VERONA - Three Monroe High School boys cross country runners ran personal-best times and two finished in the top five to lead the Cheesemakers to a fourth-place finish at the six-team Division 2 Verona Invitational on Saturday.
Monroe senior Drake Ingold placed fourth in the 5,000-meter race with a personal-record time of 16 minutes, 33 seconds. It came on the heels of Ingold winning the season-opening Bruess Invitational five days before at Twining Park.
"It was a great race to come back and run a PR after he ran great in the Bruess Invitational," Monroe coach Scott Mosher said.
Monona Grove senior Chalrie Ellenbecke won the Division 2 competition (16:01.68).
Monroe junior Kyle Legler took fifth with a PR of 16:59.
"It's the first time Kyle has broke 17 minutes," Mosher said. "When you break 17 for the first time it's a pretty big deal."
Monona Grove won the Division 2 meet 34-54 over Baraboo. McFarland (59) took third ahead of Monroe (72). Monroe finished 10th out of the 20 teams at the meet, regardless of division. All teams ran in the same race.
Monroe sophomore Dylan Fahrney took 18th with a PR of 18:04, and senior Dylan Scace finished 22nd (18:18).
"He (Fahrney) was hoping to break 18 minutes," Mosher said. "He came really close."
It marked the first race of the season for Scace, who was held out of the season-opening Bruess Invitational to focus on more training.
"He went out really fast and was up there with the leaders," Mosher said. "His legs started tightening up, and he dropped back. He was frustrated. We want him running his best at the end of the year."
Monroe freshman Alex Henry rounded out the top five for the Cheesemakers placing 23rd (18:22).
The Monroe girls cross country team finished fifth with 115 points out of six teams in the Division 2 Verona Invitational. Monona Grove captured the Division 2 team title 52-62 over Fort Atkinson. Overall out of 19 teams, Monroe took 15th.
"Our goal was to run a better time than the year before and have our No. 4 and 5 runners really improve," Mosher said. "The No. 4 and 5 runners will be big for us."
Monroe sophomore Annika Einbeck finished sixth overall out of 41 runners in the 5,000-meter race with a time of 21:02.96. Freshman Jaci Hayes took ninth (21:34.98).
"It was a good start to their careers," Mosher said. "They both have a great kick and finished really strong."
Fort Atkinson freshman lauren Haas was the the top runner in the Division 2 girls race (19:53.83).
Monroe senior Rachel Meier, a state qualifier last year, finished 29th (23:22), and junior Natalie Faith took 34th (24:05). Junior Maddie Bartelt also ran a time by about 2 minutes faster than the season-opening Bruess Invitational, finishing in 24:25.
Mosher commended Meier for running a strategic race and not overextending herself in the race.
"She (Meier) was running smart," Mosher said. "She's such a competitor. She wants to make it back to state this year. She knows she has to be patient."
Mosher saw a big improvement in Bartelt's second race of the season in Verona.
"She looked very strong and ran a great race," he said of Bartelt.
Monroe will compete in the River Valley Invitational on Saturday.
Monroe senior Drake Ingold placed fourth in the 5,000-meter race with a personal-record time of 16 minutes, 33 seconds. It came on the heels of Ingold winning the season-opening Bruess Invitational five days before at Twining Park.
"It was a great race to come back and run a PR after he ran great in the Bruess Invitational," Monroe coach Scott Mosher said.
Monona Grove senior Chalrie Ellenbecke won the Division 2 competition (16:01.68).
Monroe junior Kyle Legler took fifth with a PR of 16:59.
"It's the first time Kyle has broke 17 minutes," Mosher said. "When you break 17 for the first time it's a pretty big deal."
Monona Grove won the Division 2 meet 34-54 over Baraboo. McFarland (59) took third ahead of Monroe (72). Monroe finished 10th out of the 20 teams at the meet, regardless of division. All teams ran in the same race.
Monroe sophomore Dylan Fahrney took 18th with a PR of 18:04, and senior Dylan Scace finished 22nd (18:18).
"He (Fahrney) was hoping to break 18 minutes," Mosher said. "He came really close."
It marked the first race of the season for Scace, who was held out of the season-opening Bruess Invitational to focus on more training.
"He went out really fast and was up there with the leaders," Mosher said. "His legs started tightening up, and he dropped back. He was frustrated. We want him running his best at the end of the year."
Monroe freshman Alex Henry rounded out the top five for the Cheesemakers placing 23rd (18:22).
The Monroe girls cross country team finished fifth with 115 points out of six teams in the Division 2 Verona Invitational. Monona Grove captured the Division 2 team title 52-62 over Fort Atkinson. Overall out of 19 teams, Monroe took 15th.
"Our goal was to run a better time than the year before and have our No. 4 and 5 runners really improve," Mosher said. "The No. 4 and 5 runners will be big for us."
Monroe sophomore Annika Einbeck finished sixth overall out of 41 runners in the 5,000-meter race with a time of 21:02.96. Freshman Jaci Hayes took ninth (21:34.98).
"It was a good start to their careers," Mosher said. "They both have a great kick and finished really strong."
Fort Atkinson freshman lauren Haas was the the top runner in the Division 2 girls race (19:53.83).
Monroe senior Rachel Meier, a state qualifier last year, finished 29th (23:22), and junior Natalie Faith took 34th (24:05). Junior Maddie Bartelt also ran a time by about 2 minutes faster than the season-opening Bruess Invitational, finishing in 24:25.
Mosher commended Meier for running a strategic race and not overextending herself in the race.
"She (Meier) was running smart," Mosher said. "She's such a competitor. She wants to make it back to state this year. She knows she has to be patient."
Mosher saw a big improvement in Bartelt's second race of the season in Verona.
"She looked very strong and ran a great race," he said of Bartelt.
Monroe will compete in the River Valley Invitational on Saturday.
