Park’s Gavin Stauffer and Eli Firchau ran their way to state Thursday with standout finishes in the MSHSL Section 3AAA cross country meet at Valleywood Golf Course in Apple Valley.

Stauffer finished 11^th in 16:35.5 and Firchau was 12^th in 16:38.9, both qualifying for the state meet. Stauffer now ranks 11^th on Park’s all-time best performance in the 5K, while Firchau ranks 14^th.

Stauffer and Firchau will compete in the 2023 state cross country meet at the University of Minnesota Les Bolstad Golf Course in St. Paul on Saturday, Nov. 4. The Class AAA boys' race is scheduled to start at 10 a.m.

Park finished sixth in the boys' varsity team race. Bloomington Jefferson had four of the top five finishers to easily win the boys' team title with 26 points. Rosemount was second with 41, Eagan third with 85, Eastview fourth with 141, Hastings fifth with 149, Park sixth with 155, Burnsville seventh with 169, Apple Valley eighth with 198 and Bloomington Kennedy ninth with 250.

“The whole team ran well,” said Park cross country co-head coach Brad Narveson. “I couldn't be more proud of their hard work, effort, and positive attitude. Having two individuals qualify for the state meet is fantastic. Gavin and Eli ran really well and beat some runners they haven't beaten this year to earn their first trips to the state meet. They earned it by all the hard work they put in throughout the season.

“The course was soft, wet, and a little slow but you wouldn't know it by the times they ran,” Narveson added. “They were both really close to a personal best on a tougher course with tougher weather conditions than their previous meet. We're really happy for both of them.”

Jack Weir of the Wolfpack was 42^nd in 18:11.9. Cooper Williams took 44^th in 18:19.4. Will Mann finished 46^th with a time of 18:26.7. Jayden Rentz was 50th in 18:33.6. Brandon Carver finished 58^th in 19:09.8.

A Park boys' team last qualified for the state cross country meet in 2005.

Hollen Thompson finished 42^nd in 23:22.3 to lead the Park girls, who were running without ace Kalin Randrup who sat out the race with an injury.

Susan Mbu was 45^th in 23:53.0, Allie Devine 46^th in 23:59.5, Aria Waletzko 47^th in 24:03.4. Sara Ibanez Garcia 56^th in 26:28.4 and Tenley Nelson 59^th in 28:00.2.

Park was ninth in the girls' team race. Eagan won the meet with a score of 45, followed by: Eastview, 54; Bloomington Jefferson, 71; Rosemount, 103; Hastings, 128; Burnsville, 143; Bloomington Kennedy, 205; Apple Vallet, 209; and Park, 236.

Randrup ranks 10^th on the Park girls' cross country all-time best performance list with her time of 21:56. Thompson ranks 14^th with her 22:46 best time.