The Albert Lea boys’ and girls’ cross country teams traveled to Fairmont Monday night and saw both teams finish in either first or second place.

The boys’ team dominated the race, finishing five runners in the top eight, taking first place. The top finisher was senior JV Moreno in first place with a time of 17:07, but not far behind was senior Grant Herfindahl, who came in just .02 seconds after Moreno. Sophomore Aaron Bauers took sixth place with a time of 17:44, junior Sonny Ortega-Roselli came in seventh with a time of 17:47 and junior Travis Jensen came in eighth with a time of 17:49.

“(Moreno and Herfindahl) pushed each other and it was great to see that competition between teammates,” said head coach Jim Haney. “It was a great race for both boys.”

On the girls’ side, the Tigers finished in second place, losing only to Fairmont. The top finisher for the girls was sophomore Abby Thompson in sixth place with a time of 22:00. Sophomore Jaden Venem finished in eighth place with a time of 22:54 and freshman Karmie Ponciano came in 13th with a time of 23:38.

“I am very happy with the effort of the girls as this was the best race of the season,” Haney said. The girls continue to improve and I look for great things to happen in the coming races. The runners are learning how to race and you can see the effort they put into practice is paying off.”

The junior high race also went well for the Tigers, as Gavin Hanke took first place in the boys’ race and Joey Maiden finished first in the girls’ race.

Haney talked about the teams’ overall performance and what the future holds for them.

“I can see how the runners seem to have turned the corner in regards of the confidence they have as they compete,” he said. “They know that they are strong runners and all the training that they have done has prepared them for the last half of the season. I’m proud of these kids, they understand that sacrifice and working to make each other better is the key to a successful season. We will continue to get better and the team understands that the big goal is a Big Nine title.”

The Tigers will compete again Saturday at Winona.