State Cross Country Meet Saturday in Wisconsin Rapids

THE MEET:  The 112th running of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Boys Cross Country Championships and the 50th Annual Girls Cross Country Championships will take place Saturday, Nov. 2, at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. 

ADMISSION TICKETS:  The WIAA uses GoFan Ticketing for all digital and cashless tickets. Admission is $9 plus online fees for adults and students. All tickets must be redeemed on a mobile device. To purchase tickets, visit the WIAA website at: https://www.wiaawi.org/Tickets#42691791-cross-country.

RACE INFORMATION:  The boys and girls will both run a 5,000-meter course. The following is a listing of the scheduled start times for each race: 

Girls

Noon Division 3

12:40 p.m. Division 2

1:20 p.m. Division 1

Boys

2 p.m. – Division 3

2:35 p.m. – Division 2

3:10 p.m. – Division 1

HOW THEY GOT HERE:  There are 20 teams contending for the State championship in Division 1 for boys and girls, and 16 teams competing for the boys and girls Divisions 2 and 3 team titles. Teams competing for the titles qualified last weekend at their respective sectional meets. The top two teams in each of the 10 Division 1 sectionals and the top two teams from each of the eight Divisions 2 and 3 sectionals advanced. In addition to the qualifying teams, the first five individual finishers at their respective sectionals, who are not a member of a qualifying team, also qualified for the State Meet. 

LAST YEAR-BOYS:  Stevens Point raced to the boys team championship in Division 1 for the second straight season, scoring 36 points. Hudson was runner-up, accumulating 75 points. Manny Putz of Onalaska won the boys Division 1 individual championship for the second year in a row, finishing with a time of 15:05.8. Lakeside Lutheran earned the Division 2 team championship by posting a score of 112 after a runner-up finish in 2022. Winneconne was second in the team standings with 116 points. Noah Kuhn of Edgewood earned the individual medalist honor in Division 2, finishing the course in 15:50.5. Kohler won its second-straight Division 3 boys team title by compiling 109 points, which was five fewer than runner-up Solon Springs/Northwood, which finished with 114. Charlie Vater of Iola-Scandinavia won the Division 3 boys individual crown with a time of 15.49.7.

LAST YEAR-GIRLS:  Slinger won the Division 1 State team championship, compiling a five-runner score of 78. Neenah was second with a score of 114. Ella Anschutz of Muskego was the individual champion in Division 1 by completing the 5,000-kilometer course in a time of 18:00.3. Xavier captured the team title in Division 2 for the second year in a row, finishing with 75 points, and Bloomer finished second with a score of 116. Nora Gremban of Northland Pines won the girls Division 2 individual crown with a time of 17:46.7. Lancaster won the Division 3 team championship with a score of 92, which was 46 points fewer than runner-up Phillips with 138. Autumn Michalski of Chequamegon won the individual title with a time of 18:02.0. 

BOYS TEAM NOTES:   This year’s Division 1 field features every one of the teams that finished in the top seven last season and 11 of the top 17 teams. Two-time defending champion Stevens Point is back to contend for a third-straight championship.  The other programs in this year’s meet that finished in the top seven a year ago are Hudson (2nd), Oconomowoc (3rd), Marquette (4th), Madison West (5th), Green Bay Preble (6th) and De Pere (7th). The Panthers return four runners that compiled 36 team points to win the title a year ago. Green Bay Preble and Marquette appear to have the experience to contend for the team title with six and five returning competitors, respectively, that ran at State last season. In addition, Shorewood has moved into Division 1 and has five returning runners from a squad that placed third in Division 2. The Division 2 field has two teams returning that finished in the top 10 last season, and both appear poised to make a run at the title this year. West Salem placed fourth last year, and the Panthers return six runners that competed last season, and Dodgeville/Mineral Point also has six returning runners from the team that placed ninth a year ago. Kohler has qualified in Division 2 this year after winning Division 3 championships the last two seasons. The Blue Bombers enter the race this weekend with five returning competitors. With former two-time champion Kohler moving up to Division 2, the Division 3 chase for the title could be hotly contested. Five teams that placed in the top eight are back, including runner-up Solon Springs/Northwood, which returns five runners from last year’s team. Cedar Grove-Belgium returns six runners from last year’s third-place team. Aquinas and Phillips could also contend for the title. Each return four runners from teams that placed fourth and sixth, respectively.

BOYS INDIVIDUAL NOTES:  The Division 1 individual competition has six runners back in the field that placed in the top seven a year ago, including two-time defending champion Manny Putz, a senior from Onalaska. He returns to contend for a third title to go with a seventh-place finish in 2021. Junior Grady Lenn of De Pere placed third last season to improve on a  seventh-place result in 2022. Junior Jacob Nuthals of Green Bay Preble ran to a fifth-place finish a year ago, and he attempts to return to the awards stand. A pair of Stevens Point teammates return after a top-10 finish last season.  Senior Ethan Olds finished sixth last season after placing 20th in 2022, and junior Cooper Erickson was eighth after placing 18th in 2022. Other contenders for the title following sectional titles last week are senior James Lennington of Oconomowoc, who placed 10th last year; senior Elijah Pabon of DeForest, who came in 21st; sophomore Will Pongonis of Eau Claire Memorial, who finished 29th; junior Reed Grotenhuis of Slinger, who was 32nd; junior Brendan Reardon of Marquette, who placed 39th; senior Grady Roberts of Mukwonago, who was 69th; senior Remy Strichartz of Kenosha Indian Trail, who was 105th; and senior Isaac Kirby of Kettle Moraine, who finished 122nd. In Division 2, there are four individuals that return to the State Meet after placing in the top 10 last season and another that moved up from Division 3 after a top-seven finish. The most notable is senior Kyle Kieper of Kettle Moraine Lutheran, who placed third in 2023 and 76th in 2022. Senior Alex Anewenter of Port Washington was seventh last year after finishing 71st in 2022. Senior Layne Aurit of Dodgeville/Mineral Point came in ninth a year ago after finishing 43rd in 2022.  Junior Tre Dammen of Monroe was 10th last season on the heels of a 54th-place finish in 2022. Other qualifiers that won their sectionals last week that are vying for positions on the medal stand include senior Isaac Ewing of McFarland, who placed 12th in 2023; senior Jack Hefty of Whitewater, who was 13th; senior Carter Quackenbush of West Salem, who placed 37th;  junior Seth Rogge of Bloomer, who was 40th last season; and senior Ben Regennitter of Kohler, who was 20th in Division 3 last year; senior Owen Lenicki of Waupaca; and sophomore Logan Boehnlein of Seymour; The race for the individual crown in Division 3 features five top-10 finishers returning from last year’s championships. Senior Taylor Karcz of Crandon is the top returning runner after finishing runner-up last year. He should again contend for the crown this year. Senior Gavin Stewart of Ladysmith finished fourth in 2022 and added a fifth-place effort last season. He also qualified as a freshman, finishing 55th in 2021. Senior Isaac Scheer of Columbus Catholic is also back after placing sixth last season. In addition, seniors Isaac Dickenson of Solon Springs/Northwood and Matthew Wilterdink of Oostburg were eighth and ninth in 2023, respectively. Wilterdink also qualified in 2022 and finished 35th. Qualifiers that were sectional champions last week that may finish among the leaders are Senior Declan Gregg of Aquinas, who was 11th last year; senior Bret Connolly of Iowa-Grant, who was 35th a year ago; junior Gavin Esterholm of Phillips, who was 18th last season; junior Ben Beck of Iola-Scandinavia, who was 55th last season; sophomore Nolan Waltz of Three Lakes, who was 22nd last year; and sophomore David Simon of St. Ambrose Academy/Abundant Life Christian.

GIRLS TEAM NOTES:   Slinger, the defending team champion in Division 1, returns a squad with four runners that participated at State last year. There are five other teams that have qualified that finished in the top 10 a year ago, including Neenah (2nd), Brookfield East (4th), Madison West (5th) and Menomonie (10th). Of these, Neenah and Brookfield East appear to be in the best position to dethrone the Owls. The Rockets and Spartans have six of the seven runners that competed at State last year returning. The Division 2 field has five teams qualifying this year that finished in the top 10 last year, including Bloomer, which finished runner-up. The others are Mount Horeb (5th), Shawano (6th), University School of Milwaukee (7th) and Kiel (9th). Bloomer may be in the best position for a run at the title with all seven of last year’s runners returning to the meet this year. However, Kiel has enough experience to challenge for a top finish with five returning runners. In addition, Lancaster moves up to Division 2 after winning the Division 3 team championship last year. The Flying Arrows have four participants back this year that contributed a year ago. In Division 3, four of the top eight teams in last year’s results are back for another run at the title, including Darlington, which finished third. The three others are Assumption (4th), Bonduel (6th) and Aquinas (8th). Assumption appears loaded with experience, having six runners competing this week that ran at State last year, and Bonduel has a solid returning nucleus with five returning runners.

GIRLS INDIVIDUAL NOTES:  Six individuals return to the qualifying field after they finished among the top 10 last season in Division 1. Most notably, junior Ella Anschutz of Muskego is the defending champion returning from the 2023 State Meet after placing sixth in 2022. She enters the meet as one on the top contenders for the crown. Senior Mackenzie Babcock of Monona Grove is another leading contender after she placed third last year, fourth in 2022 and third in 2021. Senior Marah Benedict of New Richmond is back seeking to improve on her fifth-place finish last season. The four-time qualifier was 16th in 2022 and 40 in 2021. Junior Piper Schuster of Slinger could also challenge for a top finish after placing seventh last year and 29th in 2022. Sophomore Tessa Bruckhart of Stevens Point returns attempting to build on a ninth-place effort last season. Junior Lauren McCalla of Menomonie also has the State Meet experience to be considered a challenger for a medal after placing 10th last year. In addition, senior Kate Schmoll of West De Pere attempts to contend for a position on the award stand. After placing third in 2022 and seventh as a freshman in 2021, she fell to 56th last season. Seniors Ellie and Annie Robinson of Dodgeville/Mineral Point add depth to an already competitive field as they move up into Division 1 Ellie placed eighth in Division 2 last year, third in 2022 and fourth in 2021. Annie was 10th last season, 12th 2022 and seventh in 2021. Other competitors to keep eyes on this weekend based on their sectional titles last week include senior Mazie Olkowski of Neenah, who placed 44th a year ago, 59th in 2022 and 58th in 2021; sophomore Maelynn Smith of Badger, who was 80th last season; senior Janiyah Taylor of Kenosha Indian Trail, who was 107th; junior Katie Rea of Wauwatosa East; and freshmen Arya Shefchik of Green Bay Preble and Izzy Decabooter of Verona. In Division 2, three of the top six finishers at last year’s State Meet return in pursuit of the individual crown this season, including 2022 champion and 2021 runner-up Faith Wehrman, a senior from New Berlin Eisenhower. She aims to challenge for another title after slipping to sixth a year ago. Sophomore Clara Hartman of Bloomer returns to contend for the title after placing third last year. Junior Emmerson Drobac of Deerfield/Cambridge is among the contenders  for the title coming off a fifth-place finish last season and a ninth-place standing in 2022.  Senior Nora Jillson of Boscobel, a three-time qualifier in Division 3, moves up to Division 2 to challenge for the individual title. She was 12th last season, runner-up in 2022 and sixth in 2021. Other qualifiers that could possibly challenge for a medal based on their sectional championships last weekend are junior Lindsay Kahn of Medford, who 87th last season; senior Bella Grenier of University School of Milwaukee, a four-time qualifier who placed 11th last season, 13th in 2022 and 15th in 2021; senior Ashley Wilson of Little Chute, another four-time qualifier who was 16th last year, 15th in 2022 and 32nd in 2021; senior Erin Moore of Lourdes Academy, who was 16th the past two seasons in Division 3 and 46th in 2021. Division 3 features six runners that placed in the top nine a year ago. Sophomore Maggie Behler of Kohler head the list of contenders after finishing runner-up last year. Junior Lucy Dolan of Assumption finished on Behlers’ heels last season in third place after coming in fourth in 2022. She is also expected to be one of the top finishers in the division this week. Senior Mallory Kohn of Dodgeland took sixth place last year after finishing 63rd in 2022, and junior Addison May of Crandon was seventh last year following a 29th-place finish in 2022. Both Kohn and May seek to climb the medal stand this weekend. The same can be said for sophomore Inez Schmidt of Cameron, who was ninth last year, and junior Adalee Berget of Darlington, who came in eighth. Junior Addy Duellman of Cochrane-Fountain City appears to be back in the title hunt as well. She was the champion in 2022 before falling to 43rd last season. Another group of qualifiers who could be in contention for a top-10 finish based on their sectional titles last week are junior Hannah Miller of Kewaunee, who placed 17th last year and 49th in 2022; sophomore Katie Field of Royall/Wonewoc-Center, who finished 25th in 2023; and junior Kira Dunn of Prairie Farm/Turtle Lake, who ran to a 96th-place finish last year. 

AWARDS CEREMONY:  The award ceremony for teams and individuals will be held at the Ridges Golf Course beginning 15 minutes after the start of the final race. Awards presented in the order of the races at the podium to the west of the starting boxes.

NEED RESULTS?:  The most efficient way to get results will be to access the WIAA website at: www.wiaawi.org and choose the cross country home page. In addition, PT Timing will be providing live updates from the course during the races. To access the updates, go to:  https://www.pttiming.com/results-current.php.

STATE MEET APPAREL ONSITE:  WIAA licensed State Championship apparel is available for sale at the course. 

FOLLOW STATE MEET ON SOCIAL MEDIA:  Receive updates of the State Cross Country Championships on the WIAA State Tournament Twitter account @wiaawistate with the hashtag #wiaaxc. Also like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram at wiaawi.