Three more runners, three more miles

While the Rhinelander High School cross country team won’t have a team of athletes at the WIAA state meet, Saturday will mark the first time in coach M.J. Laggis’s tenure that he’s had entries in both the boys’ and girls’ races in the same season.

A trio of juniors —Avrom Barr, Jackson Weinzatl and Macy Myers — are set to compete for the Hodag harriers in Wisconsin Rapids. All three punched their tickets with strong performances Oct. 24 in the Merrill Division 2 sectional. 

It will be the second time at state for both Barr and Weinzatl, who were on the boys’ team that made it to Rapids last season. Myers will be making her first trip to state, after missing out last year by one position. 

While the Hodags hoped to make a return trip with their entire boys’ team, they came up seven points short last Friday. Laggis admitted it’s been bittersweet at practice this week in that regard, but the focus has been on trying to get the three qualifiers to have their best race come Saturday. 

“We wanted it to end differently, but that’s the idea, just to say, ‘Hey, you know, we want to go back next year and make some noise when we get there.’ It’s really good for these guys to get that experience. And you know, we got  three at least, so that’s really nice,” he said. “So, you just got to be all in on it and be happy for those three and really try to have a fun, spirited week.”

    Avrom Barr and Jackson Weinzatl run together during RHS cross country practice Tuesday, Oct. 28. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

It will be a bit of a full-circle moment for Barr and Weinzatl, who have always been among the two fastest in their class since they started running together in seventh grade. In fact, Barr credited Weinzatl for getting him into cross country in the first place. 

“One day I was biking, just around the middle school, and Jack said that I should try across country. I did, and now I’m here,” said Barr, who comes in after winning the individual Great Northern Conference and sectional titles. 

“I had a pretty good seventh grade. That’s about the last time I had him,” Weinzatl quipped. “I mean, eighth grade on, he’s been in front of me ever since. Obviously, (2025 RHS grad and two-time state qualifier) Greyson (Gremban) plays a big part in that role, taking him under his wing, making him really good, but it’s been a fun time watching Barr grow a runner. I roped him in seventh grade, and I don’t think he’s ever looked back.”

Myers only began running competitive last year and followed a breakout sophomore campaign with a record-setting junior season. She was fourth in both a competitive GNC meet and sectional race and now has twice broken the previous 5-kilometer school record that was held by the last Hodag girl to run in Wisconsin Rapids, Alayna Franson. 

Just like last spring, when she burst onto the scene as a record-setting pole vaulter and state-qualifying relay member for the Hodag track team, Myers admitted to being a little intimidated going into Saturday’s race, but said she will hope to draw upon her state track experience — where she finished eighth in the D2 pole vault — as inspiration.

“I’m a little scared to do it, but I’m just glad to try something new and go to the course, because I did watch it last year, so I kind of know what to expect a little bit, but I’ve never raced the course,” she said. “I was scared at state track and then it ended up being just fine, so I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

Experience on the twisty, turney, hilly layout at The Ridges golf course should help Barr and Weinzatl as they look to improve upon their performances at state last year. Barr was Rhinelander’s top finisher last year, coming home 44th with a time of 17 minutes, 3.4 seconds while Weinzatl placed 114th with a time of 18:17.0.

“I’m taking it the same way I did last year, just kind of focusing on my own race, kind of like how it was as of last year,” Weinzatl said. “We knew we weren’t going to perform as a team, but we just wanted to go. So I’m just kind of raced for myself and we’ll see how what we do.”

“I’m just gonna try to get out with the front of the pack — not get out too fast and not get out too slow — and just do my thing,” Barr said. “(It’s) the thing I’ve been doing all season long and, hopefully, (I’ll) throw down a 16 low or mid. That’d be amazing.”

Myers said she has modest expectations going into Saturday, but hopes to keep up with the three other runners from the GNC who qualified as individuals — Medford’s Lindsay Kahn, Lakeland’s Emerson Rubo and Tomahawk’s Charlee Lund.

“My goal is to get under 100th place. That’s my goal. I don’t know how it’ll go. I’m pretty sure it’s a pretty hilly course, but supposedly it’s easier than conference, so I’m hoping,” she said. “I definitely want to run with Charlee or Emerson and just stick with them, probably for most of the race. I probably would like to keep Emerson in my sights just to help like pace me throughout it, but, you know, we all have different strengths, and certain courses are hillier than others, so we’ll see how it goes.”

Myers may be selling herself short, if data and history have anything to say. Her school-record time of 19:29.98 last Friday was the 30th-fastest time across all eight Division 2 sectionals statewide, and would have placed first or second in four of them. Franson finished just off the podium in 11th place (19:47.66) in 2017, when she was posting similar times to Myers. Only 31 runners cracked the 20-minute mark at last year’s D2 state meet’s, and only 17 ran faster than 19:30.

“I don’t ever count any of our kids out, and I think Macy is just proven that she is a really tough, durable, long hauler,” Laggis said. “She can just get it done. And I just, I’m excited to see what she can do. She has nothing to lose, just go out there and lay it all on the line.”

Barr had the 45th-fastest sectional time in D2 last week while Weinzatl’s mark ranked 97th. While personal-best times have been known to happen, Laggis said the hilly layout makes putting down a fast time challenging — especially compared to the relatively flat course the Hodags ran in Merrill.

“I think it’s a little bit of an intimidating course, just in terms of all the rollers and just the grandeur of it, if that makes sense,” he said. “Just that finish when you come around and you’re going up that hill to the finish line, and just the throngs of people and the roar, it’s just something that you don’t forget when you’ve been there.”

The state meet will get underway at noon Saturday, with the boys’ races followed by the girls’ races. The gun will sound for the D2 boys’ race at 12:35 p.m. and the D2 girls will go off at 2:25.

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].