Team Preview: RHS cross country

Matching the success of last year’s squad will be difficult for the Rhinelander High School boys’ cross country team, but coach M.J. Laggis and the Hodag harriers are ready for another run after qualifying for the WIAA state meet as a team for the second time in four years.

Though the Hodags graduated two of their top three runners from the squad, most of the nucleus returns. That has Laggis excited as the team gets ready to kick off the season at home Thursday in the Hodag Invite in front of RHS. 

The Hodag girls are a bit less experienced, returning only two of the seven runners who raced at last year’s sectional meet, but are hoping to improve throughout the season with an underclassmen-led squad. 

“We have a nice group of kids and our handle has always been wherever we start, we’re going to really improve by the end of this thing. It’s a good vibe on our team right now,” Laggis said following practice last Thursday. 

The Hodags must replace two heavy hitters on the boys’ squad after losing Greyson Gremban and Brody Kowieski to graduation. Laggis said the leadership the two brought to the team will be the most difficult quality to replace. 

“That’s an element that we really need to try to find this year,” he said. “I hesitate to say who that will be at this point, but I think we got some boys that are returners that are in that mold, that want to just keep it right on rolling. We got to develop that leadership, for sure.”

The Hodags don’t lack for runners who could take those reigns. Junior Avrom Barr looks to follow up a breakout sophomore campaign in which he placed third at the Great Northern Conference meet, fourth at sectionals and 44th at the WIAA state meet. 

He leads the list of returning varsity runners. Rhinelander brings back two others from its top five last year in junior Jackson Weinzatl and sophomore Michael Brunette. Brunette finished 15th at conference last year, one of four Hodags who earned all-GNC honors. Ayden Myers was the other, after taking 12th at conference. Grant Gremban, Greyson’s younger brother, rounds out the list of returning starters. Behind them are a number of underclassmen — including Jonathan Campbell, Wyatt Crowell and others — who are looking to crack the top seven. 

“We lost two really big hitters, but man, you know, we have a nucleus right there, and it’s going to be really interesting,” Laggis said. “You kind of know where like, it’s going to fit with Avrom and Jackson, and then maybe Mikey in there and possibly Grant next. But boy, we got some guys that could really get in that mix for the Nos. 5, 6, 7, and I’m not sure which one of those it’s going to be, but good competition right now in practice.”

    In this Sept. 26, 2024 file photo, Rhinelander’s Macy Myers heads toward the finish of the Three Lakes Invitational cross country race at Big Stone Golf Course in Three Lakes Thursday, Sept. 26. Myers is the top returning runner for the Hodag girls’ this season after finishing eighth at sectionals last year. (Jeremy Mayo/River News)
  

Junior Macy Myers headlines the list of returning athletes on the Hodag girls’ side. She broke onto the scene with a string of impressive runs last year, finishing fourth at conference and eighth at sectionals — missing the WIAA state meet by one place and 7.3 seconds.

Junior Kara Monk, who battled through injuries late last season and did not compete at sectionals, is also back for Rhinelander as is sophomore Gretchen Fiebke, who was the Hodags’ No. 4 runner at sectionals, placing 45th. Sophomore Gabby Wanta is also back after making a few spot varsity starts last year. 

Depth is Rhinelander’s issue after graduating three starters — Brynn Teter, Sophie Miljevich and Luna Grage — off the team. Two other starters — Ella Miljevich and Hayley Schiek — are playing on the newly formed RHS girls’ golf team this fall. 

“Macy is really, I look at one of those fundamental leaders in the group,” Laggis said. “She’s really a rock solid person. She has a really good demeanor and we’re going to really draw on that. Kara Monk is the same. Those two are just the two that you look at that really have to be in that driver’s seat.”

“Gretchen and missing some time here early, but when she gets back in the fold and is going and I’m impressed with what Gabby’s done,” Laggis added.

Those who will fill out the varsity roster remain to be seen. Grace Cornelius is the lone senior on the team. She and sophomore Emily Schiek also return from last year’s roster. The team picked up a pair of new runners this year in junior Morgan Cahee and sophomore Alexa Segovia and welcomes two freshmen into the fold with Noelle Mayo and Adeline Olson. 

“We’re really young, and we have some really good young runners,” Laggis said. “I’m going to kind of choose to let their personalities emerge, and I think you’ll see in the results who they are, but we’re excited about some of our younger runners.”

As far as the race for conference goes, Lakeland edged Rhinelander for the boys’ conference title on a hot day last October, though the Hodags got the last laugh — earning the second and final team qualifying spot for state over the T-Birds at sectionals six days later. Both teams are replacing a couple of their top runners from last year, but have plenty of depth returning. 

“I feel like the last five years that’s come down to a lot of that, us battling them,” Laggis said. “The wild card is, how good are Tomahawk’s boys? Because Tomahawk, like us, they just improve, improve, improve. You never know what they’re going to be at the end.”

Tomahawk and Medford took the top two spots at conference last year on the girls’ side and have plenty of runners returning. 

“Medford they’ve had that powerhouse, but they’ve gone through a number of coaching changes and things have been different, there. So I’ll be curious to see where they’re at. Tomahawk, I know, will be there,” Laggis said.

The Hodags will begin to figure how they fit into the conference mix Thursday at home. That kicks off a 10-race regular season schedule that will include stops at five GNC schools. 

The conference meet is slated for Saturday, Oct. 18 and will be hosted by Rhinelander. However, the Hodags may not have the home-course advantage that they would typically have. That’s because plans are in the works to move that race to Northwood Golf Club — a venue Rhinelander has never raced at before. 

“I think the course we will set up on Northwood as a championship-type course for the conference. So we’re really excited about it,” Laggis said. 

Laggis said while he enters the season with clearer expectations for the boys’ squad, he’s eager to see how the girls’ team develops.

“We feel like our boys have as good a shot as anybody at winning (conference), and we feel like at sectionals, our boys have as good a chance as anyone to be in top two,” he said. “On the girls’ side, I have to be honest, I feel like it’s emerging. I feel like we’re going to know more after a meet or two into it, seeing if we can have girls healthy and improving. I’d like to be able to have this conversation in a month and be able to say, ‘Hey, I think our girls can be a top three,’ I’m honestly not sure right now, but I do love the attitude of the girls that are at practice working, so we’re going to build on that.”

NOTE: In the interest of full disclosure, the River News notes the author of this story has a family member who is an athlete on the team.

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].

TEAM SCHEDULE

Date    Event    Time

8/28    HODAG INVITE    10 a.m.

9/2    Mosinee Invite    4:30 p.m.

9/9    Marshfield Invite    5 p.m.

9/13    SPASH Invite    11:15 a.m.

9/20    Bill Smiley Invitational at Wausau    TBA

9/25    Three Lakes Invite    4 p.m.

10/2    Medford Invite    5 p.m.

10/7    Northland Pines Invite    4 p.m.

10/11    Tomahawk Invite    10 a.m.

10/18    GNC MEET AT RHINELANDER    11 a.m.

10/24    Sectionals at Merrill    4:15 p.m.

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