WHITEWATER — Monroe boys and girls cross country proved that, no matter what conference they are in, the Hounds are some of the top runners in the area. In their last year of the Badger, Monroe boys and girls won conference titles, and on Thursday, Oct. 12, the Hounds claimed conference titles in the Rock Valley.

“We really emphasized wanting to win our last year of the Badger Conference, and this year the message was to win our first year in the Rock,” Monroe head coach Scott Mosher said. “Conference championships are tough to come by, and we told them to not take any opportunity to win one for granted.”

Mary McKenzie was the girls individual champion — the first for Monroe since 2003. Since the Monroe Bruess Invite in August, McKenzie has shaved off over four minutes from her time.

“After our first meet, Mary wasn’t happy with her performance,” Mosher said. “She made up her mind she was going to get to work in practice, and she has been our No. 1 runner ever since.”

While the girls beat Clinton by 22 points, Monroe boys edged out a 7-point win over Whitewater. Tre Dammen led the Hounds, ranked No. 15 in Division 2, despite cramping during the race. The clutch performance, though, came from freshmen Kamrin Gerber-Reamer and Lukas Gerber.

“Our normal second runner had fallen back, but freshmen Kamrin Gerber-Reamer and Lukas Gerber stepped up and made up the difference,” Mosher said. “They both passed four runners in that last 1,000 meters to make up eight points, which accounts for the seven-point victory.”

Monroe hosts a WIAA Division 2 sectional at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21 at Twining Park.