Malta Cross Country 2022

The Malta Cross Country Team has welcomed back plenty of talent in the 2022 season. The group also welcomes two new Mustangs to the sport.

Head Coach Thea Solberg and Assistant Lisa Young will lead a total of seven runners this season including, returning seniors Izzie Hallenberg, Kirst Meisdalen, and Megan Morser.

They welcome Senior Olivia Negus, Sophomore Kinlie Cummings, Mustang Sophomore Kash Stiles and Mustang Freshmen Kael Young.

The team will be without Malin Beck and Kira Beck, who transferred to Glasgow.

Coach Solberg talked about a few of the team's leaders so far this season.

"Kash Stiles, is the lead runner and is new to the Mustang boys team, but not new to running," Coach Solberg said. He transferred from Sidney High School and ran in middle school and his freshman year there and worked hard enough to make it to state for the Eagles. His good experience is helping to push our other new Mustang, Kael Young (assistant coach Lisa's son) who is a freshman. He is coming off of a strong and successful swimming season and is now getting his land legs and getting used to running as opposed to gliding through water. Kirsta Meisdalen is the lead M-ette runner and finds herself pushing harder with the boys and she was a state runner this past season, posting one of her fastest times and best state finish."

Coach Solberg also mentioned Morser and Hallenberg, who competed at state last season.

"Megan Morser, who is also an underclassman and got some good experience last season running for the M-ettes, finds this exciting because she is a sprinter in track and loves the challenge of pushing her limits with Kash during the accelerators and interval sessions that we have. All the runners have different abilities and they are all working hard to build a good base early in the season and will keep improving as they get stronger. Izzie Hallenberg is an upperclassman runner with three years of experience and looks to be much stronger than last season and brings an upbeat attitude and cheerfulness to the practices."

Negus moved to Malta last spring from New Mexico and brings experience to the team, though it has been a few years.

"She has had some middle school experience in cross country but has taken up the challenge of becoming a high school runner and getting used to this endurance sport, and is a nice addition to the team," Coach Solberg said. "Another underclassman is Kinlie Cummings, coming from Whitewater and is excited to take on the challenge of running M-ette Cross Country and is working hard to get her endurance built up as well."

The team began practices on Friday, August 12. Coach Solberg said that they started with a short run for a warm up as well as dynamic and agility stretches, with core work.

"Not everyone came into the program in perfect condition so we start out at a distance so that they won't get injured to start with," Coach Solberg said. "We get the student athletes used to running the first week or so and then we slowly build from there with increased mileage, interval sprint type work, and hill work. Building endurance while getting stronger is the goal and it takes a few weeks to see the growth. This group is working hard and we've had some good practices."

The team competed in their first meet of the year, the Wolf Point Invitational of Friday, August 26.

Stiles led the Malta Mustangs, taking 34th with a time of 24:10. Young was 36th with a time of 24:18.

The M-ettes were led by Meisdalen who had a time of 27:06 and was seventeenth with a time of 27:06. Morser was 36th with a time of 31:10, Hallenberg was 43rd with a time of 34:48, and Negus was 54th with a time of 40:12.