November 9, 2018 at 11:16 a.m.
Flory, Henrichs win RHS fastest harrier awards
Flory, Henrichs win RHS fastest harrier awards
State qualifier Bridger Flory and sophomore Abbie Henrichs were presented with the team's fastest harrier awards.
Those were two of several awards handed out by coaches M.J. Laggis and Melissa Krueger on Thursday. In total, 11 members of the boys' and girls' squads were honored with at least one award.
As the name of the award suggests, Flory and Henrichs were stalwarts at the top of the running order all season for Rhinelander. Both held the No. 1 spot on the team in eight of the team's 10 races this fall.
Flory had the most decorated season by far. A string of fourth-place finishes, including one at WIAA sectionals, sent the Hodag senior to the state meet in Wisconsin Rapids, where he finished 36th in a field of 152 runners. His time of 17 minutes, 11 seconds was only seven seconds off his personal record - which Laggis said was quite an accomplishment given the difficulty of the course and the magnitude of the race.
"Just a dynamic finish and how you want to end it," he said of Flory's state meet performance. "I was so proud driving home because so few kids get to end it that way in sports. It just doesn't happen. And he did it the right way - with his work ethic, they way he acts as a student and his ability as a runner. I couldn't be more happy for Bridger."
Henrichs was Rhinelander's top finisher in eight of the nine races she started - she was nipped at the line for the top spot by teammate Ella Schiek at the Hatchet Invite in Tomahawk. Henrichs placed 26th in the Great Northern Conference meet and 39th at WIAA sectionals.
"It was very clear, based on times, but she was the solid No. 1 runner all season from start to finish," Krueger said. "She's got competition, which is great because they're going to push each other. She came into the season very focused and very much with a goal. She wanted to be the No. 1 runner. She worked hard every day, not just running. She knows what she's doing in the weight room and she's focused on making sure she gets those workouts in."
The coaches said there were multiple qualified nominees for the team's most improved award, which wound up going to sophomore Daniel Goldsworthy and freshman Audrey Schiek. Both dropped time throughout the year and became mainstays in the varsity lineup by season's end.
"The thing about Daniel is he dropped time from the beginning of the year on, and dropped a big chunk of it," Laggis said. "We had a couple of others that dropped at the end and were really competitive at the end. It was debate and we had to look at the numbers and make the best possible decision."
Regarding Audrey Schiek, Krueger said, "We had to spend some time looking at the numbers on the spreadsheet and debating back and forth because we had a number of female contenders that we in that position. Audrey improved, not only in her time, of course - she shaved off a number of minutes which is not easy to do - but she became more confident as the season progressed."
The Long Hauler award, presented to the runners who go the extra mile in the weight room and on the road, went to sophomore Jacob Weddle and freshman Emma Germain.
Senior Claire Bowman, sophomore Ali DeNamur and sophomore Jake Losch won the team's Most Dedicated award. Bowman, Flory, Mattia Beske and Abby Krueger were the team's four senior captains this year.
The Hodags finished fifth in both the boys and girls divisions of the Great Northern Conference meet this fall with squads that featured 12 underclassmen in the 14 varsity positions.
Laggis said throughout the season, and reiterated at Thursday's banquet, that the team has the potential to break through and challenge the GNC's upper echelon in the years to come.
"I happen to think we're just a click away from instead of being a fourth-place team or a fifth-place team in the conference that we could be right up there in the top couple real quick here with some of the young (runners) that we have," he said.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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