sophomore Abby Smith, three years.
Bobbie Bruns was all conference in 2016 and 2018. She was also Leader of the Pack in 2016. Abby Smith was Honorable Mention all conference in 2018 and 2019. Emily Anderson earned Honorable Mention all conference in 2019.
The boys were fourth in the Gopher Conference last year and 19th in Section 1. They bring back lots of experience this year.
The girls were fourth in conference play last year and 19th in the section. No runners were lost to graduation. This group of girls has lots of experience as many have been on varsity since seventh grade, Bruns said.
Keys to success this year for the boys team will be staying healthy and working to improve every day, remarked Coach Bruns.
Bruns said this is the largest BP girls team, number wise. "The girls are a hard-working group and fun to be around," said Bruns.
Newcomers to the boys team this year include: seniors Luke Larkoski and Boone Carlson; junior Drew Kittelson; sophomores Alex Riley, Jesse Cardenas and Stephen Fennell; freshman Ben Riley; eighth grader Jacob Pauly and seventh grader Tyler Anderson.
Newcomers to the girls team are: seniors Maggie Bruns and Megan Oswald; juniors Bobbie Bruns, Emily Miller, Lauren Schammel and Melanie Winzenburg; sophomores Anna Pauly, Chloe McCarthy and Haven Carlson; freshmen Anna Haberman, Lily Schammel and Rachel Winzenburg and seventh graders Lila Quail and Regan Donnelly.
Of the newcomers, four would normally be out for football and 11 would normally be out for volleyball.