On what Tigers head coach Jim Haney called a difficult field, the Albert Lea boys’ cross country team ran to their potential and the girls ran with their growing confidence in a meet in Red Wing on Friday.

The boys team placed seventh out of 12 teams.

“To place seventh shows that the effort and training have made a difference for the boy runners,” Haney said. “The boys continue to drop time and look to be in the low 17 minute range or better in the coming weeks.”

The first through fifth runners on the team packed up and ran times within 20 seconds of each other.

“This is what I’m looking for, pack running and decreasing times,” Haney said. “This is exactly what the boys did today.

The Tigers were led by Blair Bonnerup with a time of 17 minutes, 38 seconds. Bonnerup’s time put him in 24th place overall.

The Tigers second runner was Luc Malimanek placing 30th with a time of 17:36. Caleb Troe placed 33rd with a time of 17:50, Logan Callahan in 34th with 17:51 and rounding out the top five was Brandon Bonnerup in 40th place with a time of 17:59.

Haney said the girls’ team also had an outstanding run.

They placed fourth in the meet, just two points off the third place finisher, Northfield.

“Each race we grow in confidence,” Haney said. “We respect all of our competition but do not fear the challenge of competing and working against some of the top runners in southern Minnesota.

The girls’ team had three runners who finished within seconds of each other.

Chrissy Monson led the Tigers with a time of 15:27 for an eighth-place finish.

The second-place finisher for the Tigers was Rachel Kenis with a time of 16:22, a 27th overall finish.

“It was a huge effort on her part,” Haney said.

Anna Englin placed 28th with a time of 16:24, Emma Behling in 29th at 16:26 and rounding out the girls’ team was Morgan Haney with a 36th place finish and time of 16:35.

The Tigers’ next race is Thursday in Owatonna for the Big Nine and section competition. The race is scheduled for 5 p.m.