Every year teams from around the Midwest travel to St. Paul, Minnesota and compete in the Roy Griak Invitational. Teams from Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Minnesota account for the majority of the field. While top collegiate teams highlight the weekend, the best match up occurs during the girls race, which hosts three Foot Locker national contenders and a lot of in-state talent. Emily Sisson (So., Millard North, NE), Katie Flood (So., Dowling Catholic, IA) and Lindsey Anderson (Sr., Leeds, ND) toe the line together, while McKenzie Melander (Sr., Eastview, MN) leads the way for the talented Minnesota girls.
Roy Griak Invitational (MN) - Meet Preview
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Girls
As the girls high school race lines up to start Saturday afternoon, all eyes need to be on three girls. Emily Sisson (So., Millard North, NE), Katie Flood (So., Dowling Catholic, IA) and Lindsey Anderson (Sr., Leeds, ND) each are accomplished, win often and run from the front. Sisson, Flood and Anderson, along with senior McKenzie Melander (Eastview, MN), rank in the top twelve in the region. Sisson and Flood are right at the top, while Anderson ranks a few spots down.
The race between these top girls is something fans rarely get to see during the regular season. Top girls from seperate states, squaring off to win one of the biggest invitationals in the country. Sisson is the early favorite after winning her first invitational of the season and showing similar form to last year when she was a Foot Locker All-American. However, Flood continues to improve, and not running Foot Locker regionals last year leaves a lot of question marks surrounding her. If she beats Sisson the hype will simply explode. Anderson marches in as the underdog. While an incredibly accomplished runner, Sisson and Flood's youth excite onlookers a bit more, however, Anderson certainly is capable of winning it all.
The battle set up top shines over the field, but the team race for a top three finish happens mid-pack. Sioux Falls Roosevelt (SD) enters as the early favorite, but many teams in Minnesota want to win on their home soil. Burnsville is one of those teams. Every year Minnesota produces amazing depth, both individually and team, so expect some big upsets to happen with the in-state talent.
Boys
Rob Finnerty (Sr., Burnsville, MN) takes to the University of Minnesota Golf Course one last time on Saturday. While Finnerty is the class of the field individually, big goals still drive this senior. You can expect for him to make a run at the course record. If he accomplishes that, Finnerty not only proves he is the best in Minnesota, but one of the top boys in the country.
Rosemount (MN) and Pleasant Valley (IA) take the top two pre-race positions. Rosemount enters as a clear favorite, ranked twenty-second in the current Harrier Super 25 rankings, while Pleasant Valley continues to get stronger each week. However, front-runner Devn Allbaugh (Sr.) sat out last weekend for Pleasant Valley and is questionable for Saturday. Other Minnesota squads should challenge Rosemount and P.V. for a top finish.