ATHENS – For the first time in four years, the Tomahawk Middle School cross country teams returned to Erbach Park in Athens to join the high school team at their annual invitational.
Coach Justin Lund said the boys continued to find themselves in the mix finishing 9th, but only eight points out of 6th.
The boys’ top finishers once again sprinted it out to the line, with Max Childers (13th) just edging out Blake Diermeier (14th) in 11:40 over the 3000 meter course. Hector Luna-Perez (37th), and Max Micke (43rd) would follow. Callen Madlung (62nd), Kamden Hanse (63rd) and Chastin Dziura (64th) would all race each other to the line and close out Tomahawk’s top-seven scoring pack.
Hatchets crossing the finish line also included; Oliver Carew (71st), George Van Asten (81st), Finn Childers (85th), Aydin Michael (86th), Cylus Hilgendorf (94th), Garrett Klesmith (102nd), Vallyn Ott (103rd), Jaymason Schram (111th), Brody Younker (114th) and Micah Cerkas (119th).
The girls’ race was quite similar to the boys’, and yet had their best team performance of the season, placing 7th only five points out of 5th place, Lund noted.
Jayda DeVillers had yet another top-10 podium, placing 9th overall in the 100-plus runner field.
Closing the gap to the Lady Hatchets’ leader were Maci Bandura (26th), Ashtyn Vassar (33rd), and Anna Eastwood (36th).
Rounding out the Hatchet scoring pack were Lucy Nelson (59th), Leigha Vassar (60th), and Allie Reiff (62nd). Adeline Voermans (64th), Emma Childers (65th), Fjola Erickson (72nd), Alaina Stogbauer (80th), Nevaeh Mathis (82nd), Avery Copiskey (91st) and Vanessa Patterson (92nd).
Milestones of the Week
Lund provided the following Milestones of the Week.
Anna Eastwood – Anna is that one athlete you can look at your watch and know that within seconds she will appear when you expect it. Her knee has been a bit on the sore side on and off throughout the year, but our plan has left some room to gain some rest. Her attitude towards practice each day and efforts during the summer at the track meets up in Rhinelander, as well as group runs, have really set her up for the great improvement she’s shown. She is part of a stellar group of young 6th graders that, if they stick together, they have the potential to make some noise at the high school level.
Nevaeh Mathis – She has once again put up a huge number of improved performances and genuinely wants to get better every day. The amount of time she’s improved in her mile and on the course are jaw-dropping. She still has her best races ahead of her, and her growth in the sport will only continue with the kind of attitude she brings each day.
Avery Copiskey – Avery had left the Rhinelander meet after a great race with a re-aggravated injury she had during the late summer, which left her out of the practice and meets up until Athens. Upon her return, she had been a great supporter at meets and came into the week ready to compete the best she can. She didn’t let the time off scare her from pushing herself and had a very solid race to show for it.
Jaymason Schram – This sport carries quite the learning curve that you wouldn’t expect, since it’s “just running,” but he’s had to be creative with his plan on how to just get to the finish line to keep his breathing in check. All season long, you could see him push himself just a bit more each week, and the amount of time he improved in racing and in his mile are more than notable. The more he gets comfortable with running, the more he seems to enjoy his time at practice, and we all notice this and love to see the change.
Garrett Klesmith – Each passing week, it appears that Garrett has gained more and more confidence in his own ability, and with that, we see him interacting more with everyone on the team and coaching staff. We also have seen his huge improvement on the clock at meets and practices.
Cylus Hilgendorf – He’s had some soreness with his foot and ankle throughout the season, but nothing that could stop him from getting out on the course and doing his best. He’s another runner that you could set a watch to. He’s one of the most talkative of the bunch and is one of the first to come up to a coach and ask about his results.
This week’s action
On Thursday, Oct. 9, the middle school runners will host an invitational, marking the team’s final meet of the season.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here