Seventh-Grade Girls Win First at Border Battle 

Milbank athletes raced in the 2024 Border Battle in Grand Forks on Saturday, September 30. Organizers expected 86 teams and over 2,100 athletes – an increase from 2023, when they hosted 75 teams and 2,027 runners. Sioux Falls Roosevelt and Sioux Falls Lincoln joined the competition for the first time.

“The highlight of the day was [the Milbank ]seventh-grade girls winning the team title and taking home the paddle trophy,” commented Eric Townsend, head coach for Milbank.  “This meet is huge! Mostly North Dakota schools and great competition from North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota.”  Dozens of  athletes from Canada also compete.    

The first 20 individual finishers were rewarded with a Winner’s Circle Top-20 T-shirt. Milbank’s Tabitha McFaden (6th) and Haylen Schneck (8th), who competed  in the seventh-grade girls race each earned a t-shirt. However, Townsend noted,” It took all the girls to win the meet as the team scores were very close. Sophia Bass, Paola Culhuac Segundo, McFaden, Nuria Rodriguez Duron, Schneck, Susie Schuneman, Timbree Spors, and Madelyn Van Lith made up the winning team.  “All their efforts and performances should be commended. These eight girls have improved much from the start of the season and a number of them are pushing for varsity spots,” Townsend  enthused.

The day’s highlights for Milbank also included Ashlynn Batchelor taking 14th place in the varsity girls race. As a team, the varsity boys placed 14th out of 37 complete teams. The varsity girls placed 10th out of 27 complete teams.  

“Overall, both teams competed hard,” Townsend said. “Both are battling injuries and illness that hopefully we can clear up in the next week or so as we gear up for the NEC and Region meets.”  

The next outing for the Bulldogs is the Lennox Invite on Thursday, October 3.

Results from the 2024 Border Battle:
Seventh-Grade Girls – 3,000-Meters-  MILBANK WINS 

Top-Five Team Scores

1. Milbank –38
2. MS Horizon –39
3. Central Cass –50
4. Warroad  –107
5. Moorhead  –113

Individual Winner – Claire Mansker of Ottertail Central at 12:27.9
Milbank Runners– 
Tabitha McFaden  – 6th place at 12:57.7
Haylen Schneck – 8th place at  13:00.9
Paola Culhuac Segundo 22nd place at  –  13:23.4
Timbree Spors – 26th place at 13:32.4
Sophia Bass – 42nd place at 14:30.2
Madelyn Van Lith – 44th place at 14:33.5
Susie Schuneman – 47th place at 14:38.5
Nuria Rodriguez Durion –  54th place at 14:52.7 

Seventh- Grade Boys  –  3000 Meters
Individual Winner  – Lucas Elsberry – Century at 10:47.0
Milbank Runners–
Jefferson Ordonez – 43rd place at 12:59.3
Matthew Unzen – 70th place at 14:15.9
Justus Gortmaker – 89th place at 15:09.1
Gunnar Anderson –  108th place at  18:25.9

Eighth-Grade Girls – 3,000 Meters
Individual Winner  – Violet Sigsworth – Upriver Running at 11:44.8
No  MIlbank runners

Eighth-Grade Boys – 3,000 Meters
Individual Winner – Bracston Kaufman – Century – 10:10.0
Milbank Runner–
Levi Street – 134th place at 16:50.15

JV Girls  –   261 Runners – 5,000 Meters
Individual Winner – Quinn Lavoi – Winnipeg Optimists Athletics at 20:18.8
Milbank Runners –
Mackenzie Mueller – 116th place at 25:39.2
Camryn Sovell – 16th place at 28:01.3

JV Boys Combined  – 350 Runners – 5,000 Meters
Winner –  Arvid Nelsen –  Sioux Falls Lincoln at 17:01.4
Milbank Runner –
Armando Chan –  192nd place at 21:29.2

A – Varsity Girls  – 225 Runners  – 5,000-Meters
Top 10- Team Scores

1. Bowman County –56
2. Kildeer –109
3. Hillsboro- Central Valley –110
4. Riverside Christian –183
5. Hawley XC –198
6. Wadena-Deer Creek –204
7. Rugby –214
8. Warner –228
9. Bottineau –284
10. Milbank –309

Individual Winner –  Claire Grinde – Hillsboro-Central Valley at 19:09.5
Milbank Runners–
Ashlynn Batchelor – 14th place at 20:29.5
Ella Koplin – 68th place at 22:16.1
Bianca Berry –  75th place at 22:29.0
Macy Mueller – 80th place at 22:31.2
Aria Prasnicki – 95th place at 23:03.3
Zayda Townsend – 123rd place at 23:59.4

A – Varsity Boys  – 258 Runners – 5,000 Meters
Top-14 Team Scores

1. Bowman County –46
2. Kindred –136
3. Sauk Centre –141
4. Holdingford –152
5. New Town –179
6. Hawley XC –193
7. Greenway- Nashwauk-keewatin –199
8. Rugby –270
9. Hillsboro-Central Valley –310
10. Killdeer –319
11. Wadena- Deer Park –353
12. Thief River Falls –360
13. Des Lacs Burlington-lewis and Clark  –382
14. Milbank –405

Individual Winner – Taylor Wanner – Bowman County  at  15:50.07
Milbank Runners–
Bryan Meyer – 31st place at 17:47.3
Bennett Graham – 71st place at 18:40.5
Beckham Berry – 88th place at 19:01.8
Harley Zemlicka – 95th place at 19:07.1
Rylan Wendland – 161st place at 20:31.0