MADISON - The Madison Edgewood boys cross country team stunned Monroe to win the Badger South Conference championship Saturday, Oct. 19.
The Crusaders had five runners in the top 10 to edge the Cheesemakers in a nail-biting finish 37-38. The Cheesemakers had the top three runners, but the Crusaders had the depth in their top five to edge Monroe. Monroe senior Ethan Moehn was the individual conference champion finishing the 5,000-meter run with a time of 16 minutes, 24 seconds. Monroe senior Noah Tostrud took second (16:36) and Jake Hirsbrunner was third (16:37.7). The Crusaders' depth was the key to ending the Cheesemakers' three-year run as conference champions. Edgewood's Morgan O'Flahrity, the Crusaders' No. 5 runner, finished 10th, which was ahead of the Cheesemakers' No. 4 and No. 5 runners.
"To say watching the boys race was like watching a train wreck would be an understatement," Monroe coach Dave Hirsbrunner said. "It was very painful to see our team go 1-2-3 overall and not be able to secure the conference title. We were the three-time defending champs and we just gave one away. Conference titles are not easy to come by and this year I'd compare what we did to missing a 4 inch tap-in on the 18th hole."
Monroe, which is ranked No. 3 in the Wisconsin Cross Country Coaches Association Division 2 poll, had several runners fighting illness and the Crusaders, ranked No. 7, capitalized on the opportunity. Moehn won his first individual cross country conference title and the top three for the Cheesemakers were first-team all-conference.
"This is something he's been after for a few years," Hirsbrunner said. "The nice thing is that he's over the flu and didn't have to work very hard for the win."
Tostrud and Hirsbrunner had solid finishes for the Cheesemakers.
"For a first year cross country guy to come in and do this was pretty fun to watch," Hirsbrunner said of Tostrud.
Hirsbrunner, the defending conference champion battled bronchitis, but was still able to finish third.
"We tried to get him as ready as possible to race, but there's just no way to simulate trying to breath under this sort of stress on the body," Hirsbrunner said. "In cross country there are no timeouts. When you start to hurt in the middle of a race, there is no way to stop and figure out what you can do. Our guys really wanted to go 1-2-3 and that's what they did."
Monroe sophomore Derek Christiansen finished 14th (17:26.8) and earned second-team all-conference honors.
Hirsbrunner said Christiansen had a breakout performance and set a personal record by more than 20 seconds.
"We think Derek's best races are still ahead of him this year," Hirsbrunner said. "He's been coming on all season."
Monroe junior Jeremy Miller took 18th (17:48.7) is battling illness and fought through it. Monroe senior Trevor Blum ran the conference meet with a 102-degree temperature and at the 1 1/4 mile mark, Hirsbrunner pulled him from the race. Monroe freshman Nick Baumann didn't run due to a stress fracture injury.
Monroe looks to get healthy and recover as they host a WIAA Division 2 sectional at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 26 at Twining Park.
"Although giving the conference title to Edgewood is an incredibly tough pill to swallow, we are still looking forward to bigger and better things yet," Hirsbrunner said. "We need to get our sick and wounded healed and come back with a vengeance the next two Saturdays. We will turn this tough defeat into a huge motivational factor."
The Crusaders had five runners in the top 10 to edge the Cheesemakers in a nail-biting finish 37-38. The Cheesemakers had the top three runners, but the Crusaders had the depth in their top five to edge Monroe. Monroe senior Ethan Moehn was the individual conference champion finishing the 5,000-meter run with a time of 16 minutes, 24 seconds. Monroe senior Noah Tostrud took second (16:36) and Jake Hirsbrunner was third (16:37.7). The Crusaders' depth was the key to ending the Cheesemakers' three-year run as conference champions. Edgewood's Morgan O'Flahrity, the Crusaders' No. 5 runner, finished 10th, which was ahead of the Cheesemakers' No. 4 and No. 5 runners.
"To say watching the boys race was like watching a train wreck would be an understatement," Monroe coach Dave Hirsbrunner said. "It was very painful to see our team go 1-2-3 overall and not be able to secure the conference title. We were the three-time defending champs and we just gave one away. Conference titles are not easy to come by and this year I'd compare what we did to missing a 4 inch tap-in on the 18th hole."
Monroe, which is ranked No. 3 in the Wisconsin Cross Country Coaches Association Division 2 poll, had several runners fighting illness and the Crusaders, ranked No. 7, capitalized on the opportunity. Moehn won his first individual cross country conference title and the top three for the Cheesemakers were first-team all-conference.
"This is something he's been after for a few years," Hirsbrunner said. "The nice thing is that he's over the flu and didn't have to work very hard for the win."
Tostrud and Hirsbrunner had solid finishes for the Cheesemakers.
"For a first year cross country guy to come in and do this was pretty fun to watch," Hirsbrunner said of Tostrud.
Hirsbrunner, the defending conference champion battled bronchitis, but was still able to finish third.
"We tried to get him as ready as possible to race, but there's just no way to simulate trying to breath under this sort of stress on the body," Hirsbrunner said. "In cross country there are no timeouts. When you start to hurt in the middle of a race, there is no way to stop and figure out what you can do. Our guys really wanted to go 1-2-3 and that's what they did."
Monroe sophomore Derek Christiansen finished 14th (17:26.8) and earned second-team all-conference honors.
Hirsbrunner said Christiansen had a breakout performance and set a personal record by more than 20 seconds.
"We think Derek's best races are still ahead of him this year," Hirsbrunner said. "He's been coming on all season."
Monroe junior Jeremy Miller took 18th (17:48.7) is battling illness and fought through it. Monroe senior Trevor Blum ran the conference meet with a 102-degree temperature and at the 1 1/4 mile mark, Hirsbrunner pulled him from the race. Monroe freshman Nick Baumann didn't run due to a stress fracture injury.
Monroe looks to get healthy and recover as they host a WIAA Division 2 sectional at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 26 at Twining Park.
"Although giving the conference title to Edgewood is an incredibly tough pill to swallow, we are still looking forward to bigger and better things yet," Hirsbrunner said. "We need to get our sick and wounded healed and come back with a vengeance the next two Saturdays. We will turn this tough defeat into a huge motivational factor."
