October 23, 2017 at 1:01 p.m.
Hodags' Franson returns to state cross country meet with strong sectional run
Hodags' Franson returns to state cross country meet with strong sectional run
Franson stayed with the lead pack much of the way, finished fifth and qualified for the WIAA state meet for the third time Saturday in Waupaca.
She completed the five-kilometer course in a time of 20 minutes, 26.55 seconds, which was roughly 30 seconds behind champion Ashley Peterson of Lakeland, but she still fell safely inside the state cutline as Freedom and Lakeland earned the two team qualifying spots at stake for this coming Saturday's state meet in Wisconsin Rapids. The five fastest individuals not on a qualifying team also qualified and Franson finished roughly 19 seconds ahead of the final state qualifier, Katrina Salmen of Peshtigo.
"It feels really, really amazing. This has been a major goal of mine," Franson said after the race. "It's just like a weight lifted off my shoulders. Going into the race I knew I couldn't stay nervous throughout it and that I just had to go for it. Before I just wanted to listen to some music, talk to my teammates and just not get nervous. I knew if I was nervous as the beginning, it just wouldn't end the way I wanted it to."
Those nerves quickly dissipated. She settled into a good spot early in the race and by the time the field returned to the view of the spectators near the two-mile mark there was no doubt she was on her way. She ran fifth at that point, just a few strides off the lead pack and well ahead of the sixth-place runner.
"She was in a great spot, right on the end of that five-pack," coach M.J. Laggis said. "She was just solid and smooth today. I think she had that mindset today of all that matters is getting to the state tournament - I think we all had that mindset - and she just did the job. I thought, in particular, the last 800 (meters) or so, she looked really smooth and strong as she finished."
Franson said she made a move early in the race once it became clear some of the pre-race favorites to advance were struggling.
"I was wanting to stay with Franny Seidel of Medford because we placed similarly at the conference meet but I could tell that people were caving in on me and if I didn't get to the front I'd never be able to stay with the front pack," she said. "So I kind of just went for it and their pace wasn't as strong as I thought it was going to be. I just went for it."
Seidel, an individual state qualifier last year, struggled to a 14th-place finish on Saturday. Medford freshman Alicia Kawa was the only other Great Northern Conference runner to punch a ticket as an individual qualifier.
It was the second straight year that Franson finished fifth in the Waupaca sectional. She parlayed that run into a 14th-place finish at last year's Division 2 state meet and has higher aspirations for the final race of her high school career.
"Now I want to get top 10 at state," she said. "Now I know I can pace myself with (Lakeland's) Ashley (Peterson) and the girls' from Freedom. It will be a great setup for state."
The Division 2 girls' state race will go off at 1:20 p.m. this Saturday at The Ridges golf course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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