Two teams, four individuals advance
By Greg Seubert
The cross country season is alive and well for two area teams and four individuals.
Hortonville and New London are sending their boys’ teams to the WIAA State Cross Country Championships Saturday, Nov. 2, in Wisconsin Rapids, while Weyauwega-Fremont and Clintonville will have three and one runners, respectively.
Runners qualified for state Oct. 25-26 at sectionals in three divisions.
Hortonville competed Oct. 26 at the Division 1 Stevens Point Sectional at Standing Rocks County Park. Jake Krause, Charlie Wirth, Logan McGrath, Adam Escudero, Aidan Paschke, Noah Reynolds and Sam Weyenberg teamed up to place second behind Stevens Point.
The New London boys’ team of Max Krause, Kaden Reybrock, Riley Titterton, Jeff Smolinski, Keagan Reybrock, Logan Horn and Mac Voight will compete in Division 2 after placing second behind Freedom Oct. 26 at the Tomahawk Sectional. Clintonville’s Jesse Wilson qualified as an individual after placing sixth at Edgewater Country Club.
Weyauwega-Fremont’s Abby Bartel won the girls’ race Oct. 26 at the Division 3 Westfield Sectional and teammate Allison Halat placed eighth to qualify as an individual. Patrick Long also qualified as an individual after placing fifth in the boys’ race.
Division 3
Westfield Sectional
The state meet is nothing new for Bartel and Halat, as both runners helped the Indians finish 10th last year.
Long is also familiar with the state meet course, as the senior placed 70th last year and 84th in 2017.
Bartel turned in a time of 19.39.7 in Westfield, nearly a minute ahead of second-place finisher Cyna Madigan of Laconia.
Other places and times for the Weyauwega-Fremont girls included Halat (eighth, 21:46.2); Anna Bubolz (30th, 23:51.7); Kaitlyn Monty (31st, 23:52.2); Emma Ziepke (32nd, 23:59.4); Katie Bleck (36th, 24:17.8); and Alicia Lederhaus (97th, 29:39.4).
Long led the Weyauwega-Fremont boys with a time of 18:13.1, followed by Jacob Carroll (22nd, 19:21.8); Carson Kester (23rd, 19:22.5); Josh Halat (25th, 19:27.5); Martin Leyva (32nd, 19:48.5); Ethan Patzer (33rd, 19:50.5); and Logan Krause (56th, 20:38.8).
Team scores for the girls were Gillett (36), Bonduel (80), Laconia (84), Weyauwega-Fremont (92), Coleman (144), Westfield (195), Princeton/Green Lake (212), Randolph/Cambria-Friesland (218), Pardeeville (257), Crivitz (287), Suring (289), Rio/Fall River (306), Markesan (308), Oconto (334) and Lena (378).
Manawa did not field a complete team. Places and times for the Wolves were Andria Weber (90th, 28:13.1); Kate Phelan (93rd, 29:02.8); and Aspen Linjer (98th, 29:47.9).
Gillett won the boys’ championship with 37 points, followed by Bonduel (72), Weyauwega-Fremont (91), St. Mary Catholic (104), Laconia (155), Coleman (159), Pardeeville (185), Oconto (198), Lena (234), Rio/Fall River (261), Princeton/Green Lake (274), Randolph/Cambria-Friesland (311), Manawa (319) and Crivitz (331).
Manawa’s runners included Justin Buschke (51st, 20:23.2); Jacob Scheller (67th, 21:00.6); Zach Schertz (82nd, 21:56.2); Ted Emmert (83rd, 21:59.3); Hunter Schlueter (94th, 22:48.7); and Ethan Tellock (107th, 22:22.3).
Athens Sectional
The Iola-Scandinavia boys and girls placed seventh and 12th, respectively, Oct. 25 in Athens.
Team scores for the boys were Pacelli (68), Marathon (87), Athens (102), Stratford (104), Auburndale (114), Rosholt (119), Iola-Scandinavia (189), Wabeno/Laona ((235), Amherst (251), Spencer and Pittsville (320), Loyal (329), Marion (339), Edgar (357), Gresham/Bowler (381) and Crandon (432).
Places and times for the Thunderbirds included Robert Vater (20th, 18:23.6); Dylan Donovan (21st, 18:27.3); Erik Grenlie (51st, 19:51.1); Ian Koss (54th, 19:55.1); Will Meier (68th, 20:46.3); Aaron Jones (70th, 20:51.1); and Brandon Phillips (102nd, 23:21.1).
Auburndale won the girls’ championship with 57 points, followed by Marathon (91), Assumption (108), Edgar (123), Amherst (168), Rosholt (181), Three Lakes (202), Wabeno/Laona (209), Athens (225), Loyal (253), Stratford (263), Iola-Scandinavia (314), Spencer (323), Crandon (387), Florence (392), Columbus Catholic (425) and Marion (454).
Places and times for Iola-Scandinavia were Alyssa Tap (23rd, 21:54.3); Briar Williams (48th, 23:19.6); Chloe Timdal (80th, 25:54.9); Alyssa Grant (83rd, 26:06.2); Tara Thompson (95th, 27:20.9); and Lydia Johnsrud (107th, 30:29.7).
Division 2
Tomahawk Sectional
Four top-20 finishes helped the New London boys place second and advance to state for the second year in a row.
Max Krause led the Bulldogs by placing ninth in 16:52.1. New London’s other finishers included Kaden Reybrock (15th, 17:02.5); Titterton (16th, 17:06.4); Smolinski (17th, 17:14); Keagan Reybrock (18th, 17:15); Horn (41st, 17:58.1); and Voight (51st, 18:18.7).
Krause, Smolinski and Kaden Reybrock ran on last year’s state-qualifying team that placed 15th.
Wilson is also returning to state for the second year in a row, as he finished 121st last year as a freshman.
He led the Truckers in Tomahawk by placing sixth in 16:48. Other places and times included Cody Carrico (70th, 19:05.3); Josh Wilson (71st, 19:05.8); Brody Prill (81st, 19:49.8); Casey Ploderl (92nd, 20:45); and Kyle Tennie (95th, 21:25.4).
Waupaca did not advance anyone to state, but nine out of the Comets’ 13 runners turned in personal records. They include Leota Studzinski, who placed 63rd in the girls’ race in 23:22.6 while shaving 2:02 off of her previous fastest time.
Other places and times for the Waupaca girls included Brooke Hansen (71st, 23:49.7); Abbi Williams (89th, 26:09.7); Audrey Tice (90th, 26:26.7); Autumn Heisler (95th, 28:49); and Sophia Dolski (96th, 28:50.9).
Sawyer Ziebell just missed out on qualifying for state as an individual after turning in a time of 16:50.1 to place eighth in the boys’ race. Other places and times included Abram Jackson (26th, 17:29.5); Tyler Rogney (48th, 18:10.6); Andrew Jones (84th, 20:10.8); Brett Nimmer (86th, 20:12.2); Brock Keil (87th, 20:21.2); and Gage Anderson (100th, 22:18.9).
Besides Studzinski, Ziebell, Jackson, Rogney, Nimmer, Keil, Anderson, Hansen and Williams also set personal records at the meet.
New London’s Anna Dreas just missed qualifying for state as an individual, as she placed ninth in the girls’ race in 20:03.5. Other finishes included Lindsey Spoehr (36th, 22:07.1); Jessica Duch (37th, 22:09.3); Halia Sternhagen (39th, 22:16.3); Jane Johnston (50th, 22:40.4); Sarah Watling (51st. 22:42/5); and Fynn Corcoran (72nd, 23:58.9).
Clintonville’s runners in the girls race included Kayla Klemp (44th, 22:26.1); Jasmine Wilson (64th, 23:23.6); Alli Smejkal (83rd, 25:08); Magdalena Grassl (87th, 25:47.2); and Katie Lamberies (97th, 29:07).
Freedom won the boys’ championship with 43 points, followed by New London (75), Shawano (130), Lakeland (149), Tomahawk (162), Wittenberg-Birnamwood (213), Mosinee (217), Rhinelander and Seymour (220), Waupaca (247), Peshtigo (255), Clintonville (312) Oconto Falls and Marinette (315) and Northland Pines (406).
Tomahawk won the girls’ championship with 60 points, followed by Freedom (61), Lakeland (65), Mosinee (119), New London (163), Shawano (169), Rhinelander (185), Oconto Falls (220), Marinette (256), Peshtigo (262), Seymour (270), Clintonville and Northland Pines (345) and Waupaca (375).
Division 1
Stevens Point Sectional
The Hortonville boys placed second behind Stevens Point to qualify for state as a team for the first time since 1971.
Jake Krause won the boys’ race in 15:47.1, while other finishers for the Polar Bears included Wirth (seventh, 16:29.7); McGrath (14th, 16:44.7); Escudero (20th, 17:17.9); Paschke (28th, 17:43.5); Reynolds (31st, 17:52.2); and Weyenberg (44th, 18:19.7).
Team scores were Stevens Point (45), Hortonville (70), Marshfield (94), Wisconsin Rapids (117), Appleton North (131), D.C. Everest (149), Wausau West (152), Neenah (168), Menasha (234), Appleton West (293), Wausau East (317) and Merrill (322).
The Hortonville girls placed seventh with 176 points. Places and times included Paige Morrell (26th, 21:14.5); Caitlin Niemann (29th, 21:26.7); Ellie Borgen (39th, 21:42.5); Kelsyn Femrite (41st, 21:45.5); Celia Olson (43rd, 21:47.2); Chloe Byom (44th, 21:48.5); and Myla Riehl (22:51.6).
Stevens Point and Appleton North qualified as teams with 55 and 61 points, respectively, followed by Wisconsin Rapids (74), Marshfield (113), Wausau West (150), Neenah (169), Hortonville (176), Wausau East (183), D.C. Everest (224), Appleton West (276) and Merrill (285).
WHAT? WIAA State Cross Country Championships.
WHEN? Saturday, Nov. 2. Scheduled race times are Division 2 girls, noon; Division 1 girls, 12:40 p.m.; Division 3 girls, 1:20 p.m.; Division 2 boys, 1:45 p.m.; Division 1 boys, 2:35 p.m.; and Division 3 boys, 3:10 p.m.
WHERE? The Ridges Golf Course, Wisconsin Rapids.
WHO? Two local teams and four individuals will compete. Team qualifiers for the boys include Hortonville (Jake Krause, Charlie Wirth, Logan McGrath, Adam Escudero, Aidan Paschke, Noah Reynolds and Sam Weyenberg) in Division 1; and New London (Max Krause, Kaden Reybrock, Riley Titterton, Jeff Smolinski, Keagan Weybrock, Logan Horn and Mac Voight) in Division 2. Individual qualifiers for the boys include Clintonville’s Jesse Wilson in Division 2 and Weyauwega-Fremont’s Patrick Long in Division 3. Individual qualifiers for the girls include Weyauwega-Fremont’s Abby Bartel and Allison Halat in Division 3.