WISCONSIN RAPIDS — Making their 18th state appearance in program history and third in the last five years, the Lady Redbirds finished sixth at the 50th annual WIAA girls state cross country meet Saturday, Nov. 2 at Ridges Golf Course.
Prior to the meet, Darlington was ranked No. 6 in the Week 8 Wisconsin Cross Country Coaches Association Poll. Part of that ranking was due to an experienced core. Four of seven runners from last year’s third-place team returned.
“That experience was so vital for this year because we knew what to expect from the atmosphere,” Darlington head coach Kent Miehe said. “When you’re new to the State experience, it can be a little overwhelming. But our girls were ready to handle that and focused on the important things that helped them run well.”
Adalee Berget led the pack with a 19:42.9 — finishing just one spot shy of the podium. But Berget gained ground in each mile, moving up from 19th to 14th in the first two miles.
“What makes Adalee special is how much she cares about the team,” Miehe said. “Even with her individual success, what motivates her is running her best to help her team as much as possible.”
Brianna Vazquez and Piper DePauw, also members of last year’s team, came in second (21:21.0; 68th) and third (21:51.6; 90th) for Darlington, respectively.
As a program, Darlington girls has made 18 state appearances with a runner-up finish in 2012 and championship in 2016 — both teams coached by Arnie Miehe. He also coached the boys to 22 state appearances with eight championships and five runner-up finishes. Tyson Miehe, Arnie’s son and Kent’s brother, was an individual champion from 2011-13.
In the Division 3 boys race, Carson Biermeier represented Belleville. Just a sophomore, Biermeier finished 89th with a time of 18:24.2.
Like Darlington, the Belleville cross country program has had some success as of late. Carter Scholey, a 2023 graduate, was a three-time state cross country participant. His third-place finish last season with a time of 16:04.3 was 17th best in Division 3 boys history and 12th overall at Ridges Golf Course. Noelle Maire, an individual champion in 2016, has two times in the top 28 of Division 3 girls history.
