(Words by Addy Hallen; photos by Joe Hale)
Wayzata Girls' Cross Country team won the Nike Heartland Regional Meet to punch their ticket to the acclaimed Nike Cross Country National Meet in Portland Oregon held in December. Earlier this season, this powerhouse team won the State AAA Championship with 5 runners in the top 25 and finished with a historic team score of 39 points. Only 3 teams in the large class division have ever broken the low score of 40 - Duluth East (lead by Kara Goucher/Wheeler) in the 90's and Wayzata Girls XC in 2013 (aka...the national champs). This undefeated team is led by senior captain Abbey Nechanicky (who is also undefeated this season as an individual). Abbey is the first-ever individual State champion for Wayzata Girls Cross Country. Seniors Teegan Anderson, and Grace Mignone, Sophomore Aly Kleyman, and Freshman Maddie Gullickson each earned all-state honors. 8th Grader Aubrey Smith and Senior Grace Weber were better than every other team's 6th and 7th, and all 7 of our Wayzata runners finished before every other team's 3rd runner in the State! Abbey has been a top 3-ranked individual in the country and has been a top 10-ranked team all season.
Abbey Nechanicky - MN State Meet course record, NXR course record, top 3-4 ranked nationally all season 4 senior D1 signees lead this team - Abbey Nechanicky CU Boulder, Teegan Anderson Unv of Tennessee , Grace Mignone & Grace Weber University of Minnesota.
This will be the fifth NXN appearance. Top 10 team each berth!
2012- 7th
2013 - Champions
2014 - 6th
2018 - 3rd
2019 - had 2 girls fall at NXR, snubbed for the at large (just sayin)
2020-2021 Covid No NXN
2022 - Let's gooooooo!
