DEFOREST - The Monroe boys cross country team finished third place in the Badger Challenge Tuesday in DeForest.
The Badger Challenge is divided into two races for freshmen-sophomores and juniors-seniors. The top five times are used to determine the team standings.
The Cheesemakers were just 36 seconds away from overtaking Badger South Conference rival Madison Edgewood for second place. Baraboo ran away with the team title with 86 minutes, 44.8 seconds to 89:54.4 over the Crusaders.
But Monroe coach Dave Hirsbrunner isn't putting much stock into the results to predict what will happen come the conference race.
"We didn't run it full bore," Hirsbrunner said. "We are still tweaking some things. They (Edgewood) ran it as a workout. They wanted to use it for their No. 4 and 5 runners. I would consider them a little bit ahead of us. Hopefully, by October, we will have them where we want them."
The boys had three runners medal. Monroe senior Jeremy Miller finished ninth place in the junior-senior race with a time of 17:32.3. The other medalists were sophomore Parker Ingold who took seventh in the freshmen-sophomore race (18:18) and freshman Dylan Scace who took eighth (18:23.4).
"We are proud they both ran like they did," he said of Ingold and Scace.
Monroe junior Derek Christiansen took 17th in the junior-senior race (17:53.9) and was the Cheesemakers' No. 2 overall runner. Senior Justin Batz finished 28th (18:22.4) and was the team's No. 4 runner.
"He (Batz) really stepped up and hit a solid race," Hirsbrunner said. "He really needed that."
Monroe sophomore Ciara Kaderly took second in the freshmen-sophomore race (20:35.7) to lead the Cheesemakers to a fifth-place finish. Stoughton edged Edgewood for the title by about three seconds.
Monroe senior Alyssa Dale finished 13th (21:24.8) and senior Elise Rossing was 15th (21:27.1) in the junior-senior race. Monroe senior Ramsey Benkert took 31st (22:16) and was the Cheesemakers' No. 4 runner.
"She (Benkert) had a solid breakout race," Hirsbrunner said. "She competed and really finished the last 500 meters."
Monroe senior Kelley Baumann didn't run due to an injury and sophomore Jordan Hirsbrunner finished 17th (22:20.5) in the freshmen-sophomore race, but was bothered by a health problems.
"If we would have had Kelley as our No. 5 runner and Jordan healthy as our No. 2, we would have probably finished third place," Hirsbrunner said.
The Badger Challenge is divided into two races for freshmen-sophomores and juniors-seniors. The top five times are used to determine the team standings.
The Cheesemakers were just 36 seconds away from overtaking Badger South Conference rival Madison Edgewood for second place. Baraboo ran away with the team title with 86 minutes, 44.8 seconds to 89:54.4 over the Crusaders.
But Monroe coach Dave Hirsbrunner isn't putting much stock into the results to predict what will happen come the conference race.
"We didn't run it full bore," Hirsbrunner said. "We are still tweaking some things. They (Edgewood) ran it as a workout. They wanted to use it for their No. 4 and 5 runners. I would consider them a little bit ahead of us. Hopefully, by October, we will have them where we want them."
The boys had three runners medal. Monroe senior Jeremy Miller finished ninth place in the junior-senior race with a time of 17:32.3. The other medalists were sophomore Parker Ingold who took seventh in the freshmen-sophomore race (18:18) and freshman Dylan Scace who took eighth (18:23.4).
"We are proud they both ran like they did," he said of Ingold and Scace.
Monroe junior Derek Christiansen took 17th in the junior-senior race (17:53.9) and was the Cheesemakers' No. 2 overall runner. Senior Justin Batz finished 28th (18:22.4) and was the team's No. 4 runner.
"He (Batz) really stepped up and hit a solid race," Hirsbrunner said. "He really needed that."
Monroe sophomore Ciara Kaderly took second in the freshmen-sophomore race (20:35.7) to lead the Cheesemakers to a fifth-place finish. Stoughton edged Edgewood for the title by about three seconds.
Monroe senior Alyssa Dale finished 13th (21:24.8) and senior Elise Rossing was 15th (21:27.1) in the junior-senior race. Monroe senior Ramsey Benkert took 31st (22:16) and was the Cheesemakers' No. 4 runner.
"She (Benkert) had a solid breakout race," Hirsbrunner said. "She competed and really finished the last 500 meters."
Monroe senior Kelley Baumann didn't run due to an injury and sophomore Jordan Hirsbrunner finished 17th (22:20.5) in the freshmen-sophomore race, but was bothered by a health problems.
"If we would have had Kelley as our No. 5 runner and Jordan healthy as our No. 2, we would have probably finished third place," Hirsbrunner said.
