Minot High and Minot North’s boys and girls cross country teams are traveling to Watford City today to compete in the WDA XC Championships.

The event is being held at Fox Hills G.C., where these two teams will face Bismarck Century, Bismarck Legacy, Dickinson, Jamestown, Mandan, TMCHS, Watford City, Williston, and the defending champions, Bismarck High.

These teams are going into the tournament ready for a new challenge. Watford is hosting their first ever championship since moving to class A and the coaches are preparing their runners as best as they can.

“We have gotten the layout of the course and we know it is a very hilly course,” said Minot High’s Boys XC head coach Lance Gehring. “that knowledge has altered our preparation a bit this year.”

Minot High’s boys team is preparing for the tournament by adding additional strength components that they feel will adequately prepare the team for Watford’s tougher course. Gehring is expecting times to be slower than their season personal bests but is focusing on having his runners attack different parts of the race.

Carla Wahlund Minot High’s girls head coach expressed that even though this course is new, their approach will remain the same when they go out and compete.

“We have run against all of these teams so we know what each of them are capable of doing,” said Wahlund.

This season Minot High’s girl’s team has placed in the top ten four out of their five races. Their last race, the Border Battle, was on September 28 where they placed seventh with freshman Lucy Harris leading the team with a 19:46 mark for 25th.

Minot High’s boys team has placed in the top ten in three out of their five races this season, placing fourth in two of them. At the Border Battle, the boys ended up in 14th place. Senior Derek Oswald led the Magicians at 17:03 for 73rd.

Minot North on the other hand has yet to have any expectations being a new team but boys head coach Troy Wendt is expecting two kids in the top 20 individually.

This season the Minot North boys team has placed in the top ten in four out of five races. In their last race at the Border Battle, they placed 13th. Senior Dallin Chapman led the Sentinels with a time of 16:31 in 36th.

The WDA Championships begin today at 1 P.M. at Fox Hills G.C. in Watford City.