Season opens for cross country - Waupaca County Post

Amherst, Clintonville win championships

By Greg Seubert

Three area cross country teams opened their season Aug. 25 at the Standing Rocks Invitational.

Varsity, junior varsity and middle school runners from Iola-Scandinavia, Weyauwega-Fremont and Manawa competed at the eight-team meet at Standing Rocks County Park between Amherst and Plover.

Amherst and Clintonville won boys’ and girls’ championships, respectively.

Amherst and Brillion were the only boys’ squads to field a full team. Amherst finished with 24 points, while Brillion ended up with 36. Iola-Scandinavia, Manawa, Weyauwega-Fremont, Clintonville, Marion and St. Mary Catholic had incomplete teams.

Clintonville edged Iola-Scandinavia by two points to take first among girls’ teams. Team scores were Clintonville (50), Iola-Scandinavia (52), Brillion (69), Amherst (85), Weyauwega-Fremont (107) and Marion (161). St. Mary Catholic had an incomplete team.

Runners for the I-S boys were Joe Makovec (third, 18:55.8); Erick Kriewaldt (15th, 20:16.4); and Trenton Niemi (21st, 22:59.9).
Sebastian Wagner placed 20th in 22:31.7 to lead Manawa, followed by Jonathon Lubahn (24th, 23:39.4); and Devin Loughrin (31st, 27:26.2).

Jacob Carroll placed 27th in 24:05.1 for Weyauwega-Fremont, while Chris Strehlow finished 30th in 25:17.3.

Manawa’s Devin Loughrin competes in the boys’ varsity race at the Standiing Rocks Invitational. He finished 31st overall and the Wolves placed fifth out of eight teams. Holly Neumann Photo

Weyauwega-Fremont runners Saylor Alberts (left) and Natalie Schneider run side by side Aug. 25 at the Standing Rocks Invitational in Portage County. Alberts turned in a time of 25:58.1, while Schneider crossed the finish line in 25:39.7. The W-F girls placed fifth out of seven teams. Holly Neumann Photo

Erika Kisting led the Iola-Scandinavia girls with a second-place finish Aug. 25 at the Standing Rocks Invitational near Amherst. Kisting and the Thunderbirds also hosted the Iola-Scandinavia Invitational Aug. 30. Holly Neumann Photo

Manawa’s Taylor Schuelke ran the season-opening Standing Rocks Invitational in a time of 29:50. Holly Neumann Photo

Iola-Scandinavia’s Joe Makovec keeps pace with Brillion’s Gunner Schlender in the boys’ varsity race at the Standing Rocks Invitational near Amherst. Makovec placed third in his first cross country race, while Schlender ended up first. Holly Neumann Photo

Chris Strehlow of Weyauwega-Fremont finished with a time of 25:17.3 at the Standing Rocks Invitatational. Holly Neumann Photo

I-S had three runners in the top 10 in the girls’ varsity race. Erika Kisting placed second in 20:13.4, nearly a minute behind Clintonville’s Kara Pyatskowit, who won the race in 19:19.2.

Other finishers for the Thunderbirds were Leighten Fischer (fourth, 21:16.2); Jada Beacom (fifth, 22:02.2); Natalie Rustad (20th, 24:39.7); Brynn Rasmussen (23rd, 25:24.9); Makenna Brown (34th, 26:57.3); and Haley Ullom (40th, 30:51).

Weyauwega-Fremont’s finishers were Daisy Wilson (seventh, 23:10.2); Allison Halat (18th, 24:36.9); Natalie Schneider (25:39.7); Saylor Alberts (28th, 25:58.1); Katie Monty (35th, 27:07.7); and Katie Bleck (36th, 27:08.4).

Iola-Scandinavia’s Brock Wester won the boys’ middle school race, while Weyauwega-Fremont’s Abby Bartel won the girls’ race.