HARTLAND - With a loaded field, the Monroe boys cross country team rose to the challenge, with six runners setting personal best times to finish seventh place at the Arrowhead Invitational on Thursday.
The invite featured defending Division 1 state champion Hartland Arrowhead, state runner-up Janesville Craig, and Division 1 power Shorewood. Heartland Arrowhead (69 points) captured the team title ahead of Shorewood (113), West Bend West (119), Homestead (122) and Janesville Craig (129). Oconomowoc finished sixth (129) ahead of the Cheesemakers (162).
"We didn't underachieve," Monroe coach Dave Hirsbrunner said. "With all the Division 1 teams, we finished probably where we should have. Six of our top seven ran PRs. That's all you can ask for. That's where we are at."
Monroe junior Ethan Moehn finished 13th with a time of 16 minutes, 28 seconds, which is about three seconds off his PR. Senior Steve Christiansen took 20th with a PR of 16:48. Fellow junior Jake Hirsbrunner, running just his second race, finished 29th with a PR of 16:59. Senior A.J. Cifuentes took 36th with a PR of 17:08 and Jeremy Miller was 64th with a PR of 17:37.
The only other Badger Conference team in the race was Fort Atkinson.
"Our goal was to see where we rank with Fort Atkinson," Hirsbrunner said. "They are probably the team we have to battle in the conference. We beat them all the way down the line."
Hirsbrunner was proud of Moehn's effort.
"He wasn't at 100 percent, and he was three seconds from a PR," Hirsbrunner said.
The race was just Jake Hirsbrunner's second 5K this season.
"He just ran a super race," Dave Hirsbrunner said of Jake. "It was a 44 second PR. He is starting to get the feeling of what it is like to be uncomfortable in the middle of the race."
The Monroe girls finished 14th at the invite. Hartland Arrowhead (24) won the title well ahead of runner-up Whitefish Bay (107). West Bend West took third (111), and Shorewood was fourth (121).
Monroe sophomore Alyssa Dale took 49th (16:30), and sophomore Elise Rossing finished 64th (16:52).
"You need to have a front-runner to do well at an invitational," Hirsbrunner said. "We don't have a front-runner. We had a nice pack, but it was further back. Alyssa had another solid race. Elise started out strong, she faded and them came on strong. Nicole is getting better each time out."
Junior Nicole Witt finished 79th (17:09), freshman Maddie Kallgren took 88th (17:18) and senior Lizzy Dale was 104th (17:54). Hirsbrunner said the girls season is a work in progress.
"We want to make an omelet by the end of the year," he said. "Right now we have a lot of cracked eggs, and we need mixing."
The invite featured defending Division 1 state champion Hartland Arrowhead, state runner-up Janesville Craig, and Division 1 power Shorewood. Heartland Arrowhead (69 points) captured the team title ahead of Shorewood (113), West Bend West (119), Homestead (122) and Janesville Craig (129). Oconomowoc finished sixth (129) ahead of the Cheesemakers (162).
"We didn't underachieve," Monroe coach Dave Hirsbrunner said. "With all the Division 1 teams, we finished probably where we should have. Six of our top seven ran PRs. That's all you can ask for. That's where we are at."
Monroe junior Ethan Moehn finished 13th with a time of 16 minutes, 28 seconds, which is about three seconds off his PR. Senior Steve Christiansen took 20th with a PR of 16:48. Fellow junior Jake Hirsbrunner, running just his second race, finished 29th with a PR of 16:59. Senior A.J. Cifuentes took 36th with a PR of 17:08 and Jeremy Miller was 64th with a PR of 17:37.
The only other Badger Conference team in the race was Fort Atkinson.
"Our goal was to see where we rank with Fort Atkinson," Hirsbrunner said. "They are probably the team we have to battle in the conference. We beat them all the way down the line."
Hirsbrunner was proud of Moehn's effort.
"He wasn't at 100 percent, and he was three seconds from a PR," Hirsbrunner said.
The race was just Jake Hirsbrunner's second 5K this season.
"He just ran a super race," Dave Hirsbrunner said of Jake. "It was a 44 second PR. He is starting to get the feeling of what it is like to be uncomfortable in the middle of the race."
The Monroe girls finished 14th at the invite. Hartland Arrowhead (24) won the title well ahead of runner-up Whitefish Bay (107). West Bend West took third (111), and Shorewood was fourth (121).
Monroe sophomore Alyssa Dale took 49th (16:30), and sophomore Elise Rossing finished 64th (16:52).
"You need to have a front-runner to do well at an invitational," Hirsbrunner said. "We don't have a front-runner. We had a nice pack, but it was further back. Alyssa had another solid race. Elise started out strong, she faded and them came on strong. Nicole is getting better each time out."
Junior Nicole Witt finished 79th (17:09), freshman Maddie Kallgren took 88th (17:18) and senior Lizzy Dale was 104th (17:54). Hirsbrunner said the girls season is a work in progress.
"We want to make an omelet by the end of the year," he said. "Right now we have a lot of cracked eggs, and we need mixing."
