Athlete of the Week 2016

Week #7: Hatchet Invite- (October 8, 2016)

Rylie Swan… “…she went out aggressively and rode the ‘fast’ and ‘ideal’ conditions to a P.R. To see her have this kind of success is a credit to how hard she is working and to her determination as an athlete. Rylie has also been a great role model for the younger athletes. Along with the other the seniors she is making Cross-Country ‘FUN’ for her team mates.”

Keegan Karlen… “…he made a nice move just after the mile and put himself in a position to win. He raced like a veteran over the last 3000 meters. For a first year athlete, he is racing like a veteran. His competitive nature really helps and his effort earned him a varsity spot for the upcoming conference race at 9-mile recreation center. That’s another fast course that will be to his liking!” 

Week #6: Edgar Invite & Waupaca Invite – (September 27/29, 2016)

Maggee Renn, senior

Maggie Renn… “Maggie has had a couple of solid races this week, shoring up our #2 spot and creeping ‘ever so close’ to her PR. She is running with a lot of confidence and making us stronger as a team. Her attitude is infectious as well, and the rest of the girls are responding similarly. The senior leadership we are seeing from our girls both in practice and out has been outstanding and Maggee has been an integral part of this!”

Cayton Scholz… “Cayton is sort of our unsung ‘hero’, as he is a ‘key’ part of our scoring pack every meet. He works hard in practice and is an intelligent meet day racer, helping position our pack where it can do the most damage at meets. A lot of the younger athletes on the team look up to Cayton, he is a great role model for them not only on the athletic venue but also in the classroom.”    

Week #5: Oshkosh Lourdes Invitational- (September 24, 2016)

Morgan Waye, junior

Morgan Waye… “…for the second straight week Morgan ran a career best effort and scored for us. In the past two weeks she has shaved over a minute off of her PR. She is working hard in practice and it is showing in her performance at these challenging meets. She is a great role model for the younger athletes with her level of focus and determination.”

Evan Ploeckelman, sophomore

Evan Ploeckelman… “…Evan continues to improve nearly every week. He is running strong with our top boys “pack” and is showing a lot of confidence for a sophomore. He sets the bar high for himself every race and works hard in competition to achieve his goals. Another feather in his cap is that he is also stellar in the classroom, a tough combination as a dedicated athlete!”

Week #4: “Smiley” Invitational-Wausau (September 17, 2016)

Olivia Weber, sophomore

Olivia Weber… “…in her first season out for Cross-Country she has been a contributing varsity scorer on a consistent basis for us. She gained a lot of confidence this past Track season on the varsity relays and is bringing that attitude to the Cross-Country venue. She had a solid race today for us in the #3 position, working her way to a career best 5K effort as well.”

Luke Olson, junior

Luke Olson… “…he made a push for a varsity spot last week at Fall Creek and followed it up today at Smiley with a career best 5K effort. He is a real competitor and is able to rise to the level of his competition.  I was especially impressed with how he finished down the stretch at Smiley, he was one of only two  of our varsity boys that improved his position in the last 1600 meters.”

Week #3: Fall Creek Invitational (September 10, 2016)

Gillian Buckwalter, freshman

“Gillian Buckwalter…although she is relatively new to the sport and started after our early season camp, she is making her presence known in a BIG way. After actually earning a varsity-level position in her first race last week, we mutually agreed to get a little more racing experience ‘under her belt’ and held her back to race JV this week. She responded by learning some ‘front pack’ racing strategy and earned her first individual invitational title. There’s no holding her back any more!”

Matt Johnson, freshman

“Matt Johnson….for a freshman he is doing an awesome job! He is racing like a veteran. His background from running middle level last year at Rosholt is proving to be a valuable asset. He has excellent form and has a great racing instinct. He allows things to develop during the race and doesn’t panic. This is a veteran-like characteristic! (Although he is only a freshman!)  ”

Week #2: Marathon Invitational (September 1, 2016)

Meagan Berg, freshman

“Meagan had a super race, getting out in a competitive position and improving her position by a half-dozen runners in the last mile. The coaching staff liked how she responded as a competitor, once she realized she was a scorer for us with 2000 meters to go in the race. Additionally, she improved her 5000 meter time by nearly three-minutes from Ashland! For someone ‘new’ to the sport, she is making a difference with her efforts.”

Mason Webster, junior

“Mason once again got out strong and worked with his teammates through the entire race, finishing with a ‘head of steam’ and leading a host of Hatchets to medalist honors. It’s nice to see him racing healthy, after a nearly catastrophic injury in track that reduced his summer mileage significantly in the recovery process. He loves to compete. That type of attitude is contagious and will be invaluable in helping the boys continue to develop this season.”

Week #1: Ashland Invitational (August 25, 2016)

Haley Voermans-Dean, freshman

“…her experience in our middle level program really showed and her transition to high school was seamless… she knows how to run in the lead pack and works hard to maintain her pacing… This race helped her gain confidence in her racing ability as a high schooler and with that she will continue to improve. To earn medalist honors in your first multi-team high school invitational is quite an accomplishment for any freshman.”

Alex Johnson, senior

“Alex is very ‘team-oriented’ and worked hard through-out the race to keep our pack together. It wasn’t until the last 400 meters that he created separation from his teammates and finished strong passing a couple of opposing athletes to earn a medal. His leadership has been instrumental in many of our early season workouts and activities.”