ALBANY — Brodhead-Juda’s Madelynn McIntyre lost her lead down the final stretch and took third in the girls varsity race at the 27th annual Baertschi Invitational Oct. 12. McIntyre, who led nearly the entire race, finished with a time of 19 minutes, 53.5 seconds. Platteville’s Brittani Meis (19:48.9) won the race and Poynette’s Katelyn Chadwick (19:52.8) was second.

“Maddy had a great race, but I’m sure she’d like to retry that ending,” Brodhead-Juda coach Curt Gratz said.

The varsity girls race was the first of several races of the day, and when the opening gun shot off, temperatures were hovering right around freezing at 32 degrees.

“They’re not used to it,” Monroe coach Scott Mosher said of his runners. “A lot of them weren’t sure on how much to warm up. You need to get a good sweat going, but it’s hard, because you’re cold.”

Monroe junior Jacie Hayes finished 11th overall (20:54.9), with senior Jazmyn Mader rolling in 49th (22:34.3).

“Jacie had a tough week,” said Mosher, who was proud of her effort in the cold and hilly conditions. The Cheesemakers mixed up the lineup a bit in an effort to rest some legs with conference and sectionals right around the corner. “The girls gave it their all. This is the hilliest court we will run all year. It’s quite the workout.”

Freshman Lauren Coppes (96th, 23:50.9), sophomore Bre Lambert (110th, 24:10.1) and freshman Roxi Colin (145th, 27:20.2) all scored for the Cheesemakers, which took ninth as a team in the large school division.

There were 22 teams and 166 runners in the girls race. Results were broken down to large schools and small schools, based on enrollment.

Brodhead-Juda finished seventh (225 points) in the varsity girls race, narrowly beating out New Glarus-Monticello (234) and Monroe (239). Oregon (58) won the large division, with Mount Horeb (76) and Monona Grove (79) finishing right behind.

McIntyre, a junior, is a fan of races with a high number of runners — and hills.

“I felt really good,” McIntyre said of her race. She said she feels like she has raced well this year despite mushy conditions at many courses this fall. A two-time state qualifier already, McIntyre is looking to make it back to Wisconsin Rapids again this fall.

“I think as long as I keep working hard, it’s definitely a possibility,” McIntyre said.

The future looks bright for the Cardinals, as four of the five scoring runners at the meet will return next year. Senior Carisa Purdue (113th, 24:23.1) is winding down her running career for Brodhead-Juda, but joining McIntyre in the future will be sophomores Presleigh Arnold (53rd, 22:37.9), Anna Skoumal (75th, 23:22.2) and Ellie Riemer (139th, 26:29.8). Freshman Gabi Ryser (141st) was just two spots out from scoring and has a future in running as well.

Ten of the 15 teams in the WIAA Division 2 Spring Green sectional raced at the Baertschi meet, giving the event a postseason feel. The Rock Valley Conference meet is Oct. 17, and the Cardinals will then prep for the Oct. 26 sectional.

“It goes quick. The postseason is what it’s all about,” Gratz said.

New Glarus-Monticello was led by freshman Annika Ziperski, who finished 51st overall with a time of 22:36.3. Freshman Tenley Faber (63rd, 22:56.3), sophomore Dayna Karls (69th, 23:08.5), senior Molly Molencamp (100th, 23:56.8) and freshman Whitney Disch (104th, 24:02.8) rounded out the scoring for the Glarner Knights.

In the small division standings, Albany (80) finished third, just ahead of Prairie du Chien (85), and just behind Poynette (74) and champion Stateline Home School (70).

The Comets were led by their dynamic freshman duo of Linsey Mueller and McKenna Broughton. Mueller finished 22nd overall with a time of 21:46.5, while Broughton was 25th (21:47.7), just over a second behind after the final sprint.

Sophomore Payton Wacholz was 50th overall (22:34.8), sophomore Kaiya Zurfluh was 59th (22:47.0) and senior Kristin O’Bel was 88th (23:42.8).