Minnesota's Lake Conference

They're in the same section as well, which was won by Hopkins with the runner up being Minneapolis Washburn. Edina and Wayzata didn't even make it to state as teams, but you'll see runners from both teams very high up in the results.

theeaglehaslanded wrote:

Utah may have represented well at NXN (Boys), but how about the Lake Conference in Minnesota...three teams in the top 15 from a high school conference (Hopkins 7th, Edina 13th and Wayzata 14th). And a five school conference at that.

Two of the three Utah teams are from the same "conference". I use the term lightly because Utah doesn't really have conferences, as they don't have many dual meets.

American Fork and Lone Peak are both in the Utah 5A-4 Regional.

Timpanogos is in the Utah 4A-7 Regional, but were in the 5A-4 Regional until they dropped to 4A a few years ago.

The other teams in 5A-4:

Herriman (SW#4 in 2012)

Lehi (SW#8 this year)

Pleasant Grove

Riverton (SW#5 in 2013)

Westlake (SW#12 last year)

Pleasant Grove hasn't had a potential SW Top-10 team yet, though they have mixed it up with some of the other teams every once in a while.

I say this not to take anything away from the Lakes Conference in Minnesota, which has always been one of the top three or four conferences in the nation, but to give credit where credit is due in regards to the Utah scene in the Orem area. Almost all of those teams have had SW Regional if not NXN National success in the recent past.

They also happen to be three of the largest schools in Minnesota, extremely affluent communities, and also have open enrollment policies.

Thanks for the reply. I didn't know those three schools were so close to each other. I do know it is an intensely competitive area, proven by American Fork's at-large invitation and 2nd place finish this year. Tremendous accomplishment and great story for those kids to carry with them the rest of their lives.

These examples seem to show how important quality competition is, and how it raises the bar for all whom need to compete against these teams. Congrats to them, and their coaches!

Guess guess wrote:

They also happen to be three of the largest schools in Minnesota, extremely affluent communities, and also have open enrollment policies.

^^ Hopkins and Edina are big but they have no geographical growth. Wayzata sits on the edge of the suburbs so as communities keep booming up growing west, they just feed into Wayzata.

I'm an alum of one of the schools- and it really is the stiff competition, no one wants to lose, but also the reputation of the program you want to uphold. And just do it for yourself- guys you saw train were good through the exact same program and coach, so you know you can do it yourself too.

Guess guess wrote:

They also happen to be three of the largest schools in Minnesota, extremely affluent communities, and also have open enrollment policies.

That just isn't true at all. Hopkins is half the size of the others. Hopkins is truly the 🐐.

Wayzata doesn't allow students in that don't live in the school boundaries. Minnetoka, Anoka, and Edina have more students than Wayzata and Hopkins by a lot. But, lake conference is easily the best conference in the country. They are less than 12 miles apart too...

I won't claim to know the affect of open enrollment on their performance.

What I do know is the Wayzata and Edina programs are a sight to behold at invitationals. The sheer number of kids in the programs are mind boggling; and inspiring. The coaches and boosters should be very proud for running such a popular and effective program.

My own daughters go to a nearly equal sized school that has a successful program that pales in comparison of sheer participation.

The Edina green uniforms can't help but remind me of seeing the huge York squads in Illinois in the eighties.

It's a travesty (and just plain wrong) that only two teams come out of that section. Of course they have similar problems in most sports where a top3-4 team gets eliminated before the state tournament.

It's also a travesty that Minnesota has only 2 classes in track and cross country greatly limiting acces and the ability to compete for many when the few behemoth, affluent schools dominate other schools with only a fraction of their population. Will we ever see a non-metro (or even lake conference) team ever win another state title? Not for a long time.

LCITB wrote:

Wayzata doesn't allow students in that don't live in the school boundaries. Minnetoka, Anoka, and Edina have more students than Wayzata and Hopkins by a lot. But, lake conference is easily the best conference in the country. They are less than 12 miles apart too...

And the boundaries are nuts. Wayzata High School is in Plymouth, MN.Wayzata was the largest school in the state as of a few years ago. All it takes is google. You're miainforming people. Funnily enough, they overtook Stillwater in student population the same year they overtook them at State.

These schools are nearly double their competitors' size when they get to state. White (prone to XC), with 1st/2nd generation East African immigrants mixed in, wealthy in general, jogging with their stay-at-home moms since they were 5. Easy/No summer jobs, Bike paths galore, and ambitious, financially supportive parents. They get much further along in developing as runners then their out-state peers. They are the ideal cross country demographic, literally the bad guys from McFarland, USA.

But look what they do in college. Nothing. Mommy and Daddy can't help there.

Hopkins' enrollment is about 1700 (about #30 in the state) and kids only transfer or open enroll there to play basketball. Edina is about 20th in the state size-wise and kids only transfer or open enroll there to play hockey or girls tennis. You are correct in that Wayzata is huge, the largest in the state. But they are all douches, so no one really cares about them. That might explain the school's very high suicide rate actually...

Hopkins is closer to 2000 and Edina is top 4 in enrollment in the state will about 2700. Wayzata is tops with 3300. 4 of the 5 lake conference schools are 1-4 with Stillwater 5 for enrollment size in the state using the high school league numbers that makes slight variations for special populations.

Schools with as few as 520 are in AA track with them.

I thought Minnesota had no shortage of lakes? Thereaboots n canada and such. Lake conference is a funny name don't ya think? I thoot America was the land o lakes. I myself prefer valleys hills rivers n sumat with a few lakes but I tell ya I wouldn't sacrifice my landscape diversity for a flatbed o lakes only. Landscape variation builds soul and character. But I agree they do well fer themselves in new Scandinavia and thereaboots. Wiz a little Teutonic engineering and organization and industriousness and Baltic sass thrown in, id say Minnesota should be hosting an Olympics or Olympic trials soon. And not having stoopid advertising restrictions that are bad for business and economic development. Big Olympic shoe sales! Every brand! The consumer wins! No more cost cutting!

Dennis shoes! Quality Dennis shoes.

Lucking Fiar wrote:

But look what they do in college. Nothing. Mommy and Daddy can't help there.

Ummmm ever heard of Josh Thorson?

fadsfasfasfadsf wrote:

Lucking Fiar wrote:

But look what they do in college. Nothing. Mommy and Daddy can't help there.

Ummmm ever heard of Josh Thorson?

Oh yeah, the guy who couldn't hack it at the U so he went to the small pond and still wasn't the biggest fish.

Or ever heard of Dick Beardsley? Maybe one of the best marathon runners of all time...

Alex Gits, from Edina, was 13th at World Junior XC.

Bob Kempainen, from Hopkins, was Olympic Trials champ in the marathon and I think had the AR.

Dan Skold, ran for Hopkins, made the Olympics in XC skiing.

Mike Bialick, from Hopkins, has the second fast trail 100 mile ever in the USA, 12:52.

"But look what they do in college. Nothing."-Guy Who Probably Didn't Do Anything in College.

Recent Notable Alums of Lake Conference schools:

Joe Klecker-Hopkins/Colorado, since graduating HS has ran 13:44, 7:59 and 3:44.

Reed Fischer-Hopkins/Drake, since graduating HS has ran 14:00, 29:09 and 8:06 and qualified for D1 Nationals.

Josh Thorson-Wayzata/Eau Claire, since transferring has ran 14:07, 8:11 and 3:55, Double D3 Nationals Champ indoors, runner-up outdoors.

Will Burke-Edina/Michigan, since graduating HS has ran 14:32, 8:19 and 4:16, all faster than his HS prs.

Just to name a few in the last 3 years who've done just fine without Mommy and Daddy. Keep running, Danny Diaz.