STEVENS POINT BOYS FINISH FOURTH TO LEAD AREA RUNNERS AT WIAA STATE CROSS COUNTRY MEET
Zaleski Sports
WISCONSIN RAPIDS – The Stevens Point boys had a pair of top-25 finishes and ended up taking fourth place in the Division 1 team standings at the 2021 WIAA State Cross Country Meet on Saturday at Ridges Golf Course.
Onalaska won the D-1 team title with 89 points, five better than Mequon Homestead. Stevens Point was fourth, led by Bode Erickson (10th, 16:06.2) and James Jacobs (25th, 16:36.6).
Eric Boettcher finished 47th (17:02.7), Aloysius Franzen was 70th (17:20.9) and Tye Lepak 93rd (17:32.3) as well for the Panthers.
Henry Hoerneman was 66th in 17:18.7 and Graham Lonsdale took 85th in 17:26.6 in the Division 1 boys race for Marshfield.
Eliana Kanitz of Marshfield finished 64th in the Division 1 girls race in 20:29.1 as she competed in her fourth state meet. Middleton’s Lauren Pansegrau won in 17:44.7 to help the Cardinals to the team title.
D.C. Everest’s Sara Mlodik, the Wisconsin Valley Conference and Stevens Point sectional champion, took 12th in 19:14.4.
"We had impressive races today from three impressive runners who left their mark at Marshfield High School for their talent, hard work and great character," Marshfield coach Dan Akin said. "They will all be dearly missed."
Wisconsin Rapids had three girls run in the Division 1 race on its home course. Kate Schaeffer finished 53rd (20:20.9), Allison Jahns took 83rd (20:46.4), and Elise Moon was 92nd (20:57.9) for the Raiders.
The Auburndale boys finished last among the 16 teams in the Division 3 field with 339 points. The meet was won by Valders with 78, which was seven points better than Grantsburg. Pacelli finished seventh and Athens took 13th.
Valders’ Shane Griepentrog won the boys race in 15:38.6, well ahead of teammate Clay Taylor, who was second in 16:14.1.
Charles Jewell was 72nd in 18:31.9 to lead the way for the Auburndale boys. Other runners for the Eagles included Mason White Eagle (89th, 18:47.9), Ian Grosskopf (108th, 19:11.5), Parker Empey (129th, 19:49.3), Gavin White Eagle (130th, 19:54.4), Sawyer Cherney (133rd, 19:59.5), and Alex Mikes (20:43.5).
The Columbus Catholic brothers of Andrew Scheer and Isaac Scheer both finished in the top 50. Andrew, the D-3 sectional at Weyauwega-Fremont last week, took 34th in 17:42.3, and Isaac was 46th in 17:58.3.
Iola-Scandinavia’s Charlie Vater had the top finish among area boys, taking 17th in 17:16.8.
Athens was led by Nathan Wolf, who was 76th in 18:35.6. Other runners for the Bluejays were: Brooks Kraus (84th, 18:41.3), Andy Schaer (92nd, 18:49.2), Connor Sheahan (95th, 18:51.6), Nick Pittman (125th, 19:33.4), and Garrett Knott (149th, 26:48.0).
Pacelli finished with 196 points, with Adam Eiden leading the Cardinals by taking 21st in 17:25.8. Gabe Hoerter was 47th (17:59.5), Sam Carpenter took 82nd (18:39.8), Lucas Haemmerle was 88th (18:46.6), Nolan Wojchik finished 112th (19:14.6) and Nathaniel Meadows was 146th (21:07.5) for Pacelli.
The Wisconsin Rapids Assumption girls finished 10th with 238 points and Colby was 11th with 242 points.
Boscobel won the Division 3 girls team title with 71 points. Burlington Catholic Central’s Elsie Kmecak won the girls race in 19:47.7, 2½ seconds ahead of Weyauwega-Fremont’s Abby Bartel.
Assumption’s Ainara Sainz de Rozas was the top area girls runner in the Division 3 race, taking 13th in 20:23.9, 36 seconds off the winning pace.
Also running for the Royals were: Clara Kubis (78th, 22:02.0), Grace Dolan (91st, 22:32.5), Maddie Meinel (98th, 22:52.5), Brooklyn Schoenick (113th, 23:14.2), Cristin Casey (23:50.6), and Aislinn Dolan (127th, 23:58.1).
Colby’s Daisy Feiten, the Athens sectional champion last weekend, led the Hornets by taking 28th in 20:43.6. Willow Oehmichen was 68th (21:44.8), Makenna Herrmann 81st (22:10.9), Reagan Schraufnagel 96th (22:46.7), Trinity Severson 132nd (24:26.3), and Mercedes Sarkkinen 146th (26:01.2).
Jordyn Karl of Auburndale finished 21st in the Division 3 girls race, running in 20:38.5.
Shorewood won the Division 2 boys team title, led by race winner Nathan Cumberbatch (16:06.4).
Dodgeville/Mineral Point edged Shorewood 88-89 to win the Division 2 girls team title. The race was won by Kayci Martensen of Southwestern/Benton/Cuba City in 18:10.0. Mosinee’s Britt Fitzgerald took 63rd in 21:09.5.