JANESVILLE - Running in a cross country races with 280 runners can be intimidating and challenging at times.
Just ask Monroe sophomore Jeremy Miller who had the cuts, scrapes and blood to prove it after finishing the Midwest Invitational on Saturday.
"After the race, Jeremy Miller was all bloody because he got run over and spiked," Monroe coach Dave Hirsbrunner said. "He just got rolled around like a pin ball. It was like the running of the bulls."
Monroe had several runners who fell down and were trampled about 200-meters into the 5K at the Blackhawk Golf Course, but the Cheesemakers recovered and finished 20th out of 40 teams.
Madison La Follette won the title 115-158 over Madison West. Arrowhead finished third (168) and La Crosse Logan was fourth (176). Dubuque Senior took fifth (185) and Wisconsin Lutheran was sixth (245). Darlington, the defending Division 3 state champions, finished 13th (391).
Monroe senior Steve Christiansen finished 42nd with a personal record time of 16 minutes, 45 seconds and junior Jake Hirsbrunner took 48th with a PR of 16:49. Monroe junior Ethan Moehn is still recovering from an injury and did not run.
"The first two guys ran great," Hirsbrunner said. "Then there was a big gap and we kept waiting and waiting. I kind of got on them during the race. They were just out of it at the start. They still ran good times considering they got run over."
A.J. Cifuentes finished 139th (17:45) and Miller took 149th (17:52). Senior Payton Hoesly took 170th (18:06). The race featured the top six schools in Division 1 and defending Division 2 state champion Wisconsin Lutheran.
"It was a star-studded field," Hirsbrunner said.
Darlington junior Tyson Miehe finished eighth (15:59) and Quinn Cullen was 30th (16:30) to lead the Redbirds. Thomas Schultz took 98th (17:26) and Garth Garrison was 100th (17:25). Kyle Schulte took 155th (17:59) to round out the top five for the Redbirds.
The Redbirds' No. 3-5 runners also went down in the pile up at the start of the race.
"You are running fast and then someone goes down and it's hard to stop and you go down in a heap," Darlington coach Arnie Miehe said. "We hoped to finish in the top 10. We were one collision away from being in the top 10."
In the girls' race, Arrowhead outdistanced Neenah 38-66 for the title. Darlington finished 15th (445) and Monroe took 31st (808). Darlington senior Christa Wamsley took 32nd (15:28) to lead the Redbirds.
"She is running determined in practice and meets," Miehe said. "She has really raised her level of expectations. It has kind of raised her level of performance."
The Redbirds had two other runners crack the top 100 - senior Cheyenne Wolfe finished 81st (16:24) and Claire Cullen took 99th (16:34). Harley Douglas took 101st (16:36) and Tatum Evenstad was 132nd (16:50).
"That is the kind of run we will have to have against Boscobel at the conference, sectional and state," Miehe said. "Claire Cullen was just a couple seconds off a PR."
Monroe sophomore Alyssa Dale finished 120th (16:42) and junior Nicole Witt was 138th (16:55). Therese Hughes took 176th (17:29) and freshman Maddie Kallgren was 183rd (17:36). Sophomore Elise Rossing rounded out the top five for the Cheesemakers taking 191st (17:46).
Hirsbrunner said Hughes has battled some injuries and it was just great to see her run.
"That was a pleasant surprise," he said.
Hirsbrunner can still see the Cheesemakers making another improvement.
"We had a good pack of girls," he said. "The pack was just a little further back. We are hoping to move up. It was a great learning experience. There are more runners there than the state meet."
Just ask Monroe sophomore Jeremy Miller who had the cuts, scrapes and blood to prove it after finishing the Midwest Invitational on Saturday.
"After the race, Jeremy Miller was all bloody because he got run over and spiked," Monroe coach Dave Hirsbrunner said. "He just got rolled around like a pin ball. It was like the running of the bulls."
Monroe had several runners who fell down and were trampled about 200-meters into the 5K at the Blackhawk Golf Course, but the Cheesemakers recovered and finished 20th out of 40 teams.
Madison La Follette won the title 115-158 over Madison West. Arrowhead finished third (168) and La Crosse Logan was fourth (176). Dubuque Senior took fifth (185) and Wisconsin Lutheran was sixth (245). Darlington, the defending Division 3 state champions, finished 13th (391).
Monroe senior Steve Christiansen finished 42nd with a personal record time of 16 minutes, 45 seconds and junior Jake Hirsbrunner took 48th with a PR of 16:49. Monroe junior Ethan Moehn is still recovering from an injury and did not run.
"The first two guys ran great," Hirsbrunner said. "Then there was a big gap and we kept waiting and waiting. I kind of got on them during the race. They were just out of it at the start. They still ran good times considering they got run over."
A.J. Cifuentes finished 139th (17:45) and Miller took 149th (17:52). Senior Payton Hoesly took 170th (18:06). The race featured the top six schools in Division 1 and defending Division 2 state champion Wisconsin Lutheran.
"It was a star-studded field," Hirsbrunner said.
Darlington junior Tyson Miehe finished eighth (15:59) and Quinn Cullen was 30th (16:30) to lead the Redbirds. Thomas Schultz took 98th (17:26) and Garth Garrison was 100th (17:25). Kyle Schulte took 155th (17:59) to round out the top five for the Redbirds.
The Redbirds' No. 3-5 runners also went down in the pile up at the start of the race.
"You are running fast and then someone goes down and it's hard to stop and you go down in a heap," Darlington coach Arnie Miehe said. "We hoped to finish in the top 10. We were one collision away from being in the top 10."
In the girls' race, Arrowhead outdistanced Neenah 38-66 for the title. Darlington finished 15th (445) and Monroe took 31st (808). Darlington senior Christa Wamsley took 32nd (15:28) to lead the Redbirds.
"She is running determined in practice and meets," Miehe said. "She has really raised her level of expectations. It has kind of raised her level of performance."
The Redbirds had two other runners crack the top 100 - senior Cheyenne Wolfe finished 81st (16:24) and Claire Cullen took 99th (16:34). Harley Douglas took 101st (16:36) and Tatum Evenstad was 132nd (16:50).
"That is the kind of run we will have to have against Boscobel at the conference, sectional and state," Miehe said. "Claire Cullen was just a couple seconds off a PR."
Monroe sophomore Alyssa Dale finished 120th (16:42) and junior Nicole Witt was 138th (16:55). Therese Hughes took 176th (17:29) and freshman Maddie Kallgren was 183rd (17:36). Sophomore Elise Rossing rounded out the top five for the Cheesemakers taking 191st (17:46).
Hirsbrunner said Hughes has battled some injuries and it was just great to see her run.
"That was a pleasant surprise," he said.
Hirsbrunner can still see the Cheesemakers making another improvement.
"We had a good pack of girls," he said. "The pack was just a little further back. We are hoping to move up. It was a great learning experience. There are more runners there than the state meet."
