If You Go
• What: WIAA Division 2, 3 state cross country championships
• When: Saturday, Oct. 27
Boys Division 3: 11 a.m.
Boys Division 2: 11:40 a.m.
Boys Division 1 : 12:20 p.m.
Girls Division 3 : 1 p.m.
Girls Division 2: 1:40 p.m.
Girls Division 1: 2:20 p.m.
• Where: Ridges Golf Course, Wisconsin Rapids
• Tickets: $6
MONROE - Ethan Moehn has run in the last two races after recovering from a stress fracture in his foot.
The injury limited the junior to just two regular season races. However, he ran at the Badger South Conference meet and the sectional last week. Now he's ready to turn it loose at the 100th annual WIAA Division 2 state meet on Saturday in Wisconsin Rapids.
"To come back, I had to hammer out a lot of workouts," Moehn said. "To be honest, I probably won't get back to the level I was at the start of the season. That was a whole summer of training. I just want to get back and contribute to the team."
Monroe coach Dave Hirsbrunner said the biggest difference for Moehn at state this weekend is he will be going all out.
"The last two weeks he was holding off," Hirsbrunner said. "We know now that his foot is feeling better, and he will cut it loose. He will give every ounce of his body that he has."
Monroe is making its eighth trip to state in the last nine years. The Cheesemakers finished sixth last year. Eleven of the sixteen teams from last year's field will return to compete for the title, including defending champion Wisconsin Lutheran, which returns three runners from last year's team. Among the leading challengers is Shorewood, which has four runners returning from last season's third-place team, following back-to-back championships in 2009-10.
The Cheesemakers, Dodgeville-Mineral Point and Aquinas return four runners from teams that finished fourth through sixth last year, respectively. Freedom, which placed seventh, returns six of the seven competitors that ran at state in last year.
Moehn and the Cheesemakers have high hopes.
"I think top five should be our goal," Moehn said. "Anything less than that and I think I and the rest of them would be disappointed."
The Cheesemakers have received top performances from junior Jake Hirsbrunner, senior Steve Christiansen, Moehn and senior A.J. Cifuentes this season.
"We know Shorewood is strong, and there are three strong teams," Jake Hirsbrunner said. "It's all who runs good that day."
The key at the state meet may come down to sophomore Jeremy Miller, junior Trevor Blum or senior David Kelly running their best races. Hirsbrunner said the No. 5 runner, whoever it is, will be one of the keys.
"We have a chance to be a top-five team," Dave Hirsbrunner said. "That was one of our goals. The competition is what keeps us going. If one of the runners on one of the powerhouses falters and our No. 5 runner has his best race, then our slogan has been 'why not.' We still need the top four to run like they did at conference or even better. My wife has been around cross country with me for years, and every year she says it will come down to the No. 5 runner. She knows it too. We can't have a one-minute gap with our No. 5 runner."
Hirsbrunner likes the focus the Cheesemakers have displayed in practice this week.
"We are getting sharper in practice every day," he said. "As a coaching staff, we don't think we have hit our best race with all five guys. Whether we do it or not (at state), I don't know. We are capable of cranking it out."
On the individual level, New Glarus-Monticello senior Ryan McCoy - the defending Division 2 state champion - will be a strong contender to repeat. He will need to hold off a host of experienced runners, including senior Michael Evans of Valders, who returns in an attempt to regain the glory from 2010 when he won the state title. The toughest competition to the two former champions may come from senior Trevor Wunnicke of Dodgeville-Mineral Point, who has finished runner-up the last two years.
"My goal is to win a state championship," McCoy said. "I'm not going to treat it any differently than I do any other meet. There is a lot of competition. You just have to be confident in your ability and go out and execute."
Another challenger to watch is senior Bryce Miller of Ashland, who was eighth last year. Other potential contenders coming off strong sectional performances are senior Garrett Miller of Kettle Moraine Lutheran; juniors Mitchell Bilitz of Winnebago Lutheran and Brett Harms of Whitewater, who placed 11th last year; and sophomore Sam Hinz of Freedom.
New Glarus-Monticello coach Steve Wehrley likes McCoy's chances.
"Ryan McCoy is running stronger now than I have ever seen him in my life," Wehrley said. "Our success in cross country has been because the team sets goals. Ryan just sets four-year goals, and the rest of us set one-year goals. When you have as dedicated of a runner as Ryan McCoy, as a coach you do a lot of staying out of the way."
The injury limited the junior to just two regular season races. However, he ran at the Badger South Conference meet and the sectional last week. Now he's ready to turn it loose at the 100th annual WIAA Division 2 state meet on Saturday in Wisconsin Rapids.
"To come back, I had to hammer out a lot of workouts," Moehn said. "To be honest, I probably won't get back to the level I was at the start of the season. That was a whole summer of training. I just want to get back and contribute to the team."
Monroe coach Dave Hirsbrunner said the biggest difference for Moehn at state this weekend is he will be going all out.
"The last two weeks he was holding off," Hirsbrunner said. "We know now that his foot is feeling better, and he will cut it loose. He will give every ounce of his body that he has."
Monroe is making its eighth trip to state in the last nine years. The Cheesemakers finished sixth last year. Eleven of the sixteen teams from last year's field will return to compete for the title, including defending champion Wisconsin Lutheran, which returns three runners from last year's team. Among the leading challengers is Shorewood, which has four runners returning from last season's third-place team, following back-to-back championships in 2009-10.
The Cheesemakers, Dodgeville-Mineral Point and Aquinas return four runners from teams that finished fourth through sixth last year, respectively. Freedom, which placed seventh, returns six of the seven competitors that ran at state in last year.
Moehn and the Cheesemakers have high hopes.
"I think top five should be our goal," Moehn said. "Anything less than that and I think I and the rest of them would be disappointed."
The Cheesemakers have received top performances from junior Jake Hirsbrunner, senior Steve Christiansen, Moehn and senior A.J. Cifuentes this season.
"We know Shorewood is strong, and there are three strong teams," Jake Hirsbrunner said. "It's all who runs good that day."
The key at the state meet may come down to sophomore Jeremy Miller, junior Trevor Blum or senior David Kelly running their best races. Hirsbrunner said the No. 5 runner, whoever it is, will be one of the keys.
"We have a chance to be a top-five team," Dave Hirsbrunner said. "That was one of our goals. The competition is what keeps us going. If one of the runners on one of the powerhouses falters and our No. 5 runner has his best race, then our slogan has been 'why not.' We still need the top four to run like they did at conference or even better. My wife has been around cross country with me for years, and every year she says it will come down to the No. 5 runner. She knows it too. We can't have a one-minute gap with our No. 5 runner."
Hirsbrunner likes the focus the Cheesemakers have displayed in practice this week.
"We are getting sharper in practice every day," he said. "As a coaching staff, we don't think we have hit our best race with all five guys. Whether we do it or not (at state), I don't know. We are capable of cranking it out."
On the individual level, New Glarus-Monticello senior Ryan McCoy - the defending Division 2 state champion - will be a strong contender to repeat. He will need to hold off a host of experienced runners, including senior Michael Evans of Valders, who returns in an attempt to regain the glory from 2010 when he won the state title. The toughest competition to the two former champions may come from senior Trevor Wunnicke of Dodgeville-Mineral Point, who has finished runner-up the last two years.
"My goal is to win a state championship," McCoy said. "I'm not going to treat it any differently than I do any other meet. There is a lot of competition. You just have to be confident in your ability and go out and execute."
Another challenger to watch is senior Bryce Miller of Ashland, who was eighth last year. Other potential contenders coming off strong sectional performances are senior Garrett Miller of Kettle Moraine Lutheran; juniors Mitchell Bilitz of Winnebago Lutheran and Brett Harms of Whitewater, who placed 11th last year; and sophomore Sam Hinz of Freedom.
New Glarus-Monticello coach Steve Wehrley likes McCoy's chances.
"Ryan McCoy is running stronger now than I have ever seen him in my life," Wehrley said. "Our success in cross country has been because the team sets goals. Ryan just sets four-year goals, and the rest of us set one-year goals. When you have as dedicated of a runner as Ryan McCoy, as a coach you do a lot of staying out of the way."
