Colby (OnFocus) – The WIAA Cross Country Meet is at three different sites in 2020, with the Division 2 race to be held at Colby High School. Here is a breakdown of area Division 2 runners competing on Saturday:
Session B
12:30 p.m. – Girls Race
1:10 p.m. – Boys Race
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Area Division 2 GIRLS: Session B 12:30
Individual
- Savannah Schley (Loyal/Greenwood)
- Jennifer Omernik (Amherst)
Colby Hornets
- Willow Oehmichen
- Daisy Feiten
- Trinity Severson
- Mercedes Sarkkinen
- Casey Reynolds
- Reagan Schraufnagel
- Payton Roth
Colby girls, individuals in D2 earn state berth
Area Division 2 BOYS: Session B 1:10
- Avrey Horvath (Loyal/Greenwood)
- Skylar Drinka (Neillsville/Granton)
Division 1 Preview: Click HERE
Marshfield Tigers: Grateful to be competing: Read the article HERE
Division 2 Preview
(From the WIAA)
DIVISION 2 BOYS NOTES: The reduced field of teams and competitors has four teams that participated in the State meet last season, including two team champions, and 11 individuals returning following finishes in the top 16 last year. Three-time champion Valders is back in pursuit of its fourth consecutive team championship with three returning runners that helped secure the crown last year, including two individuals that placed in the top 14. Aquinas was the team champion in Division 3 the past two seasons. The Blugolds move up to challenge for the Division 2 title with five returning runners from last year’s squad. Freedom moved up to third in the team standings last season after an 11th-place finish in 2018. They return five runners attempting to be among the challengers for the team title. Deerfield/Cambridge and Winneconne finished ninth and 10th last year, respectively. They both return four runners to the meet this season. Osceola finished 13th a year ago, and the Chieftains enter the meet with three runners that competed in last year’s meet. The race for the individual title in Division 2 may be hotly contested. Senior Leo Richardson of Edgewood is back for another shot at the championship. He is the top returning runner from last year’s meet after finishing runner-up. Also joining the field this year is the third- and fourth-place finishers in Division 3 last season. Hunter Krepline of Brillion moves up after finishing third in 2019, ninth in 2018 and 19th in 2017. Senior Andrew Skemp of Aquinas was fourth a year ago in Division 3. Other returning runners expected to be among the leaders after finishing in the top 10 in Division 2 last year are junior Shane Griepentrog of Valders, who was eighth, and Senior Jack Reiter of Freedom, who was ninth. Also looking to move up in the results are seniors Jakob Eggen of St. Croix Central and Brady Niemeier of West Salem, who placed 11th and 12th last year, respectively. Junior Nathaniel Osborne of Brookfield Academy moves up from Division 3 to challenge for a top-10 position after placing 11th last season and 18th in 2018. Three other placers within the top 20 last year in Division 2 are back for another opportunity to compete at State. They include junior Clay Taylor of Valders, who was 14th last year and 21st in 2018; junior Zach Huffman of Deerfield/Cambridge, who was 15th; and junior Drew Stephens of University School of Milwaukee, who was 17th. Senior Charlie McKinney of West Salem has qualified for the fourth straight season hoping to return to the success he had with an eighth-place finish in 2017.
GIRLS DIVISION 2 NOTES: The reduced field of teams and competitors has six teams that qualified and competed last season and 12 individuals returning after finishes in the top 20. Osceola is the top returning team after a runner-up finish a year ago. The Chieftains return four runners from last year’s State-qualifying team. Freedom placed third last season, second in 2018 and won back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017. The Irish return five participants that ran in the State meet last season. Winneconne returns four runners from the team that placed sixth last season, and Tomahawk and Lake Mills return with four competitors from teams that placed ninth and 10th, respectively. The only other top-20 team from last season’s championships returning to the field this year is Kewaskum, which has three runners back for the team that placed 15th. Individually, junior Kayci Martensen of Southwestern/Benton/Cuba City is seeking a second straight crown in addition to her third-place finish in 2018. She should expect a challenge from junior Anna Gallagher of Two Rivers, who was runner-up to Martensen last season coming off a fifth-place finish in 2018. Four others finishing within the top nine a year ago that should contend for medals this year are sophomore Rachel Ulrich of Osceola, who was fifth last year; junior Jessica Wilson of Little Chute, who was sixth; sophomore Mikaela Helling of Two Rivers, who was seventh; and sophomore Kaitlyn Carlson of St. Croix Central, who placed ninth. The remaining top-20 finishers last year returning this year are sophomore Mya Hartjes of University School of Milwaukee, who was 11th; senior Savannah Schley of Loyal/Greenwood, who moves up a division following a 12th-place run in Division 3 last season and a 15th-place finish in 2018; senior Mya Kizer of St. Croix Central, who was 14th; sophomore Joey Perry of Winneconne, who was 18th; and junior Sophie Moravec of Martin Luther, who was 19th last year and 18th in 2018; and senior Elle Erato of Catholic Memorial, who was 20th.
Qualifiers & Session Assignments
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
