October 19, 2018 at 12:29 p.m.
Dual objectives for Hodag harriers entering sectional meet
Dual objectives for Hodag harriers entering sectional meet
"I'm looking at two phases of our team - young kids that are going to sectionals to learn how to run sectionals. They have to learn how to do it. The other phase is getting Bridger Flory to state. That's the deal," Laggis said last Saturday following the Great Northern Conference meet in Rhinelander.
Flory, a senior, represents Rhinelander's best chance to extend its streak of sending at least one individual qualifier to the state meet to three years. As for the rest of the lineup, which includes 12 underclassmen, the goal is to simply learn how to compete in a meet of this caliber.
Fifteen teams will take to the starting line for the sectional race, held at Irish Waters Golf Club. The top two teams in both the boys' and girls' division will qualify for next Saturday's state meet at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids. Additionally, the seven fastest runners in each race not already on a qualifying team will earn a ticket to state.
Alayna Franson qualified for state three of the last four years. Now Flory wants to keep the string of Rhinelander runners at state alive for a least one more year.
"Obviously, the goal is to make it to state," Flory said following a fourth-place finish at last week's GNCs. "I'm just hoping that I have a strong race at sectionals and everything just kind of falls into place."
Flory's resume puts him among those jockeying for a state qualifying position. He has the third-fastest time of the season among the sectional field, according to times compiled by Athletic.net. The website lists Flory's time of 16 minutes, 49.5 seconds from the Stratford Invitational as his best time, though the Hodags questioned afterward if that course was a full 5 kilometers. Even so, Flory's time of 17:11.6 at the Hatchet Invite in Tomahawk two weeks ago would be the eighth-best time in the sectional.
It also helps Flory to have some familiarity with a number of the runners he will be competing against today. All off the GNC, except for Medford, is in today's field. That's good news for Flory, who finished fourth behind a trio of Medford runners at the GNCs.
"I feel like it sets me up well," Flory said after last Saturday's race. "It's hard considering we don't run against a lot of the teams in our section consistently, but it's good to know, the guys in our conference, how it's going to line up for next weekend."
Rhinelander has seen all but three of the teams in today's field at some point in the season. Seymour's Riley Volkman beat Flory head-to-head both at the Bill Smiley Invite in Wausau and the Waupaca Invite last month.
Seven runners in today's field posted times faster than Flory at the Smiley - including Tomahawk's Drew Bolder and Evan Ploeckelman and Mosinee's Eric Kordus and Grayson Barrett. Flory beat all four of those runners at conference last week.
"I don't want to jinx him, but it's about peaking at the right time," Laggis said. "It's about not getting injured. It's about having a smart plan. Bridger is just absolutely peaked and he ran to his strengths (last weekend). His strengths are being consistent. He got on the lead pack and he rode their heels the whole way. He used their energy, and in the end, he had it."
A top-seven finish today would assure a spot at state for Flory, but there's a chance he'll qualify if he finishes outside the top seven, depending on who finishes in front of him.
Freedom, ranked seventh in the latest Wisconsin Cross Country Coaches Association D2 rankings, is the favorite to win Saturday's meet with New London, Tomahawk and Mosinee the contenders for the second state tournament berth.
Reigning D2 state champ Freedom and Lakeland, both in the top four of the WCCCA rankings, are favored to advance as teams out of the girls' race.
As for the rest of the Hodag team, today is about gaining experience. Athletic.net projects the Hodag girls to finish 11th and the Hodag boys to place 13th today. No one other than Flory is projected to finish in the top 50 for the Hodags, so Laggis said the goal is to go out, try to set some personal records and set the tone going into next season.
"Our plan has worked for the freshmen and sophomores as well. They're just not at that point yet. They're freshmen and sophomores. They're going to have their time," he said. "There's just so much future there. They key is getting them to believe that."
Today's meet begins with the boys' race at 10 a.m. followed by the girls' race at 10:45.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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