Staff Writer- Alayna Boe
On Saturday September 19, the Gustavus Adolphus College Golden Gusties took a trip to Northfield, MN to take on the competition at the St. Olaf Invitational. This meet marked one of potentially five trips to Northfield for the Gusties this season. St. Olaf will be hosting the MIAC meet, so getting used to it early on is good.
With the first race being the women’s 6k, they got a good look at a fresh course in the cool morning. Gustavus had strong races across the board and claimed a 7th place finish out of the 18-team invite. This race was also the first 6k for the team this season since the last meet got pushed back and shortened due to rain. The extra kilometer did not pose a barrier for the Gustie squad as they had been training hard and were ready for the race course.
The sophomore women’s squad for Gustavus has proven themselves this season, and this meet was not an exception. Four of the five scorers were sophomores, so the future of this team is in good hands. Addison Enfield was the first woman to cross the line for the Gusties with a time of 23:12.3. Enfield’s former high school teammate, and now collegiate teammate, Anna Forbord was second over the line, posting a 24:11.9 time. These two ran together in their hometown of Northfield, so they are very familiar with the area and running together in meets.
Personal bests were another positive for Gustavus with Siiri Anderson crossing third for the Gusties and having a near 42 second personal best in this mid-season race. During the race she paced with Forbord and knew she could keep up, so she did. This shows the teamwork needed in this otherwise individualized sport.
Rounding out the sophomore scorers was Anna Gould passing the line in 66th place and a time of 24:51.4. Senior Laura Sunnarborg was the last Gustavus scorer with a time of 25:04.7, so just over that 25 minute mark which she will get under by the end of the season. Sunnarborg’s all time collegiate best is 24:45.5 in the 6k, so she will be striving for that as she ends her senior season.
On the men’s side, Senior Nick Brauer led his team during his senior year debut. Food poisoning stalled him from his first race of the year, but this week he popped back like nothing had happened. The weather was wet and muddy for this meet, but the team made the most of it and just embraced the elements. The men went into their race with a positive view even though it was pouring rain for their race. “We all embraced the mud run that was the last race. It was pouring rain, and we all knew it was going to be wet and muddy, so we went in with a good mindset,” Brauer stated.
Coming in with a time of 26:16.6 in the 8k Brauer is shy of his personal best, but he still leads the team on and off the course. In an interview Brauer stated his view on leading, “I enjoy being able to lead this group of runners because they are so easy to lead. Each of them shows up with the purpose of having fun and getting the work done, so each practice and meet is a fun atmosphere. Then, outside of cross country, we all enjoy being in each other’s presence, so hanging out and making memories comes naturally.”
Sophomore Caden Riga was second for the Gusties and came across the finish line with a time of 27:02.2. He had his first taste of leading the Golden Gusties at the Augustana Twilight, so this year he will battle that spot while also developing his skill for the years to come. Junior Matthew Berge and senior Evan Pouliot placed 82nd and 83rd in this invite and had times of 27:22.2 and 27:24.0.
Finishing out this men’s squad was first-year Joey Gustafson. He finished his first 8k with a time of 27:33.7 and scored in his first 8k meet of the season, and of his collegiate career. Junior Matt Trzynka did not score for the Gusties but was right behind Gustafson placing right after him. This is the competition and depth a team wants, so this meet proved the men are in a good place. They ended with a 9th place finish out of 18 teams.
Both cross country teams will take a week off before returning to Northfield for the Running of the Cows, which will take place at the Bill Huyck Championship Course, home of Carleton College and the 2026 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships.