Hodag harriers eye return trip to state

The Rhinelander High School boys’ cross country team finds itself in a very familiar position today as it heads into a WIAA Division 2 sectional meet in Merrill.

After finishing runner-up to Lakeland for the Great Northern Conference title, the Hodags are once again looking to get the better of the T-Birds in the postseason — or at least continue to keep things close — as they vie for their third trip to the WIAA state meet in the last five seasons.

The numbers indicate that the Hodags may be able to do it again. Rhinelander is projected to finish as the runner-up in today’s sectional according to a mock-up of the field, using season-best times provided by database MileSpilt Wisconsin. 

Lakeland is the favorite entering today’s race, at 38 points, followed by Rhinelander at 65 1/2. The top two teams from today’s sectional race will compete as a team Nov. 1 at the WIAA Division 2 state meet in Wisconsin Rapids.

The hard data jives with what coaches statewide seem to think. Lakeland and Rhinelander were both ranked in the latest Wisconsin Cross Country Coaches Association poll — Lakeland at No. 13 in D2 and Rhinelander at No. 14. 

Though Lakeland edged Rhinelander by five points this past Saturday for the Great Northern Conference title, Hodag coach M.J. Laggis said afterward his team is right where it wants to be heading into sectionals.

“We are our top 15 in the state. We’re proud of that,” Laggis said. “We have a big job to do now. Friday, two teams will leave this sectional to go to the state tournament. Certainly Lakeland is the heavy, heavy favorite, and we’re going to be able to vie for a spot to go ourselves. So we’ll see what happens.”

The team that could perhaps stand in Rhinelander’s way is Shawano, which sits third in the projections at 80 points and has a wall of four runners —all freshmen and sophomores — who have runs times faster than 18 minutes, 27 seconds this season. 

Those four are ahead of Rhinelander’s No. 4 and 5 runners in the mock. Sophomore Michael Brunette is tied for 23rd with a season-best time of 18:28.1 and Grant Gremban is right behind him in 29th (18:29.9).

Regardless of how the team race shakes out, the Hodags have an excellent chance of sending multiple boys to the state meet. The top five individuals not on a state-qualifying team will be extended invitations to run in Wisconsin Rapids. 

Junior Avrom Barr, fresh off his Great Northern Conference championship, comes in as the top-ranked runner in the sectional based on the time of 16:20.5 he ran at the Tomahawk Invite Oct. 10. That’s roughly 22 seconds faster than the next runner on the list — Bryant Waupoosse III of Menominee Nation.

Barr, who finished fourth at sectionals last year to help the Hodags advance to state, said he was extremely bullish on his chances following last Saturday’s conference meet.

“I feel like I’m going to win,” he said. 

Jackson Weinzatl (eighth, 17:33.4) and Jonathan Campbell (10th, 17:43.9) are both projected to qualify, regardless of whether Rhinelander makes it as a team. Campbell is projected as the last individual in if Rhinelander does not qualify. The projected individual cutline moves to Menominee Nation’s Michael Peters in 12th (17:49.0) if the Hodags do.

Considering the Hodags graduated two of their top three runners from last year’s team, Barr said he’s proud of how his teammates have filled the gaps to give the team another chance to run in Rapids. 

“Us coming that far as a team, you know, we didn’t beat (Lakeland), but man, I am proud, so proud of everyone,” he said.

    Rhinelander’s Macy Myers leads Tomahawk’s Charlee Lund during the opening mile of the GNC championship meet at Northwood Golf Club in Rhinelander Saturday, Oct. 18. Myers, ranked fourth individually in the sectional, is looking to qualify for the WIAA state meet for the first time after narrowly missing out last season. (Jeremy Mayo/River News)
  

Things will be trickier for the Hodag girls. They are projected eighth in the 15-team field, so any qualifiers will almost certainly have to be individuals. The problem is, with so many teams possessing a fast runner or two, qualifying individually will be a challenge. 

As it stands, Wittenberg-Birnamwood is the heavy favorite to win the sectional title, with four teams — Shawano, Oconto Falls, Tomahawk and GNC-champion Medford — locked in a tight battle for the second transfer spot. 

Hodag junior Macy Myers is projected to qualify based on her school-record time of 19:30.3 set in Tomahawk Oct. 11. She’s ranked fourth overall in the sectional and teammate Kara Monk is 14th at 20:35.9. 

With none of the GNC schools projected to qualify, it may be a reprise of last weekend’s GNC race — plus a couple of others — to see who makes it individually.

“The girls’ side, that is a very difficult sectional,” Laggis said. “Macy was close last year, and she’s going to have to lay it down this year to do it. The difference is, she knows what it takes is she’s got the attitude right now. And, I’ll tell you what, Kara Monk is in the same boat just has improved in the leadership, in the quality of people they are is what stands out.” 

GNC champion Lindsay Kahn of Medford has the top time coming into sectionals at 19:21.1, followed by Lakeland freshman Emerson Rubo (19:30.3). Peshtigo’s Berkeley Chaltry is third (19:24.5) followed by Myers. Peshtigo’s Rachel Nelson in sixth is the last projected individual qualifier (19:40.15). However, Tomahawk’s Charlee Lund cannot be discounted after beating Myers for third at last week’s conference meet, nor can Lakeland freshman Addison Eggen, who’s 10th in the projections and finished fifth at conference last week.

Should the projections hold, the individual qualifying time from today’s D2 sectional may be more than a minute faster than last year when Myers was the first individual out after taking eighth in the Colby sectional at 20:54.1.

“That’s the number I have in my head,” Laggis said when asked if a sub-20 minute time might be necessary to qualify. “But those girls — both of them, Macy and Kara — are capable. They got to have the right day.”

Rhinelander does not have anyone else projected inside the top 50. Freshman Noelle Mayo comes in ranked 56th followed by junior Gabby Wanta in 60th. Regardless, with everyone aside from senior Grace Cornelius slated to return next year, Laggis said he hopes the girls’ team can use the race as a springboard into next season.

“Gabby Wanta, she came out of nowhere to really be a competitor for us, and I’m proud of her and how much she’s improved. Noelle Mayo has had a tough year with injury, but again, when you look (those two) and Kara and Macy, you start to really see, this could be the backbone of a real varsity team that can really do some damage a year from now,” he said. 

Today’s sectional race will be held at the Merrill Area Recreation Complex. The boys’ race will start at 4:15 p.m., with the girls to follow at 5 p.m.

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

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].