DARLINGTON — For an unprecedented 11th consecutive year, the Darlington boys cross country team will run at the state meet for a shot at the gold. In six of the last 11 years, the Redbirds have climbed to the top of the mountain, including 2017. This year’s WIAA Division 3 state championship is scheduled to run at 12:45 p.m. Oct. 27 at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.

“We’ve got a culture of ‘this is what we do,’” Darlington head coach Arnie Miehe said. “My son was on that first team and he was excited for these guys this year. It means a lot to the former runners to see these guys continue to get to state. And for our program — the younger kids in eighth grade years ago watched teams reach state and now they are there themselves. They know what the goal is coming in.”

Darlington is led by senior Payton Heinberg, who has finished in the top-20 at state each year of high school — 16th in 2015, third in 2016 and sixth in 2017. Heinberg won the sectional title in each of the last three seasons and his 2016 time of 16 minutes, 33.65 seconds is his best mark on the biggest stage. At this year’s sectional in Boscobel, Heinberg capped his sectional titlist time in 16:43.2 despite the cold, windy and snowing conditions.

“Weather is always the great equalizer,” Miehe said. The forecast in Wisconsin Rapids for the meet is cloudy with light winds and temps right around 50 degrees in the afternoon. “Hopefully it’s a good day and the kids can run really well.”

Darlington’s seven runners at the Oct. 20 sectional this year finished in the top-26 overall, including six in the top 16 and the five scoring runners taking first, sixth, 11th, 12th and 15th, respectively. 

Senior Tucker Lange (sixth at sectionals, 17:15.8), junior Bailey Schwartz (11th, 18:02.8), junior Willie Riechers (12th, 18:05.3), senior Trae Schilling (15th, 18:18.6), freshman Rhett Reuter (16th, 18:20.6) and senior Miles Carper (26th, 18:39.1) make up the varsity Redbirds.

Lange finished 25th overall at the 2017 state meet with a time of 17:19.03, while Schilling (85th, 18:19.27) and Schwartz (112th, 18:53.66) also competed. All three cut time off of last year’s state meet with big runs at sectionals. 

“We’ve run to about where I was hoping we would be,” Miehe said as far as time goes. “There’s always question marks, but the seniors have really taken on a leadership role.”

Miehe said that Heinberg and Lange have become the clear leaders for the team and held a runners-only meeting Monday discussing their plans and goals for the race.

“There’s a difference between being the top runner and being a leader, and Payton and Tucker have come a long way in that regard,” Miehe said.

Despite the culture of the program and the leadership, Miehe said he noticed a lull in performance by the end of September, and it culminated at the beginning of October. That’s when the Redbirds ran at The Ridges Golf Course at the Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln Invitational. 

“We really bottomed out and were in a funk for the Rapids Invite. The guys even said without Payton that it messed with them a little bit, as they compare themselves to him,” Miehe said.

Heinberg didn’t run (he was attending a wedding), but Lange (17:56), Riechers (18:08), Schwartz (18:22), Reuter (18:24), Schilling (18:28) and Carper (18:38) did run. 

“At the Rapids invite we only ran the first 1,000 meters of the state race. But it gives the kids a chance to settle in and then they can concentrate. It takes a little bit of the “awe” out of state, and the kids that have been there before don’t even think about it,” Miehe said. “Since the Rapids meet, we’ve gathered momentum and are peaking.”

Also running at the state meet for Darlington will be senior Ilse Mendez in the WIAA Division 3 girl’s race. Mendez was the lone Redbird to qualify this season, finishing third at the sectional. Freshman Judith Meister missed out on a trip to state by 23 seconds.

“We’ve got a girl that’s shadowed Ilse all year and has been able to handle things,” Miehe said of Meister. 

Mendez ran at state as a junior and finished 23rd overall with a time of 20:32.16. In 2016 as a sophomore she was 28th (20:40.59). At this year’s sectional, Mendez cut nearly 40 seconds off of her 2017 state time with a mark of 19:55.3 — nearly identical to former teammate Reghan Komprood’s 10th-place time at state last year (19:55.57).

“She was a shy freshman and found out that she can run. Similar to Payton, she’s become a leader,” Miehe said of Mendez. “And she’s a very consistent runner every meet. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen someone more consistent. She’s going to be very near the top (at state).”

Darlington has become known as one of the premier running schools in the state thanks to its consistent high marks in both the boy’s and girl’s programs. Miehe said it has to do with more than the coaching and the runners, however.

“Our parents deserve a lot of credit. They do an incredible job,” Miehe said. “From spaghetti suppers to food at the meets — it’s a major part of program.”