Richfield sophomore Obsa Ali boasted the top seed time in last Friday's Class 2A track and field meet in the 3,200-meter race, leaving some observers to wonder aloud where the young man came from.

Did he run cross-country? Not in 2011. Coaches lobbied unsuccessfully to get Ali on the team, but he was playing midfield and forward while captaining the Spartans' soccer team. A second-place finish in the 3,200 in a time of 9 minutes, 18.25 seconds has Ali planning for a much busier fall in 2012.

"I'm going to try and do both soccer and cross-country," said Ali, who also placed 12th in last Saturday's 1,600 at Hamline University. "I'm talking to the athletic director to see if I can. I definitely want to try cross-country now."