Two freshmen cross country runners are making the trip to the state cross country meet Saturday at St. Olaf College in Northfield.

One, Albert Lea’s Chrissy Monson, is making her second trip and trying to improve upon last year’s result.

The other, United South Central/Alden-Conger’s Hannah Goemann, is making her first.

Monson will run in the Class 2A meet, which begins at 11 a.m. while Goemann will run in the Class 1A meet, which starts at 2 p.m.

Last year’s state meet for Monson was a learning experience in many ways. It was her first time running the course and running against the best of the best. It also was the site where she sustained a concussion during the race when she was hit by another runner’s elbow, fell and hit her head on a tree. Monson still finished 28th overall, just shy of earning all-state honorable mention (the top 25 earn all-state honorable mention), and was running with the lead pack when the fall occurred.

This time around she has her sights set a little higher. Monson would like to finish in the top eight to earn all-state honors. Her coach, Jim Haney, said it’s a legitimate goal. No doubt, considering the season she’s had.

Monson has won six of the 10 meets she’s run in, finished no worse than second and no less than 10 seconds from the top runner in the meets she hasn’t won. She also enters the meet as the 10th-ranked runner by the Minnesota High School Cross Country Coaches Association poll.

“It’s exciting to see that other people are recognizing you and your hard work,” Monson said. “I try not to get my head too mixed up in the rankings.”

Monson and her coaches haven’t dwelled on last year’s result and have viewed as a learning tool.

“We’ve never looked at it as a disappointment,” Haney said. “It’s like, ‘Wow, look what you did with the injury you had.’”

Monson has shown a tremendous amount of resolve, especially late in the season. At both the Big Nine Conference meet and the section meet she battled illness, yet managed to win the conference meet and take second at the section meet for the second straight year.

Goemann comes into the meet in peak shape. She set a personal best at the 2A section meet with a time of 16 minutes, 2 seconds, beating her previous best by 34 seconds.

“In cross country that’s definitely the best race she’s had and there’ll be a lot more,” said Rebels head coach Kent Viesselman. “She’s got potential.”

She is the first USC/A-C girl to qualify for the state meet since 2004 and she has given a lot of the credit for her success to her teammates. The entire girls’ team performed at its best at the section meet as the Rebels took third.

Placing in the top 10 to advance to the state meet came unexpectedly for Goemann. She usually runs with teammate Amber Erickson as way to determine the right pace. Erickson ended up with a personal best time and so did Goemann.

“All through the season they push me to make me better,” said Goemann, who spent Thursday afternoon training with three of her teammates.

The section meet helped make up for a disappointing conference meet for the team. USC/A-C had the goal of winning conference, but was beaten by Madelia-Truman and Mankato Loyola. The Rebels ended beating both at the section meet.

The team component has been an important piece for Goemann. Her first taste of a state meet came as a member of the 4×400-meter relay team last spring at the state track and field meet. The relay team placed fifth at the meet and it helped boost Goemann’s confidence for the cross country season.

She has moved up the ranks quickly this season. A year ago she was the third or fourth runner for the Rebels, but transformed into the No. 1 runner this season.

“We’ve had a lot of good track and cross country kids here and each one of them is kind of like a puzzle … and it appears that all the pieces are there,” Viesselman said.