PLATTEVILLE - All season, New Glarus-Monticello freshman Ryan McCoy was aware the Glarner Knights would be judged by how they did when the stage was the biggest.
The Knights, ranked sixth in the Wisconsin Cross Country Coaches Association Division 2 poll, rose to the occasion Saturday. Three runners cracked the top 10 and New Glarus-Monticello finished as the WIAA Division 2 Platteville Sectional runner-up behind McFarland (67) to earn a trip to state as a team.
New Glarus-Monticello senior Travis Beutler was the individual runner-up with a time of 16 minutes, 33.15 seconds, which was about three seconds behind champion Matt McKenna of Madison Edgewood (16:30.75). McCoy finished third (16:38.85) and senior Carl Pratt was ninth (17:24.94).
McCoy credits Beutler for setting the tone early in the race by going out hard and using each other for motivation.
"Our goal was to go out as fast as we could," McCoy said. "If we finished 1-2 that would have been great. We wanted to do everything we could to get our team to state. We had a great season and to get to the state meet is just icing on the cake."
Beutler and McCoy both eclipsed the school record of 16:40 this season. Beutler has run a 16:31.
"This was my last race and I wanted to do the best I could," Beutler said before the state meet. "We just tried to go out and get the lead. I was just running with Ryan so we could talk and push each other. In past years, I have ran by myself. I never got to my full potential at the end of the year."
Monroe sophomore Joel Henry took eighth with a time of 17:23.14, which was less than a second away from qualifying for state. Henry was just clipped at the finish by Dodgeville-Mineral Point freshman Trevor Wunnicke (17:22.70) for the final spot.
"I gave it my all," Henry said. "It was my last race of the season. I wasn't going to end it with any what ifs. I couldn't have run any better. No regrets. Whether I make it or not, I had a good season."
A short-handed Monroe team finished sixth overall. The Cheesemakers had two of their top four runners sidelined. Monroe junior Dylan Starck didn't run due to a nagging hip injury that plagued him most of the season. Payton Hoesly was out with a foot injury.
"We exceeded expectations," Monroe coach Dave Hirsbrunner said. "When you take your first and fourth runners out of there, that's about all you can expect."
Hirsbrunner was proud of Henry's race.
"I think it's one of the smartest races he has ever run," Hirsbrunner said. "He went out smooth and under control. If he would have been able to hang on, he would be going (to state). He lost it with 10 feet to go."
Sophomore Luke Peterson took 22nd (18:10.29) and senior Brandon Mortimer was 25th (18:13.18). Monroe freshman Steve Christiansen took 33rd (18:28.76) and sophomore Jacob Gassman was 56th (19:18.83).
The Knights also received big contributions from freshman Alexander Yieser, who took 27th (18:15.95) and senior Tyler Meier, who was 28th (18:18.94). "There are so many talented teams here," he said. "We had to do our best to be up there. It means so much more as a team. I would definitely rather have our team go than go as an individual."
Brodhead-Juda placed 12th out of 16 teams. Junior Daniel Drewes finished 39th in 18:40.84 to pace the Cardinals. Sophomore Tate Harnack took 45th (18:51.26) and junior JB Courdray was 52nd (19:08.74).
Hirsbrunner said he may have to look at how the Cheesemakers train during the season.
"For whatever reason, we never had all of our top seven runners running at the same time," Hirsbrunner said. "It would have been nice to see. I will be looking at the training because we have to keep them healthy."
The Knights, ranked sixth in the Wisconsin Cross Country Coaches Association Division 2 poll, rose to the occasion Saturday. Three runners cracked the top 10 and New Glarus-Monticello finished as the WIAA Division 2 Platteville Sectional runner-up behind McFarland (67) to earn a trip to state as a team.
New Glarus-Monticello senior Travis Beutler was the individual runner-up with a time of 16 minutes, 33.15 seconds, which was about three seconds behind champion Matt McKenna of Madison Edgewood (16:30.75). McCoy finished third (16:38.85) and senior Carl Pratt was ninth (17:24.94).
McCoy credits Beutler for setting the tone early in the race by going out hard and using each other for motivation.
"Our goal was to go out as fast as we could," McCoy said. "If we finished 1-2 that would have been great. We wanted to do everything we could to get our team to state. We had a great season and to get to the state meet is just icing on the cake."
Beutler and McCoy both eclipsed the school record of 16:40 this season. Beutler has run a 16:31.
"This was my last race and I wanted to do the best I could," Beutler said before the state meet. "We just tried to go out and get the lead. I was just running with Ryan so we could talk and push each other. In past years, I have ran by myself. I never got to my full potential at the end of the year."
Monroe sophomore Joel Henry took eighth with a time of 17:23.14, which was less than a second away from qualifying for state. Henry was just clipped at the finish by Dodgeville-Mineral Point freshman Trevor Wunnicke (17:22.70) for the final spot.
"I gave it my all," Henry said. "It was my last race of the season. I wasn't going to end it with any what ifs. I couldn't have run any better. No regrets. Whether I make it or not, I had a good season."
A short-handed Monroe team finished sixth overall. The Cheesemakers had two of their top four runners sidelined. Monroe junior Dylan Starck didn't run due to a nagging hip injury that plagued him most of the season. Payton Hoesly was out with a foot injury.
"We exceeded expectations," Monroe coach Dave Hirsbrunner said. "When you take your first and fourth runners out of there, that's about all you can expect."
Hirsbrunner was proud of Henry's race.
"I think it's one of the smartest races he has ever run," Hirsbrunner said. "He went out smooth and under control. If he would have been able to hang on, he would be going (to state). He lost it with 10 feet to go."
Sophomore Luke Peterson took 22nd (18:10.29) and senior Brandon Mortimer was 25th (18:13.18). Monroe freshman Steve Christiansen took 33rd (18:28.76) and sophomore Jacob Gassman was 56th (19:18.83).
The Knights also received big contributions from freshman Alexander Yieser, who took 27th (18:15.95) and senior Tyler Meier, who was 28th (18:18.94). "There are so many talented teams here," he said. "We had to do our best to be up there. It means so much more as a team. I would definitely rather have our team go than go as an individual."
Brodhead-Juda placed 12th out of 16 teams. Junior Daniel Drewes finished 39th in 18:40.84 to pace the Cardinals. Sophomore Tate Harnack took 45th (18:51.26) and junior JB Courdray was 52nd (19:08.74).
Hirsbrunner said he may have to look at how the Cheesemakers train during the season.
"For whatever reason, we never had all of our top seven runners running at the same time," Hirsbrunner said. "It would have been nice to see. I will be looking at the training because we have to keep them healthy."
