Cross country: Gremban, Barr score top 20s at Smiley

WAUSAU — In the largest regular season race for the Rhinelander High School cross country team this season, two of the Hodags’ top runners showed strong form as they gear up for a late-season push. 

Senior Greyson Gremban took 10th overall and sophomore Avrom Barr finished 18th in a field of 148 runners in the Division 1 race at the 68th annual Bill Smiley Invitational in Wausau on Saturday.

Those placements were even better when the Division 1 race was split into large and small categories, based on school enrollment. Gremban’s time was sixth-best among D1 Small runners and Barr was 12th. 

Overall, the Hodag boys were 10th out of 19 teams in Division 1 and fourth out of 10 in the D1 small category. The Hodag girls finished 16th out of 17 teams in D1 and were sixth out of seven in D1 small.

“We’re improving,” Hodag coach M.J. Laggis said. “We have a couple of kids that are joining cross country that are solid athletes that are going to be in the mix in here in the future and I think we’re finding ourselves on the boys’ side.” 

“On the girls’ side, I see a lot of potential and I see some really good moments. I think we just have to solidify our course, solidify what we’re trying to do again and just continue to work,” Laggis added.

Gremban posted his fastest time of the season on Saturday as he covered the 5-kilometer course around the Wausau East High School athletic complex in 16 minutes, 52.0 seconds. In the top 20 most of the way, Laggis said Gremban made a push over the final mile to work his way in to the top 10 overall.

“He looked stronger as the race went. I was particularly pleased with Greyson, right around the two-mile mark, there’s a pretty good hill there coming up and he was picking guys off right there,” Laggis said. “He was continuing to pass and get stronger. He had a really good race.”

Barr was not far up the trail from Gremban. He also stayed in the top 25 much of the way and made a final push to 18th in a time of 17:21.9. 

“For Avrom to be a sophomore and be achieving and working the way he is, is fantastic,” Laggis said. “Avrom was stronger as the race went, passing guys. Top 20 finish in a race like that is impressive.”

Senior Brody Kowieski was third on the team in 64th overall (31st D1 small) with a time of 18:22.6. He was followed by sophomore Jackson Weinzatl (94th/40th, 19:22.7), freshman Michael Brunette (110th/46th, 19:48.5), freshman Grant Gremban (127th/55th, 20:12.9) and freshman Wyatt Crowell (140th/64th, 21:16.6).

“Brody Kowieski had a breakout race. He was our No. 3 guy today, right where he should be for a senior,” Laggis noted as Kowieski continues to work back from a knee injury that cost him the end of the 2023 season. “Coming off a long lag there of not racing, I think he’s starting to find himself again and he feels the same way.”

The Hodag girls were a bit short-handed Saturday with normal varsity contributors Sophie Miljevich and Hayley Schiek sidelined due to various ailments. However, the Hodags’ top two remained the same as it has been virtually all year. 

    Rhinelander’s Brynn Teter races West Salem’s Kennedy Garbers in the final mile of the Bill Smiley Invitational cross country race in Wausau Saturday, Sept. 21. Teter was the top finisher for the Hodag girls, in 49th overall in a field of 133 runners. (Jeremy Mayo/River News)
  

Senior Brynn Teter led the way, taking 49th overall and 14th in D1 Small with a time of 22:05.4. She was followed by sophomore Macy Myers in 76th (23rd D1 Small) at 23:02.2.

“I thought Brynn Teter ran really well and strong. Brynn’s really good at just running through adversity, running through whatever’s going on. She’s a pretty tough kid and I was happy with how she ran today,” Laggis said. “Macy just continues to steadily improve. It’s fun to watch her run. She’s so methodical about the way she goes about her race and just goes out there and does a good job and continues to improve.”

Kara Monk (91st/31st) finished in 23:48.4 and the Hodags were bolstered by the return of senior Luna Grage, who made her first start of the year while battling a knee injury. She was 114th overall and 42nd in D1 Small with a time of 25:12.6.

“I was really happy to see Luna run, that was really cool,” Laggis said. “We don’t know if we’ll have her next Thursday but her and I talked after the race and we’ll just move forward and see if we can get her cleared to run next Thursday. Luna just kind of quietly went out there, ran really relaxed and really well. I was really proud of her.”

Gabby Wanta (117th/44th, 25:38.2), Gretchen Fiebke (121st/47th, 25:55.3) and Ella Miljevich (122nd/48th, 26:01.5) rounded out the Hodags’ running order. Fiebke, a freshman, made her varsity debut on Saturday. 

While most of the GNC was in attendance, Medford and Antigo were the only two schools that competed with Rhinelander in the D1 Small. Tomahawk, Northland Pines and Mosinee raced in Division 2 while Lakeland opted to attend the Roy Griak Invitational in Minnesota. Still, Laggis called Saturday’s race a good litmus test during one of the most difficult points of the season.

“Everyone’s been in school for a while, sickness is running around,” he said. “Every team’s dealing with it. You’re putting on a lot of miles, kids get sore. All that stuff is going on and you’re kind of at that hump point where you’ve got to get over it and find your way.”

The Hodags return to action this coming Thursday in the Three Lakes Invite at Big Stone Golf Course.

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].