Hatchet harriers take part in Marathon Invitational

/ Sports

For the Tomahawk Leader

RIB MOUNTAIN – On Thursday, Sept. 8, the Tomahawk High School cross country team traveled to Nine-Mile Recreation Area in Rib Mountain for the 15thannual Marathon Invitational.

The cooler conditions and a pre-established racing route made for a more comfortable race. The Tomahawk boys’ team again took 5th, same as last year, while the girls’ team took 3rd place.

The boys’ team was led by Senior Sam Zastrow, who took 11th with a blistering time of 17:17, nearly qualifying him for the Hatchet All-Time Boys 5k list of sub 17 minutes. Other finishers for the boys were Beau Stromberg (33rd-18:35), Jeremiah Johnson (35th-18:36), Dominic Boos (43rd-18:58), Drew Voermans (46th-19:15), Nathan Rosenmeier (52nd-19:30), Joe Zastrow (72nd-20:46), Luke Morrison (77nd-20:59), Dawson Jones (78th-21:00), Karson Hanse (80th-21:09), Mason Riebe (84th-21:17), Bruce Peetz (87th-21:21), Ryan Montag (89th-21:22), Elliot O’Connor (93rd-21:40), Will Boneck (107th-22:36) and Gerard Gorell (111th-23:12).

“Since camp, I’ve been extremely impressed by the boys’ team work ethic and speed,” said coach Jerett Flynn. “Having a senior nearly go sub 17-minutes in a 5k, along with three other teammates running sub-19 minutes this early in the season, is clear evidence of these aspects. Though their work is far from over, if the boys can continue pushing their limits, they may be surprising quite a few teams this season when it counts.”

Boys’ team scores: DC Everest-39, Rib Lake-Prentice-55, Marshfield-90, Marathon-93, Tomahawk-138, Waupaca-138, Merrill-210, Wittenberg-Brinamwood-228, John Edwards-263, Pittsville-INC, Nekoosa-INC, Three Lakes-INC, Faith Christian-INC, Auburndale-INC, Athens-INC.

Despite losing their leading senior during the race, junior Lydia Shaney stepped up and led the Hatchet girls with an 11th-place finish in a time of 20:44. Other finishers for the girls were Norah Mann (20th-21:55), Ellie Micke (23rd-22:25), Faith Derleth (24th-22:27), Reese Molitor (28th-22:41), Abbie Rosenmeier (37th-24:01), Elizabeth Arnott (46th-24:49), Reagan Gorell (56th-26:14) and Jennie Frederickson (59th-26:33).

“We had several girls that stepped up when the team needed it,” said coach Steph Ahrens. “Lydia Shaney and Reese Molitor ran great times, and Faith Derleth went from 31st at the mile to 24th. If our girls are going to cement themselves as a top-tier team of our sectional, this will be a necessity down the stretch.”

Girls’ team scores: Marshfield-55, Wittenberg-Birnamwood-79, Tomahawk-89, Auburndale-93, Marathon-138, Pittsville-146, Three Lakes-169, Waupaca-170, Merrill-223, Nekoosa-INC, Rib Lake-Prentice-INC, Faith Christian-INC, Abbotsford-INC, Athens-INC.

“Our team enjoyed the similar course to conference last season, which again yielded some solid times,” said coach Connor Ahrens. “Our athletes are well aware of the tangents in this course, which makes a big difference. Another enjoyable aspect of this race is having the chance to see our middle school team compete. Both girls and boys finished 4th place and had some great individual performances out of Lund, Palmer, Ristau and Zorn. This is a great sign for Tomahawk cross country future success.”

Athletes of the Week

Reese Molitor – “A quality leader on our girls’ team is Reese Molitor. She has been providing stable leadership since the start of the season and continues to be a valuable asset to the girls’ team. Despite having a rough start at Rhinelander, Reese dropped 82 seconds comparatively to the last time she raced at Nine Mile Forest. The team needed a few to step up, and Reese answered the call by running a new personal record of 22:41 while going from 8th place on the team to 5th. If the Hatchet girls have success later in the season, a large part will be due to Reese’s efforts.”
Dawson Jones – “One of the hardest-working middle school athletes Tomahawk has seen come through is making his high school cross country debut this year. Similar to our other Athlete of the Week, Dawson struggled at Rhinelander and learned just how valuable it is to be hydrated and ready for a meet. Dawson didn’t let anything surprise him in his second official meet of the year at Marathon’s Nine Mile Forest, running the course in 21 minutes for a new season best. The coaching staff has taken notice that at every practice, Dawson always takes the workouts seriously and is never lacking in effort. We are sure he will someday be a vital component of an impressive boys’ team.” Photos courtesy of Connor Ahrens.
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