Gremban falls just short at sectionals again

COLBY — Once again Rhinelander junior Greyson Gremban entered the final mile of the WIAA sectional meet with the goal of qualifying for the state championships squarely in sight. Once again on Saturday he could only watch as that chance slipped further into the distance.

Gremban finished 11th in the WIAA Division 2 sectional in Colby, which was good but not good enough to move on. The Hodags finished fourth on the boys’ side, two spots shy of a team qualifying berth. 

Gremban was left to vie for an at-large individual bid, for the first five runners not on a qualifying team. For the second year in a row, Gremban finished sixth among those vying for an individual qualifying spot.

“Unfortunately, it wasn’t my day. It’s cold but it’s just a bad day to have a bad race,” Gremban said afterward. “Besides my two mile last year at sectionals, this is the hardest race I’ve ever run in my life. I can really say I left everything out here today for my team and my community. I’m just embarrassed that I couldn’t perform up to the Hodag standard.”

Gremban was much harder on himself than coach M.J. Laggis was. 

“Greyson Gremban trains so hard, works so hard,” he said. “He’s a poster child for what you should do in the offseason and how you should be an athlete. You just so badly want to see him qualify. That’s heartbreaking, but the huge positive of that is that he’s got another year. He’ll use that as fuel and that’s how you have to look at it.”

Gremban was in the hunt for the final qualifying spot as the race entered its final mile. He was racing alongside Medford’s Tanner Hraby, Antigo’s James Meade and Stanley-Boyd’s Lucas Walker, with the four of them jockeying for the final three qualifying spots. Gremban fell to fourth among that group as they entered the woods one final time, a half mile from the finish. When they came out, the other three had pulled away.

Walker was the final runner to transfer, taking ninth with a time of 17 minutes, 1.7 seconds. Gremban faded and came home 11th at 17:29.5.

“Nothing really emerged as I headed into the woods with about a kilometer left. I really started to unravel there,” Gremban said. “They went out there and performed. They earned everything. I’ve just got to keep looking forward, look to the future and make things happen.”

“I thought he was going to stay right there and he tried to make a move and got outmoved today,” Laggis added. “That’s just cross country, somebody had a little better day. Greyson won’t tell you, but he’s been battling being sick all week. He missed a day of practice, which is unheard of for him. He laid it on the line today and it just wasn’t enough.”

Overall, it was a solid day for the Hodag boys, who once again edged conference rivals Tomahawk and Medford, despite missing junior Shawn Denis, who was unable to go with a balky ankle.

Freshman Avrom Barr came home 19th (18:16.2) followed by senior Gavin Denis in 31st (18:44.1). Freshman Jackson Weinzatl was 35th (18:59.8) with Augustus Porter 54th (19:45.0) and Hank Kowieski 92nd (22:13.4).

“We knew our boys’ team wasn’t going to qualify as a team with what’s out there, but I’m really proud of the fourth-place finish,” Laggis said. “We were only five points out of third, and keep in mind the top two teams go. We bring a lot back and that really bodes well for us next year.”

    Rhinelander’s Leah Jamison battles Lakeland’s Ada Ernst and Stella Meza during the final meters of a WIAA Division 2 girls’ cross country sectional in Colby Saturday, Oct. 21. (Jeremy Mayo/River News)
  

Rhinelander finished sixth in the girls’ race, only three points behind Lakeland for fifth. As she did in every race this season, senior Leah Jamison led the way for Rhinelander. She crossed the line in 20th overall at 21:23.1. That ended up being 13 spots and almost exactly one minute from moving on. Oconto Falls’ Hailey Delzer finished seventh (20:23.8) to take the final individual transfer spot.

“Leah Jamison, she battled injury early in her career. She had that whole year she didn’t run and she has just really been a rock for us this year — every practice, steady,” Laggis said. “She’s been our No. 1 tape-to-tape, from the start of the year to the end of the year. She was our No. 1, just a fantastic young lady and I’m going to greatly miss her.”

Sophie Miljevich crossed the line 30th for Rhinelander (22:16.0) followed by a trio of freshmen — Ella Miljevich in 39th (22:39.8), Hayley Schiek in 43rd (22:51.7) and Kara Monk in 44th (22:51.7).

“On the girls’ side, I think we have a nucleus that gets it,” Laggis said. “Soph, her fire’s lit again and I’m really encouraged by that. I want to see her take on a leadership role next year, get a group of girls and boys that can go after the conference.” 

Maria Hubler took 57th (24:17.3) and Luna Grage was 65th (25:43.3).

Saturday marked the final high school race for three Hodag seniors — Jamison, Gavin Denis and Hubler.

“I’m so glad Gavin got a chance to run at state in 2021,” Laggis said. “I can’t say enough about him. He’s just a great kid, great part of the team and we’re going to really miss him big time. I thought he had a really good run (to finish). He was really strong. 

“Maria Hubler as a senior was just an iron woman. She works so hard. She loves the miles … She’ll be a life-long runner and I was just proud of how she looked today.”

Lakeland and Shawano took the top two spots on the boys’ side with Lakeland’s Owen Clark claiming the boys’ race (16:11.6). Shawano won the girls’ race with Medford edging Oconto Falls in a tiebreaker for the runner-up spot and a state berth. Northland Pines’ Nora Gremban (18:00.9) cruised to the individual win.

This year will mark just the second in the last seven that Rhinelander has not had representation at the WIAA state meet. The other was in COVID-limited 2020 campaign. Laggis said, with a number of underclassmen returning on both sides, that just fuels the fire for next season.

“That will sit with you for a while but I think we have four boys for sure that truly know what it takes and are going to be committed. I think you’ll see us get a fifth and a sixth ready to go,” he said.

As for Gremban, who will have one more chance to make it to the state meet as an individual, “Luckily, I get one more crack at it and I get the opportunity to do that with a lot of underclassmen,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll see seven green shirts next year (at state). Really optimistic.”

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].