Gremban wins Medford Invite

Rhinelander’s Greyson Gremban continued his strong cross country season by notching his first victory of the year on Thursday. 

    Rhinelander’s Greyson Gremban leads the way during the Medford Invitational cross country race in Medford Thursday, Sept. 28. Gremban scored his first victory of the season, covering the 5K course in 17 minutes, 10.5 seconds. (Matt Frey/Star News)
  

The Hodag junior pulled away over the second half and won the Medford Invitational at Medford High School. 

Gremban outdueled home-team favorite Tanner Hraby by 17 seconds for the win, covering the 5-kilometer course in 17 minutes, 10.5 seconds. It marked Gremban’s sixth top-six finish in seven races so far this season. 

“Greyson had a good run. He looked really good,” Hodag coach M.J. Laggis said. “He had a group of guys around him the first part of the race and the latter half, probably about a mile and half on, he had completely pulled away and really had a strong run. I thought he looked really smooth and confident. Nice race for him and great effort.”

Despite placing four runners in the top 13, a lack of depth bit the Hodag boys as they took fourth in a competitive five-team field. Rhinelander lost out an a tiebreaker for third with Medford. 

Freshman Avrom Barr barely missed the top 10, edged out by 0.2 seconds at the line as he settled for 11th (18:56.2). Senior Gavin Denis (19:10.2) and freshman Jackson Weinzatl (19:12.0) were close behind in 12th and 13th. 

“Avrom Barr was our No. 2 and, for a freshman, we just keeps getting better and better,” Laggis noted. “It’s really exciting to see that. Then we had Gavin and Jackson and those guys had really strong runs too. That’s awesome. We need to find someone in the 5-hole, obviously, to score but those guys had great runs.”

Already without junior Brody Kowieski, who suffered a season-ending knee injury, the Hodags did not have their usual No. 5 runner Shawn Denis (ankle), who was out as an injury scratch. Hank Kowieski and Jonathan Campbell were the only other runners for the Hodag boys, finishing 40th and 49th, respectively.

“Hank Kowieski dropped time again and, for a freshman that hasn’t run cross country before, that’s a big thing to ask of him. He’s working really hard. I’m proud of him,” Laggis noted.

The Hodag girls also took fourth, despite placing six runners in the top 21 overall. Ashland edged Rhinelander by a point for the third spot while Medford and Tomahawk finished 1-2.

    Rhinelander’s Kara Monk, left, and Hayley Schiek, right, race to the finish line of the Medford Invitational cross country race in Medford Thursday, Sept. 28. (Matt Frey/Star News)
  

Senior Leah Jamison once again paced the Hodags, coming in seventh overall (21:34.6). Sophie Miljevich was 11th (22:22.0) followed by Kara Monk in 17th (23:05.1), Hayley Schiek in 18th (23:05.5), Luna Grage in 20th (23:15.6), Ella Miljevich in 21st (23:15.6) and Maria Hubler in 32nd (24:04.3).

“I thought a really nice run by Leah,” Laggis said. “Soph just continues to work hard and get better. She’s having a really good year. I’m really excited for the improvement she’s made. Then we have that group of young girls behind, a lot of freshman with Kara, Ella and Hayley. We’ve got a lot of depth there. We just have to keep getting better.”

Rhinelander returns to action this afternoon at the Northland Pines Invite in Eagle River. It’s the last weekday meet of the season for the Hodags before the championship stretch begins later this month.

“That’s a pretty flat course at Pines, generally speaking, and we’ve got to turn in some good times,” Laggis said. “We’re hoping like heck we can get a little of a healthier tone. We just have a number of kids that are kind of nicked up, for a lack of a better way to put it — several different girls an a few different boys. We’ve got to try to get what we have back healthy.”

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].