Hatchet harriers compete in Sectional meet; Rachael Reilly punches ticket to State

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For the Tomahawk Leader

BLACK RIVER FALLS – On Saturday, Oct. 22, the Tomahawk Hatchet cross country team made the trek to Skyline Golf Course in Black River Falls to compete in the WIAA Division 2 Sectional Cross Country Meet.

The weather was absolutely perfect, with an unnoticeable breeze with temperatures around 60 degrees at the hilly course.

A total of 17 teams faced the Hatchets for the right to advance to Wisconsin Rapids for the WIAA State Championships this weekend.

Kicking off the day’s races were the Lady Hatchets, who took 3rd place on the challenging course, missing out on going to state by one team.

All was not bleak, however, as Rachael Reilly again earned her spot to compete individually at the WIAA State Meet, as she led the team, placing 4th overall in a time of 20:58.

Continuing Tomahawk’s legacy of being represented at the state meet, making it the 28th time in a row (28 qualifying teams and 17 individual qualifiers), Rachael began the race in 6th place and made decisive moves to pace one runner each mile, putting her amongst the elite girls of the sectional meet.

“Rachael did an excellent job following the race plan immediately and worked with opposing athletes that she was familiar with to remain on pace,” said coach Steph Ahrens. “Running the hills masterfully while remaining in the top 10 of the race she solidified her third trip to the WIAA State Meet.”

The Hatchet ladies’ valiant effort was rounded out by sophomore Alli Palmer (16th-21:54), junior Halle Derleth (21st-22:19), senior Morgan Hansmann (24th-22:41), junior Kambyl Mattke (30th-23:03), junior Robin Schmidt (34th-23:18) and senior Serena Reinke (57th-26:19). There were 89 finishers in the girls’ race.

Once again, Medford won the meet with a score of 31 points, followed by West Salem with 55 points and Tomahawk with 91 points.

“Though the girls fell one team place short of qualifying for the state meet, we had some worthy performances on the difficult course,” said coach Kurt Cordova. “Alli and Halle ended their seasons on yet another high note with solid times for this course. Kambyl rose up to the challenge and ended the season being a varsity scorer – good signs for these girls next season.”

This completes the 2022 girls’ team season with a record of 90 teams beaten and 12 teams defeated by.

Photos by Bridgette Reilly.

The noon boys’ race would find the Hatchets squaring off against some of the finest Division 2 teams in the state. The tight race was won by Mauston with 72 points, followed by the other state qualifying team, West Salem with 78 points. The Hatchet boys would finish in 9th place with 208 points out of the 17 teams competing.

The Hatchet boys were led by junior Presley Gutbrod, who began the race in 34th place and managed to finish in 21st with a time of 18:33. The squad was completed with junior Owen Dickrell (38th-19:14), Sam Zastrow (41st-19:20), senior Ty Anthes (48th-19:29), junior Brett Borchardt (60th-20:06), sophomore Jacob Riemer (84th-21:37) and senior Taje Casey (90th-22:14). A total of 111 athletes finished the boys’ sectional race.

“Even though our boys couldn’t get anyone into the top 20 finishers, there were a few noteworthy performances, chiefly coming from senior Ty Anthes, who started the race in 68th place and finished in 48th taking full advantage of the hilly terrain,” said coach Bill Turgeon. “Presley ran a mid-18-minute 5k, which is knocking on the door of the elite runners in this sectional. If the boys can take what they’ve learned this season and hit the mileage in the offseason, we could see a very strong group next year.”

This wraps up the 2022 boys team season with a record of 74 teams beaten and 27 teams defeated by.

“With this being the final race for the majority of the team, it also means it was the last race of our seniors,” said coach Connor Ahrens. “The coaching staff will miss Morgan Hansmann, Serena Reinke, Ty Anthes, Jacob Towle and Taje Casey. They have put a lot of time, dedication and effort into this program. A great mix of personalities that kept the team going throughout the season.”

The Great Northern Conference will be well represented in Wisconsin Rapids this weekend. Along with the girls from Medford, the boys from Lakeland also qualified (out of the Oconto Falls Sectional). Individual boys’ state qualifiers from Rhinelander, Antigo, Medford and girls’ athletes from Mosinee, Tomahawk and Northland Pines will be competing.

This Saturday, Rachael Reilly will represent Tomahawk at the WIAA State Cross Country Championships at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids. The Division II girls’ race begins at 12:40 p.m.

Rachael Reilly, second from left, punched her ticket to State with a 4th-place finish at the Sectional meet in Black River Falls on Saturday.

Athletes of the Week

Robin Schmidt – “Robin went through last season gaining time as the season progressed, not running to her potential, mainly due to nagging injuries that haven’t been easily extinguished. Yet this season she has worked with the coaching staff when it became necessary to combat these injuries with trust and communication. This has led to a great bounce back season, running consistent varsity-level times. Had the conditions been better at the conference meet, she might have ran a personal record time. At the sectional meet, she powered up the hills to go from 40th place to finishing in 34th out of 89 varsity runners. Whether Robin knows it or not, she is an offseason motivator who is a vital component to this girls’ team. If the girls are to establish themselves as a dominant force again, they will need Robin’s motivation and leadership to help guide the team forward.”
Jacob Riemer – “Newcomers to the program don’t always have an instant effect on the team’s placing, but Jacob has been running on the varsity squad all season long. Proving he belongs time and time again, especially in his 19:50 5k effort at the home invitational. Not being intimidated by the hills at the sectional meet, Jacob started the race in 97th place and worked his way down to 84th, sticking to the race plan and progressively pushing himself as the race went on. He has made himself a very coachable athlete, which will benefit him immensely in the years to come. The coaching staff looks to Jacob with great hope, as he is a part of the upcoming new wave of boys that could prove to be a force to be reckoned with if they get adequate mileage in the offseason and gain necessary speed competing in track and field.” Photos courtesy of Connor Ahrens.
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