MONROE - Since Monroe junior Jake Hirsbrunner traded in his shoulder pads for running shoes, he hasn't looked back.
He played football for his first two years of high school and made the switch to cross country where he has made an immediate impact. Hirsbrunner won the Badger South Conference championship on Saturday at Twining Park with a time of 16 minutes, 46 seconds.
"When the season started if you would have told me I would be a conference champion, I would have never thought it could happen," Hirsbrunner said. "It's definitely a dream come true. It's something I will never forget."
Monroe dominated the Badger South meet placing its top five runners on the all-conference team en route to winning a third straight conference title 35-48 over Fort Atkinson. It's the Cheesemakers seventh title in the last 10 years and the program's 24th conference championship.
"It was one of our goals at the beginning of the season," Monroe coach Dave Hirsbrunner said of the title.
Jake Hirsbrunner along with senior Steve Christiansen, who finished fourth (17:07) and junior Ethan Moehn, who was fifth (17:25) earned first team all-conference recognition. Senior A.J. Cifuentes, who finished ninth (17:38) and sophomore Jeremy Miller, who took 16th (18:11) were second team all-conference.
Hirsbrunner said he started surging at the two-mile mark with Monona Grove's Terry McMillan in the lead.
"I knew he was strong and experienced," Hirsbrunner said of McMillan. "I realized I wanted to be the stronger runner."
Christiansen ran strong and looked like a contender most of the race.
"At the one-mile mark, I fell apart and my legs gave out," he said. "Fortunately, Jake was able to win it."
Giving up football for a chance to run cross country is the same decision Jake's father Dave Hirsbrunner made when he ran at Darlington and led the Redbirds to a state championship in 1986.
The choice was not an easy one for Jake.
"It was a hard decision because I love football," Jake Hirsbrunner said of making the switch. "I love cross country too and I have made a lot of new friends. My dad wanted me to do whatever I wanted to do. He would have supported me either way."
Moehn, who is coming off a stress fracture injury, ran in his first race since the Heartland Arrowhead Invitational Sept. 6.
"He sabotaged his personal finish for the team and we won the conference championship," Dave Hirsbrunner said. "He ran a smart race. Coming off a stress fracture and weeks and weeks of cross training - Ethan purposely went out slow and didn't push it. He wanted to make sure he got his feet back on the ground before he really tests it. We really want him to go in two weeks (for state)."
Christiansen savored the chance to run another conference race at Twining Park.
"It's awesome to come out and have my last conference meet at our home course," he said. "I think the training is starting to pay off. We are running good times. Now, hopefully that will carry over to sectionals and state."
Monroe will get another shot on their home course. They will host the Division 2 sectional on Saturday at Twining Park.
"I love running at home," Christiansen said. "You get to sleep in. We know the course better than any other team, and we know when to hold and go."
He played football for his first two years of high school and made the switch to cross country where he has made an immediate impact. Hirsbrunner won the Badger South Conference championship on Saturday at Twining Park with a time of 16 minutes, 46 seconds.
"When the season started if you would have told me I would be a conference champion, I would have never thought it could happen," Hirsbrunner said. "It's definitely a dream come true. It's something I will never forget."
Monroe dominated the Badger South meet placing its top five runners on the all-conference team en route to winning a third straight conference title 35-48 over Fort Atkinson. It's the Cheesemakers seventh title in the last 10 years and the program's 24th conference championship.
"It was one of our goals at the beginning of the season," Monroe coach Dave Hirsbrunner said of the title.
Jake Hirsbrunner along with senior Steve Christiansen, who finished fourth (17:07) and junior Ethan Moehn, who was fifth (17:25) earned first team all-conference recognition. Senior A.J. Cifuentes, who finished ninth (17:38) and sophomore Jeremy Miller, who took 16th (18:11) were second team all-conference.
Hirsbrunner said he started surging at the two-mile mark with Monona Grove's Terry McMillan in the lead.
"I knew he was strong and experienced," Hirsbrunner said of McMillan. "I realized I wanted to be the stronger runner."
Christiansen ran strong and looked like a contender most of the race.
"At the one-mile mark, I fell apart and my legs gave out," he said. "Fortunately, Jake was able to win it."
Giving up football for a chance to run cross country is the same decision Jake's father Dave Hirsbrunner made when he ran at Darlington and led the Redbirds to a state championship in 1986.
The choice was not an easy one for Jake.
"It was a hard decision because I love football," Jake Hirsbrunner said of making the switch. "I love cross country too and I have made a lot of new friends. My dad wanted me to do whatever I wanted to do. He would have supported me either way."
Moehn, who is coming off a stress fracture injury, ran in his first race since the Heartland Arrowhead Invitational Sept. 6.
"He sabotaged his personal finish for the team and we won the conference championship," Dave Hirsbrunner said. "He ran a smart race. Coming off a stress fracture and weeks and weeks of cross training - Ethan purposely went out slow and didn't push it. He wanted to make sure he got his feet back on the ground before he really tests it. We really want him to go in two weeks (for state)."
Christiansen savored the chance to run another conference race at Twining Park.
"It's awesome to come out and have my last conference meet at our home course," he said. "I think the training is starting to pay off. We are running good times. Now, hopefully that will carry over to sectionals and state."
Monroe will get another shot on their home course. They will host the Division 2 sectional on Saturday at Twining Park.
"I love running at home," Christiansen said. "You get to sleep in. We know the course better than any other team, and we know when to hold and go."
