October 12, 2022 at 1:26 p.m.
Hodag harriers look to finish in top half of field at GNC meet
Hodag harriers look to finish in top half of field at GNC meet
"If you said at the beginning of the year, who are the strongest four teams, you've got Lakeland, you've got Medford, you've got Tomahawk and you've got us - and you'd probably chart Rhinelander in fourth after what we lost from last year, especially on the boys' side," he said.
The numbers bear out that claim, going into tomorrow's meet in Medford.
Using projections based off the best performances for each team this season, the Hodags are longshots to defend their GNC boys' title, projected to finish tied for third on Saturday. The Hodag girls, meanwhile, are slotted in fourth in the projected standings.
Information was obtained from MileSpiltWI, a database that lists results for cross country races throughout the state.
The boys' race seems much more wide open than the girls', where Medford is the prohibitive favorite to repeat as champions.
Lakeland enters Saturday's race as the favorite on the boys' side, projected to score 49 points, followed by Tomahawk at 62 and Medford and Rhinelander at 70. However, a number of variables could make it a legitimate four-team race.
For starters, Rhinelander finished ahead of Tomahawk at last Saturday's Hatchet Invite, with a number of Tomahawk runners struggling to match their best times of the season.
"We did get Tomahawk (last Saturday). That was awesome," Laggis said. "On the boys' side, I think a top-three finish would be really good for where we're at and how young we are."
Lakeland's No. 2 runner, Ashton Bremer, did not run last Saturday's Hatchet Invite. His last race was Sept. 29 at Medford. If he were unable to go, the projections shift to Tomahawk winning the race and the top four teams being separated by 14 points.
There is also the variable of the course, around the Medford campus, which Laggis said could play into Medford's hands based upon its unique characteristics.
"Here's the thing about Medford. There are about six difference surfaces you're racing on throughout that race - from a little concrete, to blacktop, to a gravel path, to the edge of a farm field that has rolling tractor marks, to mowed grass. You've got to be firm-footed and you've just got to be ready to change terrain" he said. "It will play to Medford's advantage, I'm sure. But it's a tough track. It's a good course."
On the girls' side, Medford enters as a 21-point favorite over Lakeland, with Tomahawk close behind in third. Rhinelander, despite not having a runner projected in the top 14, is predicted to finish fourth, with a 24-point buffer over fifth-place Mosinee.
"I think, on the girls' side, if we could get into fourth, that would be fantastic, maybe a little bit higher, and just set the table for what we have next year," Laggis said. "We really have some goals that are longer than this year with our group."
Individually, the top 21 finishers at conference earn all-GNC honors, with the top seven taking home first-team honors, positions 8-14 on the second team and positions 15-21 receiving honorable mention.
Based on the projections, the Hodags would have four all-conference finishers on the boys' side and two on the girls' side.
Senior Cody Ruetz has the third fastest time in the GNC this year, a 17-minute, 15.0-second mark he posted at the Three Lakes Invite back on Sept. 22. Sophomore Greyson Gremban, who comes in off his fastest time of the season Saturday in Tomahawk (17:44.8), is seeded seventh. Gavin Denis (20th) and Olin Slette (21st) come in right on the all-conference bubble.
Leah Jamison and Juliana Smith both turned in their best times of the season Saturday in Tomahawk, which place them 15th and 19th in the conference projections.
Lakeland's Owen Clark (16:13.0) and Northland Pines' Nora Gremban (18:26.4) are the favorites to win the individual titles. Gremban, a junior, is seeking her second straight GNC girls' title while Clark was the boys' conference runner-up last year.
Racing gets underway with the varsity girls' event at 11 a.m. Saturday. The varsity boys will follow at 11:30 with a combined JV boys/girls race at noon. The race starts just outside Raider Field and will end on the track of Medford's stadium.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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