T-Birds’ Beacom places second
By Greg Seubert
The smallest runner came up big for the Weyauwega-Fremont cross country team.
Freshman Abby Bartel won the girls’ race Oct. 11 at the Central Wisconsin Conference meet at the Navarino Nature Center and helped the Indians to a second-place finish behind Rosholt.
“I didn’t think I would take first and I wasn’t expecting that,” she said after crossing the finish line in 19:33, nearly 20 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Jada Beacom of Iola-Scandinavia.
“There are a lot of hills and the hills are sandy, so it’s hard to get up them,” she said. “You just have to push through, I guess. I was pretty tired, but I knew I had to keep going.”
Bartel and more than 300 other varsity, junior varsity and middle school runners faced temperatures in the low 40s and a steady wind.
The conditions didn’t bother Bartel, who also won the girls’ Division 3 race at the Nightfall Cross Country Classic at Spring Brook Golf Course in Wisconsin Dells, a race that took place at 9 p.m. Sept. 28.
“I think the cold weather really helps,” she said. “It’s better than when it’s 90 degrees out.”
It didn’t take Bartel long to find success at the varsity level, as she has won most of her races this season.
“It comes kind of easy, but I also have to train to get my lungs to this capacity,” she said. “I’m not always that good at sprinting, so I like to get a lead.”
Bartel has some familiar faces on this year’s team. Two of her cousins – Rylee Bartel and Natalie Schneider – are five of seven runners on the team that competed at last year’s WIAA state meet in Wisconsin Rapids. The other five are Allison Halat, Kaitlyn Monty, Katie Bleck, Saylor Alberts and Mikyla Reeck.
The team will need to place first or second Saturday, Oct. 20, at the Division 3 Westfield Sectional to make a return trip to state. Besides Weyauwega-Fremont, other teams at the sectional include Bonduel, Cambria-Friesland/Randolph, Coleman, Crivitz, Gillett, Laconia, Lena/St. Thomas Aquinas Academy, Manawa, Markesan, Montello, Oconto, Oneida Nation, Pardeeville, Princeton/Green Lake, Providence Academy, Rio/Fall River, St. Mary Catholic, Suring, Wausaukee and Westfield,
The boys’ race will start at noon, with the girls’ race to follow at 1 p.m.
Rosholt won boys’ and girls’ championships at the CWC meet.
Team scores for the boys were Rosholt (26), Bonduel (67), Wittenberg-Birnamwood (80), Weyauwega-Fremont (106), Pacelli (137), Amherst (172), Iola-Scandinavia (204), Manawa (230), Gresham/Bowler (242) and Pittsville (254). Marion and Menominee Indian had incomplete teams.
Places and times for Weyauwega-Fremont included Patrick Long (ninth, 18:12); Jacob Carroll (17th, Martin Leyva (26th, 19:48); Carson Kester (31st, 20:15); Josh Halat (32nd, 20:19); Kevin Ames (35th, 20:21); Jakob Mills (42nd, 21:10); and Exander Fletcher (43rd, 21:22); Places and times for Iola-Scandinavia were Erick Kriewaldt (20th, 19:15); Robert Vater (45th, 21:30); Erik Grenlie (49th, 21:53); Brock Opperman (62nd, 23:59); Erich Schmoldt (63rd, 24:04); and Landon Torborg (68th, 25:33).
Places and times for Manawa were Tyler Carson (38th, 20:53); Devin Loughrin (55th, 22:41); Jacob Scheller (58th, 22:50); Zach Schertz (59th, 22:57); Ethan Tellock (66th, 24:56); and Gavin Linjer (69th, 25:34).
Team scores for the girls were Rosholt (48), Weyauwega-Fremont (81), Bonduel (86), Amherst (91), Pacelli and Wittenberg-Birnamwood (115) and Iola-Scandinavia (151). Manawa, Marion, Gresham/Bowler and Pittsville had incomplete teams.
Places and times for Weyauwega-Fremont were Abby Bartel (first, 19:33); Halat (16th, 22:17); Bleck (17th, 22:17); Schneider (18th, 22:21); Alberts (29th, 23:14); Rylee Bartel (35th, 23:40); and Monty (37th, 24:00).
Places and times for Iola-Scandinavia were Beacom (second, 19:52); Makenna Brown (22nd, 22:52); Briar Williams (41st, 24:40); Jessica Schaefer (45th, 25:13); and Tara Thompson (54th, 28:27).
Places and times for Manawa were Andrea Wentworth (50th, 27:09); Samantha Scheuermann (51st, 28:11); and Aspen Linjer (53rd, 28:20).
Iola-Scandinavia and Manawa will join Amherst, Assumption, Athens, Auburndale, Columbus Catholic, Crandon, Edgar, Florence, Gresham/Bowler, Loyal/Greenwood, Marathon, Marion, Pacelli, Pembine/Goodman, Pittsville, Rosholt, Spencer, Stratford, Three Lakes/Phelps, Wabeno/Laona and Wittenberg-Birnamwood at the Division 3 Amherst Sectional Oct. 20 at Standing Rocks County Park. Races are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. (boys) and 11:45 a.m. (girls).
