WATERTOWN - The Monroe boys cross country team had aspirations of contending for a Badger South Conference championship Saturday.
The title wasn't in the cards as the Cheesemakers finished third. Monona Grove had five runners finish in the top 13 to win the conference title 31-54 over Watertown. The Cheesemakers (82 points) took third.
"It wasn't a complete surprise," Monroe co-coach Scott Mosher said of the Cheesemakers taking third at conference. "We knew Watertown was the other team who had a good shot. Their No. 1 runner who was the individual champion was coming back off a stress fracture and we didn't know if he would run. They are a very good team and they were running on their home course. Our guys looked a little tired. They tried to get into another gear at the end, but just didn't have it."
Watertown senior William Kitzhaber won the individual conference title in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 16 minutes, 25 seconds. The Cheesemakers had four runners in the top 17, led by senior Drake Ingold, who finished fifth (16:45). Monroe junior Kyle Legler took eighth (17:25), followed by senior Dylan Scace in 16th (17:56) and sophomore Dylan Fahrney 17th (17:58).
Both Ingold and Legler earned first-team all-conference honors for finishing in the top eight. Scace was second-team all-conference for finishing in the top 16 and Fahrney just missed out on making second-team all-conference.
"We thought we could get four runners all-conference," Mosher said. "We thought Dylan Fahrney could get in there and he nearly did. We thought Dylan Scace could be first-team all-conference. He's been battling a cold. Adding Watertown into (the conference), finishing top eight in the conference is a lot tougher."
Senior Brok Bertalot placed 36th (18:40) to round out the top five for the Cheesemakers.
In the girls' conference meet, Monroe took last out of eight teams with 232 points. Stoughton ran away with the conference championship over Monona Grove 35-79. Stoughton junior Anna Wozniak won the individual conference title by an eyelash over Fort Atkinson freshman Lauren Haas, beating her by two-tenths of a second, winning the race with a time of 19:58.9. The Vikings placed four runners in the top nine to capture the conference championship.
"That was a surprise," Mosher said of the Monroe girls taking last. "We are a better team than we showed. The girls came into the season with some injuries and we have been managing them all year."
Monroe freshman Jaci Hayes took 28th (22:35) to lead the Cheesemakers. Senior teammate Rachel Meier finished 44th (23:50) and junior Elise Smith placed 48th (24:16). Junior Maddie Bartlet finished 54th (24:40) and junior Natalie Faith took 57th (25:11).
Monroe freshman Anika Einbeck, who has been the Cheesemakers' No. 1 runner, started the race, but pulled out due to a hip injury.
"She got about halfway through and there was no reason for her to strain her way through it," Mosher said of Einbeck. "I think she would have been all-conference, but there was no reason for her to run in pain. There was a limp. There was no reason to push her. It didn't make sense with sectionals coming up. I think seeing the top runner sitting out took the wind out of their sails."
Monroe will run at the WIAA Division 2 Platteville sectional Saturday. The top two teams and the top five individuals not on the top two teams will advance to state.
Mosher said he's hoping the Monroe girls team will be healthier.
"We can rest them this week and hopefully get them ready," he said.
The title wasn't in the cards as the Cheesemakers finished third. Monona Grove had five runners finish in the top 13 to win the conference title 31-54 over Watertown. The Cheesemakers (82 points) took third.
"It wasn't a complete surprise," Monroe co-coach Scott Mosher said of the Cheesemakers taking third at conference. "We knew Watertown was the other team who had a good shot. Their No. 1 runner who was the individual champion was coming back off a stress fracture and we didn't know if he would run. They are a very good team and they were running on their home course. Our guys looked a little tired. They tried to get into another gear at the end, but just didn't have it."
Watertown senior William Kitzhaber won the individual conference title in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 16 minutes, 25 seconds. The Cheesemakers had four runners in the top 17, led by senior Drake Ingold, who finished fifth (16:45). Monroe junior Kyle Legler took eighth (17:25), followed by senior Dylan Scace in 16th (17:56) and sophomore Dylan Fahrney 17th (17:58).
Both Ingold and Legler earned first-team all-conference honors for finishing in the top eight. Scace was second-team all-conference for finishing in the top 16 and Fahrney just missed out on making second-team all-conference.
"We thought we could get four runners all-conference," Mosher said. "We thought Dylan Fahrney could get in there and he nearly did. We thought Dylan Scace could be first-team all-conference. He's been battling a cold. Adding Watertown into (the conference), finishing top eight in the conference is a lot tougher."
Senior Brok Bertalot placed 36th (18:40) to round out the top five for the Cheesemakers.
In the girls' conference meet, Monroe took last out of eight teams with 232 points. Stoughton ran away with the conference championship over Monona Grove 35-79. Stoughton junior Anna Wozniak won the individual conference title by an eyelash over Fort Atkinson freshman Lauren Haas, beating her by two-tenths of a second, winning the race with a time of 19:58.9. The Vikings placed four runners in the top nine to capture the conference championship.
"That was a surprise," Mosher said of the Monroe girls taking last. "We are a better team than we showed. The girls came into the season with some injuries and we have been managing them all year."
Monroe freshman Jaci Hayes took 28th (22:35) to lead the Cheesemakers. Senior teammate Rachel Meier finished 44th (23:50) and junior Elise Smith placed 48th (24:16). Junior Maddie Bartlet finished 54th (24:40) and junior Natalie Faith took 57th (25:11).
Monroe freshman Anika Einbeck, who has been the Cheesemakers' No. 1 runner, started the race, but pulled out due to a hip injury.
"She got about halfway through and there was no reason for her to strain her way through it," Mosher said of Einbeck. "I think she would have been all-conference, but there was no reason for her to run in pain. There was a limp. There was no reason to push her. It didn't make sense with sectionals coming up. I think seeing the top runner sitting out took the wind out of their sails."
Monroe will run at the WIAA Division 2 Platteville sectional Saturday. The top two teams and the top five individuals not on the top two teams will advance to state.
Mosher said he's hoping the Monroe girls team will be healthier.
"We can rest them this week and hopefully get them ready," he said.
