Bauer Wins Class 1A Girls Cross Country Title

Caitlin Bauer claimed the Class 1A girls title at the Roy Griak Meet, while Goodhue won the team championship.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Track & Field

Bauer Wins Class 1A Girls Cross Country Title

Caitlin Bauer won the Class 1A girls cross country championship at the Roy Griak Meet with a time of 18:01. Goodhue took the team title with 71 points, ahead of Lake City's 108.

Why it matters

Bauer is the first girls cross country champion from LARPH since Kristin Ostrem won three straight titles from 2005 to 2007. Her rise from 12th place in 2024 to the top spot marks a notable progression for the Minnesota high school distance field.

Bauer's 18:01 finish came after a 17:33.7 season-best at the Roy Griak Meet, while second-place finisher Maya Bartosova ran 19:09.4. Goodhue's 71 team points were well ahead of Lake City's 108, and Rakosnik placed fifth in 19:38.2.

The players

Caitlin Bauer

Bauer is a Minnesota high school distance runner who won the Class 1A girls cross country title in 2026 after finishing 12th in 2024 and 9th in 2025.

Autumn Rakosnik

Rakosnik is a Minnesota high school distance runner who has qualified for the state cross country meet four straight years and won the 1A championship in 2025.

Maya Bartosova

Bartosova is a Minnesota high school distance runner who finished second in the 2026 Class 1A girls cross country race in 19:09.4.

Kristin Ostrem

Ostrem is a former Minnesota high school cross country runner who won LARPH's girls title from 2005 to 2007, the last champion before Bauer.

The details

Bauer won the Class 1A girls race in 18:01, with Bartosova second in 19:09.4. Rakosnik qualified for the state meet for a fourth straight year, finishing fifth in 19:38.2. Goodhue won the team title, Lake City was second, and Chatfield took fourth.

2023: Rakosnik ran 19:56.3 to take second place.
2024: Bauer ran 20:39.8 to finish 12th, while Rakosnik placed second.
2025: Bauer ran 20:11.3 to finish 9th, and Rakosnik won the 1A championship in 19:06.6.
2026: Bauer won the 1A girls title, and Rakosnik qualified for state for a fourth time.

Season Trajectory

Bauer's victory ends a gap in LARPH's girls cross country title history that stretches back to Kristin Ostrem's three consecutive wins from 2005 to 2007. The result also reflects a steady climb for Bauer, who moved from 12th in 2024 to 9th in 2025 before winning the 1A crown.

Bauer's 18:01 finish and Goodhue's 71-point team total determine how the 1A girls state standings now look for next season's teams. Fans tracking Minnesota's distance rankings will see Rakosnik's fourth straight state qualification and Bartosova's second-place time as the benchmarks for the division.

The takeaway

Bauer's climb from 12th in 2024 to the 1A title in 2026 shows how a two-year progression can reach the top of a state field. For runners in the division, Rakosnik's consistent state qualifications offer a model of sustained competition.