Cross country teams take off - Waupaca County Post

A.J. Nimmer and the Waupaca cross country team showed off their new uniforms Aug. 25 at the Standing Rocks Invitational. Nimmer and the Waupaca boys placed fifth out of six teams at the season-opening meet, held at Standing Rocks County Park near Amherst. Greg Seubert Photo

Season starts at Standing Rocks

By Greg Seubert

It looks like Charlie Vater is off to another successful cross country season.

The Iola-Scandinavia junior cruised to a first-place finish Aug. 25 in the boys’ race at the Standing Rocks Invitational. His time of 16:11.5 at Standing Rocks County Park was more than a minute ahead of second-place finisher Owen Klaus of Ozaukee and helped the Thunderbirds place fourth in the boys’ standings.

Meanwhile, twin sisters Saige and Lia Peterson of Amherst finished side by side to place first and second in the girls’ race with identical times of 21:47.2 as the Falcons placed second overall.

Not only are Lia and Saige Peterson twin sisters, the Amherst juniors also turned in identical times while placing second and first, respectively, Aug. 25 in the girls’ race at the Standing Rocks Invitational, which Amherst High School hosted at Standing Rocks County Park. Greg Seubert Photo

Ozaukee won the boys’ championship with 46 points, followed by Amherst (60), St. Mary Catholic (62), Iola-Scandinavia (85), Waupaca (121) and Manawa (152).

Lourdes Academy won the girls’ title with 27 points, followed by Amherst (53), Ozaukee (60), St. Mary Catholic (70), Waupaca (149), Iola-Scandinavia (153) and Tri-County (173).

Clintonville also had runners in each race, but did not have a complete team. Weyauwega-Fremont competed in the boys’ and girls’ middle school races, but did not have any runners in either varsity race.

Other places and times for Iola-Scandinavia in the boys’ race included Will Meier (11th, 19:48.23); Ian Koss (16th, 20:11); Aaron Jones (30th, 22:01.8); Adam Vanden Bush (38th, 23:33.6); Mason Jarosh (46th, 25:16.6); Alek Rogalla (50th, 35:54.4); and Riley Gambsky (56th, 30:39).

Manawa’s Noah Bortle has a slight lead over Iola-Scandinavia’s Adam Vanden Bush in the boys’ race at the Standing Rocks Invitational. Greg Seubert Photo

Waupaca’s places and times included Owen Lencki (fourth, 18:32.7); Ian Sherman (19th, 20:57.4); A.J. Nimmer (35th, 22:58.1); Gage Anderson (41st, 24:09.7); Mark Reinke (43rd, 24:30.5); and John Sahri (55th, 28:35.4).

Manawa’s places and times included Matthew Thoma (24th, 21:19.6): Justin Buschke (31st, 22:01.8); Noah Bortle (39th, 23:39.6); Keither Jepson (40th, 23:58.9); and Ted Emmert (45th, 24:55.5).

Iola-Scandinavia freshman Paige Timdal placed 33rd for the Thunderbirds Aug. 25 in the girls’ race at the Standing Rocks Invitational. Greg Seubert Photo

Clintonville’s places and times included Mason Carrico (13th, 20:01.8); and Logan Swinford (48th, 25:32.7).

Places and times for Waupaca in the girls’ race included Sienna Timm (24th, 26:33); Kendra Hotvedt (27th, 27:24.3); Cevannah Bemowski (31st, 28:49.3); Mia Koeller (41st, 32:18.7); and Hailey Allen (42nd, 33:32.8).

Chloe Timdal led Iola-Scandinavia by placing 28th in 28:30.4, followed by Grace Betker (29th, 28:30.9); Paige Timdal (33rd, 28:57.2); Kelly Jones (37th, 31:05.8); Abby Isermann (39th, 31:49.9).

Manawa’s Marilyn Klatt turned in a time of 24:15 in the girls’ race at the Standing Rocks Invitational. Greg Seubert Photo

Manawa did not have a complete girls’ team, but had a top-10 finisher in Jolie Jaeger, who placed ninth in 22:58.4. Other places and times for the Wolves included Marilyn Klatt (16th, 24:15); and Alecia Weber (35th, 30:19.2).

Elektra Fields placed 40th for Clintonville in 32:06.2.