PLATTEVILLE - Even without two of its top four runners, the Monroe boys cross country team proved it will be a force to reckon with come sectional time.
Dodgeville-Mineral Point won the Platteville Invite Saturday 40-68 over the Cheesemakers. However, Monroe No. 1 runner Ethan Moehn and senior A.J. Cifuentes, the Cheesemakers No. 4 runner, didn't compete.
"Our goal was to try and get second without our No. 1 and 4 runners," Monroe coach Dave Hirsbrunner said. "We were 28 points away. It's not that bad without our No. 1 and 4 runners. We feel like we have a shot at them at the sectional this year. We are trying to see what we can do when we get everyone back, fully healthy. It's like a jigsaw puzzle. We will get even faster before the end of the year."
New Glarus-Monticello senior Ryan McCoy finished first overall and won the large schools' race with a time of 15 minutes, 29 seconds, which was 23 seconds ahead of Dodgeville-Mineral Point's Trevor Wunnicke. Darlington junior Tyson Miehe finished third overall and won the small schools race (16:16).
"It was perfect weather for it," McCoy said. "The course was fast. It's a lot faster than I've ever ran on that course, so I'm pretty happy with that one."
Darlington swept team titles in both the boys and girls small schools race. The Redbird boys outdistanced Boscobel 31-45 for the team title. The Redbird girls were led by champion Christa Wamsley who won the race with a time of 15:31. The Redbird girls ran away with the title 24-49 over Boscobel.
Miehe was disappointed in his finish.
"Terrible, on my end," Miehe said. "About a quarter mile into it my legs just felt terrible. I was almost 40 seconds slower than last year.
"My legs were sore and stiff. We had a hard week at practice, so that might have had something to do with it."
Monroe senior Steve Christiansen finished fourth in the large schools race (16:49) and junior Jake Hirsbrunner took sixth (17:17). Monroe sophomore Jeremy Miller took 15th (17:49) followed by junior Trevor Blum, 20th (18:00) and senior David Kelly (18:08).
"Trevor Blum had a great race," Hirsbrunner said. "He wanted to break 18 minutes. He was happy with his race. He was made he didn't break 18."
With injuries to two of their top runners, Hirsbrunner sees a silver lining.
"It's been kind of a blessing in disguise," he said. "Jeremy, Trevor and David have had to step up."
New Glarus-Monticello finished fourth as a team (101) and Brodhead-Juda was ninth (227). The Cardinals were led by junior Dylan Johnson who took fifth (17:11).
New Glarus-Monticello junior Caleb Fredrickson took 23rd (17:47) and sophomore John Zuber was 26th (18:14). Junior Hunter Pratt finished 27th (18:15) and senior Brock Westby Hess was 34th (18:33).
Brodhead-Juda senior Lucas Wymer took 51st (19:06) and senior Joel Steinmann was 54th (19:14). Senior Rodrigo Yescas finished 56th (19:15) and junior Justin Krumwiede took 61st (19:23).
In the small schools race, the Darlington boys had three runners in the top five. In addition to Miehe, senior Quinn Cullen took second (16:30), sophomore Thomas Schultz was third (17:00). Senior Garth Garrison finished 11th (17:21) and senior Patrick Roche was 13th (17:27).
Albany (89) took third as a team. Sophomore Brennan Bloedel finished seventh (17:01) to lead the Comets. Albany sophomore Aaron Johnson took 17th (17:36) and freshman Josh Little was 18th (17:37). Senior Chad Helland finished 21st (17:57) and Johnny Kallgren was 28th (18:17). Pecatonica-Argyle senior Marcus Rubio took 61st (20:01) to lead the Vikings.
In the girls small schools race, Darlington had a dominating performance with five runners in the top eight. Wamsley ran away with the individual title beating Albany junior Bailey Hlavachek, who took second, by 32 seconds. In addition to Wamsley, junior Claire Cullen took third (16:08), senior Harley Douglas took fifth (16:13), senior Cheyenne Wolfe was seventh (16:21) and senior Rebecca Mathias was eighth (16:26).
Pecatonica-Argyle took seventh as a team and was led by freshman Samantha Erickson who took 15th (17:06). Senior Emma Marion took 20th (18:05). Freshman Hannah James finished 33rd (18:25). Senior Kensie Burreson took 44th (19:20) and senior Cora Demler was 45th (19:44).
In the large schools girls race, Monroe finished fifth (149), right behind Platteville (130). Dodgeville-Mineral Point outdistanced Madison Edgewood 30-63 for the team title. New Glarus-Monticello was third (116) and Brodhead-Juda was ninth (214).
New Glarus-Monticello senior Madeline Brunner finished 13th (16:03) and senior Anna Cruse was 14th (16:07). Sophomore Sam Barr took 28th (17:10) and junior Carly Duerst was 30th (17:13).
Monroe junior Therese Hughes finished 22nd (16:55) and sophomore Alyssa Dale was 23rd (16:56). Junior Nicole Witt took 32nd (17:17) followed by junior Elise Rossing, 34th (17:22) and sophomore Kelley Baumann, 38th (17:29).
"As a coaching staff we are really pleased with the girls," Hirsbrunner said. "They really changed up their racing plan. They went out really fast to shake things up. We wanted to have them feel uncomfortable for longer.
"She's made a nice comeback," he said of Hughes. "We are looking for big things from her. She's very talented."
The Cardinals were led by freshman Taylor Bluemel who took 26th (17:03). Junior Morganne Goecks finished 29th (17:12). Freshman Danielle Dieckhoff took 49th (18:13) and junior Meg Duffield was 52nd (18:04). Junior Camilla Klar rounded out the top five for the Cardinals finishing 58th (18:35).
Dodgeville-Mineral Point won the Platteville Invite Saturday 40-68 over the Cheesemakers. However, Monroe No. 1 runner Ethan Moehn and senior A.J. Cifuentes, the Cheesemakers No. 4 runner, didn't compete.
"Our goal was to try and get second without our No. 1 and 4 runners," Monroe coach Dave Hirsbrunner said. "We were 28 points away. It's not that bad without our No. 1 and 4 runners. We feel like we have a shot at them at the sectional this year. We are trying to see what we can do when we get everyone back, fully healthy. It's like a jigsaw puzzle. We will get even faster before the end of the year."
New Glarus-Monticello senior Ryan McCoy finished first overall and won the large schools' race with a time of 15 minutes, 29 seconds, which was 23 seconds ahead of Dodgeville-Mineral Point's Trevor Wunnicke. Darlington junior Tyson Miehe finished third overall and won the small schools race (16:16).
"It was perfect weather for it," McCoy said. "The course was fast. It's a lot faster than I've ever ran on that course, so I'm pretty happy with that one."
Darlington swept team titles in both the boys and girls small schools race. The Redbird boys outdistanced Boscobel 31-45 for the team title. The Redbird girls were led by champion Christa Wamsley who won the race with a time of 15:31. The Redbird girls ran away with the title 24-49 over Boscobel.
Miehe was disappointed in his finish.
"Terrible, on my end," Miehe said. "About a quarter mile into it my legs just felt terrible. I was almost 40 seconds slower than last year.
"My legs were sore and stiff. We had a hard week at practice, so that might have had something to do with it."
Monroe senior Steve Christiansen finished fourth in the large schools race (16:49) and junior Jake Hirsbrunner took sixth (17:17). Monroe sophomore Jeremy Miller took 15th (17:49) followed by junior Trevor Blum, 20th (18:00) and senior David Kelly (18:08).
"Trevor Blum had a great race," Hirsbrunner said. "He wanted to break 18 minutes. He was happy with his race. He was made he didn't break 18."
With injuries to two of their top runners, Hirsbrunner sees a silver lining.
"It's been kind of a blessing in disguise," he said. "Jeremy, Trevor and David have had to step up."
New Glarus-Monticello finished fourth as a team (101) and Brodhead-Juda was ninth (227). The Cardinals were led by junior Dylan Johnson who took fifth (17:11).
New Glarus-Monticello junior Caleb Fredrickson took 23rd (17:47) and sophomore John Zuber was 26th (18:14). Junior Hunter Pratt finished 27th (18:15) and senior Brock Westby Hess was 34th (18:33).
Brodhead-Juda senior Lucas Wymer took 51st (19:06) and senior Joel Steinmann was 54th (19:14). Senior Rodrigo Yescas finished 56th (19:15) and junior Justin Krumwiede took 61st (19:23).
In the small schools race, the Darlington boys had three runners in the top five. In addition to Miehe, senior Quinn Cullen took second (16:30), sophomore Thomas Schultz was third (17:00). Senior Garth Garrison finished 11th (17:21) and senior Patrick Roche was 13th (17:27).
Albany (89) took third as a team. Sophomore Brennan Bloedel finished seventh (17:01) to lead the Comets. Albany sophomore Aaron Johnson took 17th (17:36) and freshman Josh Little was 18th (17:37). Senior Chad Helland finished 21st (17:57) and Johnny Kallgren was 28th (18:17). Pecatonica-Argyle senior Marcus Rubio took 61st (20:01) to lead the Vikings.
In the girls small schools race, Darlington had a dominating performance with five runners in the top eight. Wamsley ran away with the individual title beating Albany junior Bailey Hlavachek, who took second, by 32 seconds. In addition to Wamsley, junior Claire Cullen took third (16:08), senior Harley Douglas took fifth (16:13), senior Cheyenne Wolfe was seventh (16:21) and senior Rebecca Mathias was eighth (16:26).
Pecatonica-Argyle took seventh as a team and was led by freshman Samantha Erickson who took 15th (17:06). Senior Emma Marion took 20th (18:05). Freshman Hannah James finished 33rd (18:25). Senior Kensie Burreson took 44th (19:20) and senior Cora Demler was 45th (19:44).
In the large schools girls race, Monroe finished fifth (149), right behind Platteville (130). Dodgeville-Mineral Point outdistanced Madison Edgewood 30-63 for the team title. New Glarus-Monticello was third (116) and Brodhead-Juda was ninth (214).
New Glarus-Monticello senior Madeline Brunner finished 13th (16:03) and senior Anna Cruse was 14th (16:07). Sophomore Sam Barr took 28th (17:10) and junior Carly Duerst was 30th (17:13).
Monroe junior Therese Hughes finished 22nd (16:55) and sophomore Alyssa Dale was 23rd (16:56). Junior Nicole Witt took 32nd (17:17) followed by junior Elise Rossing, 34th (17:22) and sophomore Kelley Baumann, 38th (17:29).
"As a coaching staff we are really pleased with the girls," Hirsbrunner said. "They really changed up their racing plan. They went out really fast to shake things up. We wanted to have them feel uncomfortable for longer.
"She's made a nice comeback," he said of Hughes. "We are looking for big things from her. She's very talented."
The Cardinals were led by freshman Taylor Bluemel who took 26th (17:03). Junior Morganne Goecks finished 29th (17:12). Freshman Danielle Dieckhoff took 49th (18:13) and junior Meg Duffield was 52nd (18:04). Junior Camilla Klar rounded out the top five for the Cardinals finishing 58th (18:35).
