St. John’s cross country looks to take control over MIAC

The St. John’s cross country team is looking to establish itself as a powerhouse in the MIAC this year.

The Johnnies have already competed in two meets so far this season, winning their opening dual meet against Concordia-Moorhead and placing fifth in the St. Olaf Invitational among DII and DIII competition. The Johnnies took second out of all the MIAC teams at the meet.

“I felt like the boys did pretty well,” senior Jacob Lipke said.

Dillon Diekmann, a fifth-year senior, has had an impressive two races so far, winning the season opener and placing 23rd out of 325 runners at the St. Olaf Invitational.

“It’s been really rewarding seeing Dillon’s success and seeing all the hard work that he’s put in paying off,” senior Nico Merickel said.

Junior Tommy Allen placed second at the season opener and 46th at the St. Olaf meet.

“My season is going pretty well. We’re running lots of miles and trying our best in the meets right now knowing they’re not the most important, but we’ll be ready when we need to be,” Allen said.

Sophomore Eamon Cavanaugh made his season debut at the St. Olaf Invitational with a 35th place finish.

“[Cross country] is a long season, so it’s hard to put in this much work and not have much to show for it, but we’ve got some big races coming up,” Cavanaugh said.

The Johnnies are looking to take their training and continue to perform competitively at upcoming meets. Cavanaugh noted that they are fortunate to have a talented first-year class, with many of them competing just on the edge of varsity level right outside of the top five runners, demonstrating the depth of this year’s team.The future of the Johnnies rests in good hands, which will be especially important after Diekmann and the rest of the junior and senior classes graduate.

Lloyd Young, a senior and 2021 NCAA DIII national entrant, will begin competing again in the upcoming races. In addition to being a staple athlete, Young has taken on a leadership role within the team.

“He really keeps our team focused on the goal, and he leads by example, which I think a lot of the boys appreciate,” Merickel said.

As MIAC championships approach, the Johnnies are looking to dethrone the Northfield schools, St. Olaf and Carleton, as cross country powerhouses of the MIAC.

“St. Olaf and Carleton have been trading the title off for years, but I think we have a good chance at taking that title this year,” Allen said.

“I think we’re going to give St. Olaf a run for their money,” Merickel said.

The team is looking to make this their statement year and set a precedent for the future of Johnnie cross country and their reputation in the MIAC. The St. John’s cross country team travels to Eau-Claire this Friday for an invitational but will continue to set their sights on the MIAC Championships later this fall.

“The Johnnies will be out to play this November,” Lipke said.