MONROE - New Glarus-Monticello boys cross country coach Steve Wehrley can't keep his team a secret any longer.
The Knights, behind a runner-up finish from freshman Ryan McCoy, won the 14th annual Bruess Invitational Tuesday at Twining Park. New Glarus-Monticello edged Wahlert of Dubuque, Iowa, 64-76 for the title, and in the process beat Monroe for the first time as the Cheesemakers finished fourth (121) .
Wehrley cautioned that it's early.
"Sometimes it's not a good thing to pull a hound dog by the tail," Wehrley said. "The first time we finished ahead of Monroe, we don't want to make a hound dog angry."
Sauk Prairie senior Garrett Kerska, who finished 14th at the WIAA Division 1 state meet last year, won the individual 5K title with a time of 16 minutes, 40 seconds, which was ahead of McCoy (16:58). The Knights had three of the top 10 runners, with senior Travis Beutler finishing fourth (17:15) and sophomore Carl Pratt taking 10th (18:05).
"I'm really happy that they worked as a team for those first two miles," Wehrley said. "Both of them (McCoy and Beutler) are so talented. You never know whose day it will be. They can use their ability together to go through the first two miles."
Monroe junior Dylan Starck, the Cheesemakers' top runner was sidelined by a hip injury. Monroe was led by sophomore Joel Henry, who finished sixth, with a personal record time (17:48).
Monroe coach Dave Hirsbrunner knows that getting Starck healthy is key for the rest of the season.
"We just didn't want to risk it yet," Hirsbrunner said of Starck running in the Bruess Invite.
Beutler and the Knights had a goal in mind for the season opening meet.
"It was just to beat Monroe," he said. "We just wanted to finish ahead of them."
McCoy was excited to make his prep debut.
"I just wanted to run a smart race," he said. "I think I did for the most part. Maybe, for the first mile I went out too fast."
Henry was in eighth place going into the second mile.
"I felt like I wasn't winded," Henry said. "I tried to catch a group of runners. I kept after it. It came down to a sprint to the finish."
"He (Henry) wanted to be a top-10 finisher and (personal record) - and he did both," Hirsbrunner said. "He will just keep getting better and better as the season goes on."
Henry was confident even though the Cheesemakers were running short handed, having three first-time varsity runners competing.
"I knew we still had five good people that could get us a top place," Henry said. "We ran the best we could."
Hirsbrunner wasn't surprised with the finish.
"My pre-meet favorite was New Glarus-Monticello," he said.
Monroe sophomore Luke Peterson finished 18th (18:31) and senior Brandon Mortimer was 20th (18:32). Monroe's Steve Christiansen finished 32nd in his first race (19:00).
Albany finished sixth and was led by junior Drew Mather (14th, 18:21) and Reece Whitehead (25th, 18:43). Pecatonica-Argyle took 11th at the 12 team meet and was led by junior Chris James who took 28th (18:52).
Hirsbrunner said he wasn't 100 percent sure if Starck would run at the Darlington Invite on Saturday.
The Knights, behind a runner-up finish from freshman Ryan McCoy, won the 14th annual Bruess Invitational Tuesday at Twining Park. New Glarus-Monticello edged Wahlert of Dubuque, Iowa, 64-76 for the title, and in the process beat Monroe for the first time as the Cheesemakers finished fourth (121) .
Wehrley cautioned that it's early.
"Sometimes it's not a good thing to pull a hound dog by the tail," Wehrley said. "The first time we finished ahead of Monroe, we don't want to make a hound dog angry."
Sauk Prairie senior Garrett Kerska, who finished 14th at the WIAA Division 1 state meet last year, won the individual 5K title with a time of 16 minutes, 40 seconds, which was ahead of McCoy (16:58). The Knights had three of the top 10 runners, with senior Travis Beutler finishing fourth (17:15) and sophomore Carl Pratt taking 10th (18:05).
"I'm really happy that they worked as a team for those first two miles," Wehrley said. "Both of them (McCoy and Beutler) are so talented. You never know whose day it will be. They can use their ability together to go through the first two miles."
Monroe junior Dylan Starck, the Cheesemakers' top runner was sidelined by a hip injury. Monroe was led by sophomore Joel Henry, who finished sixth, with a personal record time (17:48).
Monroe coach Dave Hirsbrunner knows that getting Starck healthy is key for the rest of the season.
"We just didn't want to risk it yet," Hirsbrunner said of Starck running in the Bruess Invite.
Beutler and the Knights had a goal in mind for the season opening meet.
"It was just to beat Monroe," he said. "We just wanted to finish ahead of them."
McCoy was excited to make his prep debut.
"I just wanted to run a smart race," he said. "I think I did for the most part. Maybe, for the first mile I went out too fast."
Henry was in eighth place going into the second mile.
"I felt like I wasn't winded," Henry said. "I tried to catch a group of runners. I kept after it. It came down to a sprint to the finish."
"He (Henry) wanted to be a top-10 finisher and (personal record) - and he did both," Hirsbrunner said. "He will just keep getting better and better as the season goes on."
Henry was confident even though the Cheesemakers were running short handed, having three first-time varsity runners competing.
"I knew we still had five good people that could get us a top place," Henry said. "We ran the best we could."
Hirsbrunner wasn't surprised with the finish.
"My pre-meet favorite was New Glarus-Monticello," he said.
Monroe sophomore Luke Peterson finished 18th (18:31) and senior Brandon Mortimer was 20th (18:32). Monroe's Steve Christiansen finished 32nd in his first race (19:00).
Albany finished sixth and was led by junior Drew Mather (14th, 18:21) and Reece Whitehead (25th, 18:43). Pecatonica-Argyle took 11th at the 12 team meet and was led by junior Chris James who took 28th (18:52).
Hirsbrunner said he wasn't 100 percent sure if Starck would run at the Darlington Invite on Saturday.
