Barr, Myers score top 10s for Hodag harriers in Marshfield

Rhinelander’s two top runners at the start of the season continued to shine Tuesday in a non-conference invite in Marshfield.

    Barr
  

Junior Avrom Barr was the runner-up in the boys’ division and junior Macy Myers scored a seventh-place finish in the girls’ race as the Hodag cross country team competed in the Tiger Invitational at Marshfield’s Wildwood Park. 

Times were fast across the board on Tuesday, and the Hodags were no exception. Barr covered the 5-kilometer course in 16 minutes, 40 seconds, which was the fastest time of his career in on a course that was a full 5,000 meters. 

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Myers also turned in a personal best with a time of 20:35, which was roughly 19 seconds faster than the time she posted last year at sectionals.

“Avrom Barr we’re just so impressed with the growth he’s made and really excited to see what he does by the end of the year as well,” Hodag coach M.J. Laggis said. “Macy ran fantastic. Early in that race, I had her, I think, 12th or maybe even 14th at one point. She just kept climbing and, all of a sudden, I saw her at about the 1.6-mile mark and she just was emerging. Just typical Macy, just gets stronger as the race goes.”

The Hodag boys finished fifth out of 12 qualifying teams in the 18-school meet while the Hodags girls, with a couple of typical scorers out of the lineup, were eighth out of 13 eligible teams. 

Junior Jackson Weinzatl was Rhinelander’s No. 2 runner on the boys’ side Tuesday. He finished 17th overall with a season-best time of 18:14. Jonathan Campbell was 34th (18:58), Michael Brunette was 39th (19:15) and Grant Gremban was 58th (19:58).

“I thought that was our most solid growth gain, on the boy side with Avrom and then Jocko (Weinzatl), Johnny and then Mikey, then Grant,” Laggis said. “Johnny Campbell today, he had a rough first half of the race, and I thought he was just kind of falling by the wayside. He just came on like gangbusters at the end and really ran well. So, boys, a lot to be encouraged about. One thing that we we’ve been saying as coaches, we’re young, we’re trying to just keep getting better, and that’s just what we’re doing. So it’s really encouraging.”

Junior Kara Monk posted a career-best time as she came home 21st (22:20). Gretchen Fiebke, back in the lineup after missing last Tuesday’s Mosinee Invite, was 53rd (24:47).

“Kara Monk had a really nice PR today and it ran in second and she just continues to impress all of us,” Laggis said. “She’s just getting better. She’s stronger, and is really, really starting to grow as a runner. So that was great to see. Gretchen ran a nice race tonight in the three hole.”

Junior Gabby Wanta (knee) and freshman Noelle Mayo (ankle) were scratched from Tuesday’s race, leaving the Hodags without two runners who were in the team’s top five in the first two races of the season. The team saw some depth emerge, however. Junior, and first-year runner, Morgan Cahee was the team’s fourth finisher in 84th. Her time of 27:18 was a roughly three-minute improvement from her personal best. Sophomore Emily Schiek also turned in a personal best, finishing 86th (27:39).

“We really had, what was a nice performance by Morgan Cahee, dropped over three minutes. Just fantastic. She’s excited. She’s really starting to come on and improve,” Laggis said. “Her times aren’t earth-shattering right now, but that’s one of those kids where you’ll want to see where she’s at, at the end of the year and then going into next year, because she’s really growing with the program already this year. 

“Emily Schiek did a great job for us tonight, scoring in the five hole. I’m just happy that she ran well. We want to get some girls back, obviously, but they sure did their part.”

Matthew Wood (72nd, 20:34) and Wyatt Crowell (82nd, 21:35) rounded out the boys’ squad while Grace Cornelius (95th, 29:00) and Adeline Olson (96th, 29:37) competed the running order for the Hodag girls. 

Marshfield swept the boys’ and girls’ titles at its home invite. Marshfield’s Marshall Neve won the boys’ race, finishing roughly nine second ahead of Barr. Pittsville’s Kailyn Grossman (19:46) claimed the girls’ race. 

Rhinelander was one of three GNC schools in the field. Medford took eighth and Mosinee was 10th in the boys’ race. Medford was third and Mosinee finished 12th in the girls’ division.

Next up, the Hodags travel to Stevens Point Saturday for an invite at Standing Rocks Park.

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

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].