Five area cross country athletes don’t have to pack away their running shoes just yet.
All five – Iola-Scandinavia’s Emily Sether, Amherst’s Lily Kraft, Clintonville’s Samantha Hohn and Brianne Gretzinger and New London’s Macy Egan – finished among the leaders at their respective sectionals and have advanced to the State Cross Country Meet, set for Saturday, Oct. 29, at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Sether and Kraft placed ninth and 14th, respectively, at a Division 3 sectional at the Iola Winter Sports Club; Hohn and Gretzinger placed seventh and eighth, respectively, at the Division 2 Freedom Sectional; and Egan placed 10th at the Division 1 Wausau West Sectional.
Division 3
IOLA – Sether led area runners at the 17-team meet Friday, Oct. 21, with a time of 16:28.
She’s following in the footsteps of her older brother, Josh, who qualified for state three years ago.
Emily trained all summer and her hard work showed from the beginning,” coach Trish Nye said. “She is a very determined and hard-working athlete. She is focused for every race and gives her all every time.
“She is a great kid to coach, never complains and always gives 110 percent,” she added. “We are all very proud of Emily and her accomplishments. She has had state set in her focus all season and she met her goal.”
The Thunderbird girls placed fifth as a team. Also placing for the T-Birds were Shelby Trzebiatowski, 15th, 17:26; Leah Pierce, 29th, 18:37; Natalie Gauerke, 32nd, 18:41; and Emily Madson, 37th, 19:13.
Sether is the first member of the T-Bird girls’ team to qualify for state since the team went in 2007, two years after winning the Division 3 state championship.
The T-Bird boys placed sixth. John Faldet placed 22nd in 18:40, Derek Peterson was 25th in 18:46, Chase Przybylski was 30th in 18:58, Westley Petersen was 37th in 19:17 and Ryan Przybylski was 42nd in 19:35.
Also placing for the Amherst girls, who placed fourth, were Emma Barnes, 16th, 17:33; Alyssa Eiden, 232nd, 18:04; Kirsten Wideman, 25th, 18:27; and Danielle Karch, 27th, 18:30.
The Amherst boys placed seventh. Nathan Werner was 19th in 18:37, Soren Anderson was 23rd in 18:43, David Ryle was 43rd in 19:41, Alex Helbach was 43rd in 20:08 and Josh Powers was 48th in 20:13.
Division 2
FREEDOM – The season ended for Waupaca and Weyauwega-Fremont Saturday, Oct. 22, at Irish Waters Golf Club.
The Waupaca boys and girls finished 10th and 15th, respectively.
Placing for the boys were Zach Wheeler, 14, 17:00; James Warren Jr., 42nd, 18:20; Ryan Weise, 50th, 18:37; Jeff Servey, 70th, 19:04; and Eric Bolwerk, 78th, 19:26.
Placing for the Comet girls were Autumn Schultz, 43rd, 16:58; Alisa Blank, 75th, 18:03; Morgan Platta, 76th, 18:08; Abbey Lazers, 78th, 18:12; and Lizzie Hanke, 98th, 19:56.
The W-F boys and girls placed 12th and 13th, respectively.
Placing for the boys were Corey Zeutzius, 30th, 17:43; Nickolas Thomas, 34th, 17:59; James Hoch, 73rd, 19:13; Tyler Hart, 80th, 19:33; and Logan Kobiske, 86th, 20:02.
Placing for the girls were Alyse Peters, 31st, 16:36; Ellen Schroeder, 38th, 16:45; Jane Beyer, 59th, 17:32; Aysia Schroeder, 95th, 19:19; and Amy Hingeveld, 97th, 19:52.