ALBANY - With an eye towards the WIAA Division 3 sectional, the Albany boys cross country team showed it will be a contender for a state berth when it won the 21st annual small school Baertschi Invitational championship Saturday, Oct. 12.
Albany had four runners in the top 11, led by junior Aaron Johnson who finished second in the small schools with a time of 17 minutes, 6 seconds. The Comets edged New Glarus-Monticello for the team title 58-73 and well ahead of third-place Boscobel (76). Boscobel sophomore Dakota Kauffman won the 5,000-meter race (16:18) and Brodhead-Juda senior Dylan Johnson finished second overall and won the large school division (17:05).
"Their goal was to win it," Albany coach Tony Brewer said of the Comets. "I thought our top four boys ran really well. Boscobel's No. 4 runner didn't finish the race. If he finishes, it would have been tight because he would have beat our fifth guy. We just need a fifth guy to step up for us. The focus is now on Thursday night for conference."
Brewer said Johnson probably ran his best race of the year.
Albany junior Brennan Bloedel finished fourth (17:26) and sophomore Tyler Dahl took sixth (17:35). Senior Josh Little took 11th (17:56) and freshman Isaac Halverson was 35th (19:39).
New Glarus-Monticello senior Caleb Fredrickson took ninth (17:48) and junior John Zuber finished 12th (18:07). Freshman Kyle Fredrickson took 15th (18:28) and senior Hunter Pratt was 16th (18:40). Junior Dylan Beckwith rounded out the top five for the Knights taking 21st (18:53).
In the large school division, Platteville ran away with the title 41-91 over Oregon. Brodhead-Juda took sixth in at the 11-team meet.
Monroe didn't run its top seven runners and only competed in the junior varsity races for boys and girls.
"We have several of our runners on different training schedules right now," Monroe coach Dave Hirsbrunner said. "The goal is to get everyone to run their best at the end of the year."
Brodhead-Juda sophomore Peter Speckman finished 21st (18:24) and senior Rodrigo Yescas took 39th (19:31) for the Cardinals.
The New Glarus-Monticello girls cross country team took fourth in the small school division (92). Boscobel edged Poynette 59-63 for the team title. New Glarus-Monticello junior Bri Roska finished fifth (16:49) to lead the Knights. The Knights had all five runners in the top 25. Freshman Kelly Fredrickson finished 18th (18:07) and sophomore Ashley Risley was 22nd (18:26). Junior Lilly Blum finished 23rd (18:30) and sophomore Kerry McCoy was 24th (18:30).
Pecatonica-Argyle finished eighth as a team. Pecatonica-Argyle sophomore Samantha Erickson took 19th (18:11) to lead the Vikings. The Vikings had two other runners in the top 40 - sophomore Hannah James who took 33rd (19:39) and junior Jozey Thoman who took 39th (20:17).
Albany had several runners hit by injury and illness and didn't have enough runners to score as a team. Albany senior Bailey Hlavachek, who battled a stress fracture last spring at the state track meet and is a three-time state qualifier in cross country, had some leg soreness and dropped out of the race. The top finisher for the Comets was freshman Lauren Blumer who finished 22nd (18:13).
"The girls are banged up now," Brewer said. "She (Hlavachek) stopped about halfway through the race and she was up in the front. That is what we wanted her to do. She didn't want to chance anything. We were hoping for better results. Our focus will be to finish as high as we can at the sectional."
In the girls' large school division, Brodhead-Juda took eighth. Stoughton slipped by Mount Horeb for the team title 77-87. Brodhead-Juda sophomore Taylor Bluemel took seventh (16:35) to pace the Cardinals. Senior teammate Morganne Goecks finished 22nd (17:38) and senior Taylor Covert took 23rd (17:41).
Albany, Pecatonica-Argyle and Darlington will run in the SWAL meet Thursday at Cole Acres in Cuba City. Albany will then host a Division 3 sectional Saturday, Oct. 26. Brewer is looking forward to the challenge.
"They know running on their home course is an advantage," Brewer said of his boys' team. "The one good thing is we don't have to rely on one guy for that top spot. We have five guys battling for that spot and five guys who will run at conference for the final two spots at the sectional."
Albany had four runners in the top 11, led by junior Aaron Johnson who finished second in the small schools with a time of 17 minutes, 6 seconds. The Comets edged New Glarus-Monticello for the team title 58-73 and well ahead of third-place Boscobel (76). Boscobel sophomore Dakota Kauffman won the 5,000-meter race (16:18) and Brodhead-Juda senior Dylan Johnson finished second overall and won the large school division (17:05).
"Their goal was to win it," Albany coach Tony Brewer said of the Comets. "I thought our top four boys ran really well. Boscobel's No. 4 runner didn't finish the race. If he finishes, it would have been tight because he would have beat our fifth guy. We just need a fifth guy to step up for us. The focus is now on Thursday night for conference."
Brewer said Johnson probably ran his best race of the year.
Albany junior Brennan Bloedel finished fourth (17:26) and sophomore Tyler Dahl took sixth (17:35). Senior Josh Little took 11th (17:56) and freshman Isaac Halverson was 35th (19:39).
New Glarus-Monticello senior Caleb Fredrickson took ninth (17:48) and junior John Zuber finished 12th (18:07). Freshman Kyle Fredrickson took 15th (18:28) and senior Hunter Pratt was 16th (18:40). Junior Dylan Beckwith rounded out the top five for the Knights taking 21st (18:53).
In the large school division, Platteville ran away with the title 41-91 over Oregon. Brodhead-Juda took sixth in at the 11-team meet.
Monroe didn't run its top seven runners and only competed in the junior varsity races for boys and girls.
"We have several of our runners on different training schedules right now," Monroe coach Dave Hirsbrunner said. "The goal is to get everyone to run their best at the end of the year."
Brodhead-Juda sophomore Peter Speckman finished 21st (18:24) and senior Rodrigo Yescas took 39th (19:31) for the Cardinals.
The New Glarus-Monticello girls cross country team took fourth in the small school division (92). Boscobel edged Poynette 59-63 for the team title. New Glarus-Monticello junior Bri Roska finished fifth (16:49) to lead the Knights. The Knights had all five runners in the top 25. Freshman Kelly Fredrickson finished 18th (18:07) and sophomore Ashley Risley was 22nd (18:26). Junior Lilly Blum finished 23rd (18:30) and sophomore Kerry McCoy was 24th (18:30).
Pecatonica-Argyle finished eighth as a team. Pecatonica-Argyle sophomore Samantha Erickson took 19th (18:11) to lead the Vikings. The Vikings had two other runners in the top 40 - sophomore Hannah James who took 33rd (19:39) and junior Jozey Thoman who took 39th (20:17).
Albany had several runners hit by injury and illness and didn't have enough runners to score as a team. Albany senior Bailey Hlavachek, who battled a stress fracture last spring at the state track meet and is a three-time state qualifier in cross country, had some leg soreness and dropped out of the race. The top finisher for the Comets was freshman Lauren Blumer who finished 22nd (18:13).
"The girls are banged up now," Brewer said. "She (Hlavachek) stopped about halfway through the race and she was up in the front. That is what we wanted her to do. She didn't want to chance anything. We were hoping for better results. Our focus will be to finish as high as we can at the sectional."
In the girls' large school division, Brodhead-Juda took eighth. Stoughton slipped by Mount Horeb for the team title 77-87. Brodhead-Juda sophomore Taylor Bluemel took seventh (16:35) to pace the Cardinals. Senior teammate Morganne Goecks finished 22nd (17:38) and senior Taylor Covert took 23rd (17:41).
Albany, Pecatonica-Argyle and Darlington will run in the SWAL meet Thursday at Cole Acres in Cuba City. Albany will then host a Division 3 sectional Saturday, Oct. 26. Brewer is looking forward to the challenge.
"They know running on their home course is an advantage," Brewer said of his boys' team. "The one good thing is we don't have to rely on one guy for that top spot. We have five guys battling for that spot and five guys who will run at conference for the final two spots at the sectional."
