PLATTEVILLE - Monroe sophomores Nick Baumann and Ciara Kaderly both earned trips to state after their performances at the WIAA Division 2 Platteville sectional Saturday.
Baumann finished sixth in the boys' 5,000-meter race with a time of 17 minutes, 8.2 seconds. Kaderly, in the first 5K girls have run at a sectional, took eighth place (20:31) to punch her ticket to state.
Both Baumann and Kaderly were individual state qualifiers. The top two teams and the top five runners not members of the top two teams qualify for state Saturday, Nov. 1 in Wisconsin Rapids.
"Nick Baumann knew the state berth was on the line during the final mile," Monroe coach Dave Hirsbrunner said. "He was in great position for the second half of the race. He ran an incredibly smart race. Many of the others went out too fast and paid the price for it later. Nick laid back and gradually kept working his way to the front."
Kaderly is the first female runner to qualify for state for the Cheesemakers since 2006.
"She went out with the gun and never looked back," Hirsbrunner said. "In fact, she went out a little too fast. She was in the lead for the first 300 meters, then settled in to a decent pace. This is an amazing accomplishment for Ciara. She is hard working and listens to everything you tell her before and during her races."
The Cheesemakers' four goals for the sectional meet were to have Baumann and Kaderly qualify for state if the teams didn't make it, finish top three as a team for the boys and finish top four as a team for the girls. Monroe achieved three of the four goals: The Monroe boys took seventh place as a team and the girls finished fourth out of 14 teams.
The McFarland boys cross country team won the sectional title (57 points) and sectional runner-up Madison Edgewood (79) also qualified for state as a team.
Monroe freshman Dylan Scace took 20th (18:04.8) and senior Derek Christiansen finished 22nd (18:08). Sophomore Parker Ingold finished 42nd (19:04.9) and freshman Drake Ingold was 44th (19:06.8).
Monroe senior Jeremy Miller, who has been the Cheesemakers' No. 1 runner this season, was forced out of the race due to dehydration issues, Hirsbrunner said.
"We are not totally sure what happened," Hirsbrunner said. "It was a combination of the unseasonable warm weather, his intense racing effort, and some possible hydration issues. Jeremy has been a workhorse for us for four years. He's been on varsity all four years and was a captain this year. It definitely wasn't the way he wanted to end his career. However, he's always given his all and went down fighting, even in his last race."
New Glarus-Monticello finished sixth (167) as a team and Brodhead-Juda was 11th (253).
The Glarner Knights had four runners in the top 40, led by junior Max Cruse who finished 24th (18:17.8). Sophomore teammate Kyle Fredrickson took 27th (18:24.2) and senior John Zuber was 28th (18:27.2). Fellow senior Dylan Beckwith was 40th (19:00).
Brodhead-Juda had three runners in the top half of the race, led by junior Peter Speckman who finished 34th (18:44.2). Sophomore teammate Reuben Larson took 38th (18:58.4) and senior C.J. Hack took 51st (19:27.4).
In the girls' race, Monroe freshman Rachel Meier finished 15th place (21:01.4) and senior Alyssa Dale was 24th (21:36.7). Junior Kayla Einbeck took 28th (21:49.2) and senior Ramsey Benkert was 40th (22:43.2).
Dodgeville-Mineral Point was the sectional champion (48) and McFarland took second (57) to also qualify for state. Madison Edgewood, last year's Division 2 state champions, finished third and will not return to state as a team. Edgewood (85) finished just ahead of the Cheesemakers (115). Edgewood senior Amy Davis was the sectional champion (18:23.2).
"Our girls hit the course with vengeance and gave it all they had left in their tanks," Hirsbrunner said. "For the first half of the race, we were in third place and it looked like we may upset conference champion Edgewood. However, we faded slightly over the final mile and ended up an impressive fourth place. This is a huge improvement over our seventh place finish last year. Our girls have made some amazing steps forward as a program this year. They have put Monroe girls cross country back on the map."
New Glarus-Monticello took eighth (199) and Brodhead-Juda finished 10th (250) out of 14 teams. New Glarus-Monticello senior Bri Roska finished 11th (20:43.4) and Brodhead-Juda freshman Madee Harding took 18th (21:09). Brodhead-Juda freshman Cora Purdue finished 26th (21:38.4) followed by junior Marifer Nieto who took 67th (24:26.9), junior Hayley Shelton was 68th (24:44.4) and junior Danielle Dieckhoff was 71st (25:11.6).
The other runners for the Glarner Knights who finished in the top 50 include junior Ashley Risley, 41st (22:53.9); senior Lilly Blum, 44th (22:57.6) and senior Sam Barr, 49th (23:25.6).
Baumann finished sixth in the boys' 5,000-meter race with a time of 17 minutes, 8.2 seconds. Kaderly, in the first 5K girls have run at a sectional, took eighth place (20:31) to punch her ticket to state.
Both Baumann and Kaderly were individual state qualifiers. The top two teams and the top five runners not members of the top two teams qualify for state Saturday, Nov. 1 in Wisconsin Rapids.
"Nick Baumann knew the state berth was on the line during the final mile," Monroe coach Dave Hirsbrunner said. "He was in great position for the second half of the race. He ran an incredibly smart race. Many of the others went out too fast and paid the price for it later. Nick laid back and gradually kept working his way to the front."
Kaderly is the first female runner to qualify for state for the Cheesemakers since 2006.
"She went out with the gun and never looked back," Hirsbrunner said. "In fact, she went out a little too fast. She was in the lead for the first 300 meters, then settled in to a decent pace. This is an amazing accomplishment for Ciara. She is hard working and listens to everything you tell her before and during her races."
The Cheesemakers' four goals for the sectional meet were to have Baumann and Kaderly qualify for state if the teams didn't make it, finish top three as a team for the boys and finish top four as a team for the girls. Monroe achieved three of the four goals: The Monroe boys took seventh place as a team and the girls finished fourth out of 14 teams.
The McFarland boys cross country team won the sectional title (57 points) and sectional runner-up Madison Edgewood (79) also qualified for state as a team.
Monroe freshman Dylan Scace took 20th (18:04.8) and senior Derek Christiansen finished 22nd (18:08). Sophomore Parker Ingold finished 42nd (19:04.9) and freshman Drake Ingold was 44th (19:06.8).
Monroe senior Jeremy Miller, who has been the Cheesemakers' No. 1 runner this season, was forced out of the race due to dehydration issues, Hirsbrunner said.
"We are not totally sure what happened," Hirsbrunner said. "It was a combination of the unseasonable warm weather, his intense racing effort, and some possible hydration issues. Jeremy has been a workhorse for us for four years. He's been on varsity all four years and was a captain this year. It definitely wasn't the way he wanted to end his career. However, he's always given his all and went down fighting, even in his last race."
New Glarus-Monticello finished sixth (167) as a team and Brodhead-Juda was 11th (253).
The Glarner Knights had four runners in the top 40, led by junior Max Cruse who finished 24th (18:17.8). Sophomore teammate Kyle Fredrickson took 27th (18:24.2) and senior John Zuber was 28th (18:27.2). Fellow senior Dylan Beckwith was 40th (19:00).
Brodhead-Juda had three runners in the top half of the race, led by junior Peter Speckman who finished 34th (18:44.2). Sophomore teammate Reuben Larson took 38th (18:58.4) and senior C.J. Hack took 51st (19:27.4).
In the girls' race, Monroe freshman Rachel Meier finished 15th place (21:01.4) and senior Alyssa Dale was 24th (21:36.7). Junior Kayla Einbeck took 28th (21:49.2) and senior Ramsey Benkert was 40th (22:43.2).
Dodgeville-Mineral Point was the sectional champion (48) and McFarland took second (57) to also qualify for state. Madison Edgewood, last year's Division 2 state champions, finished third and will not return to state as a team. Edgewood (85) finished just ahead of the Cheesemakers (115). Edgewood senior Amy Davis was the sectional champion (18:23.2).
"Our girls hit the course with vengeance and gave it all they had left in their tanks," Hirsbrunner said. "For the first half of the race, we were in third place and it looked like we may upset conference champion Edgewood. However, we faded slightly over the final mile and ended up an impressive fourth place. This is a huge improvement over our seventh place finish last year. Our girls have made some amazing steps forward as a program this year. They have put Monroe girls cross country back on the map."
New Glarus-Monticello took eighth (199) and Brodhead-Juda finished 10th (250) out of 14 teams. New Glarus-Monticello senior Bri Roska finished 11th (20:43.4) and Brodhead-Juda freshman Madee Harding took 18th (21:09). Brodhead-Juda freshman Cora Purdue finished 26th (21:38.4) followed by junior Marifer Nieto who took 67th (24:26.9), junior Hayley Shelton was 68th (24:44.4) and junior Danielle Dieckhoff was 71st (25:11.6).
The other runners for the Glarner Knights who finished in the top 50 include junior Ashley Risley, 41st (22:53.9); senior Lilly Blum, 44th (22:57.6) and senior Sam Barr, 49th (23:25.6).
