Athlete of the Week 2015

Week #8: Great Northern Conference (October 17, 2015)

Sara Kouba, senior

“Sara really pushed herself and ran the kind of race that we knew she could. She Pr’d by nearly two minutes and strategically put herself in a position that allowed her to do that. Her effort would have scored as the #3 runner for us on the varsity level and put us much closer with Mosinee in the overall results.”

Evan Ploeckelman, freshman

“in a strong program it’s not the norm for a freshman to make the varsity squad and earn a letter. Not only did Evan do that this year, but he is pushing our upperclassmen and making us a better team in the process. He ran a great race at Medford, breaking up the Lakeland lead pack and keeping their top three in striking distance. He earned a spot on the Sectional roster with his effort on Saturday and his hard work all season.”

Week #7: NPHS/Hatchet Invitational (October 6 & 10, 2015)

Kate Krueger, junior

“…after breaking the 23-minute barrier last week at Edgar, she was our lead runner at Pines on Tuesday running a strategically near perfect race in her medalist effort and again had a solid scoring performance at home on Saturday with her second best 5K ever. Kate has a quiet, yet effective approach to racing and a determination that makes her a real competitor when on the course.”

Troy VanStrydonk, senior

“…other than the race at Smiley when he was sick, Troy has been the model of consistency for us with seven of his eight races under 18 minutes finishing as our top runner. This week he once again accomplished that feat both at Eagle River and again at Tomahawk. Two of his last three races have been in the low 17’s and as he continues to improve he is getting very near the sub-17 minute barrier. It will take that kind of effort for him to advance on in the tournament series in a few weeks.”

Week #6: Edgar Invitational (September 29, 2015)

Dani Whiting, senior

“It was great to see how Dani handled the course this time around. We knew that it would only be a matter of getting more mileage under her belt and for some good speed workouts to take effect. She took the lead early and never looked back, knocking over a minute off of her previous time on the course. She is continuing to look better every week as indicated by her effort at Edgar. This race was a confidence booster for her at the right time of the season. A sub-20 effort is within her reach in the next few races.”

Lucas Tjugum, junior

“Lucas got out strong in the #5 spot, worked with his teammates and ran with confidence through the entire 5K, soaring to a solid PR effort in the process. The change in the weather has allowed Lucas to make the next jump in his training and racing. The late summer heat adversely effected his allergies and kept him from optimal performances in early September. His performance at Edgar was what he has been looking to do and we were pleased with his efforts. It may be the “boost” of confidence our boys team needed to race against the “best” in upcoming weeks.”

Week #5: Three Lakes Invitational (September 24, 2015)

Sara Kouba, senior

“Sara was one of our only veterans to P.R. at 4000 meters today. As a senior, to see her accomplish this feat and continue to push for a varsity position is a testament to her fortitude as an athlete. ”

Mason Webster, sophomore

“Mason made the jump to Cross-Country this fall and has impacted the team in a BIG way. His competitive nature and ‘never give up’ attitude has helped make us a better team this fall. He continues to contribute and improve on the varsity level, setting PR’s and scoring for us on a weekly basis. Three Lakes was no exception as he worked with his teammates to a near sub-18 minute 5K PR.”

Week #4: Smiley Invitational (September 19, 2015)

Rylie Swan, junior

“…coming off a couple of down weeks where we held her back from many practices due to a knee issue, this week she had an awesome week of practice and followed it up with a 5K PR effort at Smiley. She’s been challenging herself and is working hard at keeping herself in a scoring position on varsity. She has a lot of confidence and is continuing to run strong for us.”

Alex Johnson, junior

“…he saw Troy struggling early in the race and responded by taking over our top spot and bringing a couple of our other guys along with him, that’s a credit to his racing intelligence…additionally, Alex has trained really hard since a tough injury a year ago and is starting to test his limits now that he is healthy. It is exciting to see him crack the 18 minute 5K barrier.”

Week #3: Fall Creek Invitational (September 12, 2015)

Susan Waye, senior

“…she has been battling some early season injuries and has not been able to practice like she wants to. It didn’t show today as she ran with confidence. She was on a mission and crushed her competition running to the JV title by over a minute faster than the second place athlete. Also, her leadership skills and attentiveness to her teammates has been invaluable this season.”

Jakob Panzer, senior

“…his race strategy worked well at this meet as he sat back a little in the first mile, not letting his teammate (the top runner) get too far out of striking distance. He made a nice move in the hills to take the lead and never looked back coming out in the last 800 meters to take the JV title. Additionally, he has really stepped forward as a leader this early season and is doing an awesome job!”

Week #2: Marathon Invitational (September 3, 2015)

Lauren Bauman, sophomore

“Lauren had a super race, getting out with the top 1/3 of the race and working her way into a scoring position for us. She improved her 5000 meter time by over a minute from Ashland and P.R.’d in the process. She is focused and is making our team better with her efforts.”

Justin Jarvensivu, junior  

“Justin got out nice and worked hard the entire race as he had his highest team finish as a Hatchet harrier. He has such natural athletic abilities and it shows. He is using his stride length to his advantage and is learning what it is like to go anaerobic earlier in a race and how to work through it. We’re not quite sure at this point what his limits are. It wouldn’t surprise me if he becomes a scorer for us throughout the season.”

Week #1: Ashland Invitational (August 27, 2015)

Lizebeth Edwardsen, sophomore

“Lizebeth… for a newcomer to the sport, ran her last 3200 meters like a veteran. She passed over a dozen runners, including three of her teammates for a finishing effort that helped the girls secure their high finish. This race helped her gain confidence in her racing ability and with that she will continue to improve.”

Cayton Scholz, junior  

“Cayton is a three-sport athlete and it shows! Now, as an upperclassmen, he is maturing as an athlete and with his work ethic he is making a difference. He had an outstanding race and improved his time by over 2-minutes from last year on the same course and his position by 30 spots.”