On November 1st, the Southwest Girls Cross Country team made history, capturing the Class AA State Championship at Les Bolstadt Golf Course. This was no ordinary win– it marked the first state title ever earned by a Southwest girls team in any sport! Not only did this win mark history for Southwest, but it was also a true testament to the hard work that all members of the cross-country team put in throughout the season.
The team’s seven competitors represent a diverse range of individuals, with Annika Midness, Annie Schendel, Keira Bell, Nora Prekker, Anatalya Graham, Winnie Sexton, and Alice Andresson-Stern, as well as sisters Nora and Willa Deisz as alternates, making up this skilled Southwest team. Three of the runners are seniors, with the rest being underclassmen. Southwest found success all season long, winning both their section and conference championships by huge margins. At the 6AA championship, the top three finishers were all Southwest girls. At the state meet, Southwest had five runners in the top 20 for the team competition, and four in the overall top 20. Additionally, Nora Prekker, Anatalya Graham, and Alice Andersson-Stern got PRs at the meet.
Cross country has a unique scoring system in which runners earn points equal to their pace — so a 4th place finisher earns 4 points. Then the points are added up, and the lower your score is, the better. The Southwest team finished with a score of 38, 14 less than the second-place finishers. Nora Prekker (‘29) provided her insight on the course: “It was a perfect course besides for some mud. It is probably one of my favorite courses.”
The Southwest and Minneapolis communities wasted no time celebrating this historic win. Multiple pep fests were held to mark each milestone of the season. “Cross country doesn’t get much recognition, so it was nice to have the school celebrate us,” said Prekker. The team was also recognized citywide: November 6th, 2025 was proclaimed “Southwest High School Cross Country Day” in Minneapolis. After their state win, Mayor Jacob Frey attended a cross-country practice to run with the team and present them with their plaque proclaiming their day of recognition. “It was really inspiring for him to come. He was a really nice guy, and it was a great practice,” Prekker said.
This uber-successful team is very unique. When asked, “What is your favorite part of cross country?”, multiple team members put an emphasis on the team dynamic. Even when their answers varied, it all tied back to the love they have for their team. When I asked Keira Bell (‘29) what makes this team so special, she immediately began talking about how tight-knit the team was and how monumental this season felt. “Making history feels groundbreaking,” Bell said.
The future is looking bright for this team with a roster full of depth. The current seniors have helped develop and encourage this team to continue to grow and become the best they can be. The team has a majority of underclassmen, most of whom have been racing since middle school. Nora Deisz (‘29) looks forward to the next season. “I’m excited to race again and race with my sisters.” The team’s younger members have achieved strong times, showing that this team will be a force to reckon with for years to come.
