Athlete of the Week

Week #8: GNC Championships-Rhinelander (Oct 13, 2018)

Emily Lacina, freshman

“…she’s been working thru some late season soreness and we’ve been forced to reduce her ground strike in practice, to see her have a solid race at tournament time is a credit to her mental toughness as an athlete and competitor. For a freshman to make the All-Conference squad is awesome and quite an accomplishment.”

Reed Zedler, junior

“…he’s had some solid races in recent weeks and has had a nice finish to his season. To be able to PR in these conditions on a course that was not favorable to run great times was another indicator of what an individual can accomplish with the right attitude and approach to any challenge.”

Week #7: Hatchet Invite- (Oct 6, 2018)

Olivia Kiser, freshman

“…Olivia joined the team at the end of the third week and has been practicing diligently with her sights set on finishing her first high school 5k. After working on race pacing the previous three races, she was able to achieve her goal with a respectable result.”

Trey Miller, junior

“… Trey has been working hard all season with an ultimate goal of breaking the 25-minute barrier. He went out aggressively and ran a great 2nd mile which set him up for a strong finish and chance at achieving his goal.”

Week #6: Athens Invite- (Sept 27, 2018)

Meagan Berg, junior

“…she got out a little faster at this race and ran a strong last 2000 meters passing top runners from Three Lakes and Phillips to finish with her best effort to date of her career. To crack the 21-minute barrier is something we knew she was capable of and it will give her a lot of confidence as we approach tournament time. She moved into the 3rd on the All-Time 5K list with her effort today, quite an accomplishment for her!”

Hunter Borchardt, sophomore

“…for the second week in a row Hunter ran a PR and looked smooth and relaxed in the process. He was in the scoring mix again for our junior varsity and is also making the athletes in front of him work hard to keep their varsity spots. He is challenging himself and continues to push himself to new levels as he finds another gear to race in each week! He is part of a strong sophomore class that is making great choices as they continue to improve as athletes in our program.”

Week #5: Three Lakes Invite- (Sept 21, 2018)

Jackie Wick, senior

“…Jackie crushed her P.R. and had the best race of her career. She has really stepped it up this year and is filling that last varsity spot out well for us. With her 15th place finish, she was in front of all the scoring teams 4th runners today and helped inflate the opponents’ scores. As a senior, her leadership with the girls has been awesome. It’s nice to see everything come together for her in her last year with the program!”

Matt Bartz, senior

“…Matt continues to push himself to new levels. He is working hard for a varsity spot and is keeping the guys in front of him on their toes. No one can afford to have an ‘off’ night. Although Matt is only in his second year in the sport, he is making a difference on the team with his positive attitude and leadership skills. Matt too was in front of every teams #3 runner today, quite an accomplishment!”

Week #4: Smiley Invite- (Sept. 15, 2018)

Emily Lacina, freshman

“…Emily didn’t get out of the gates exceptionally fast at Smiley, but she didn’t panic and by the last mile she picked off several runners down the stretch. For a freshman she has been tested by a variety of racing strategies in the first part of our season and she’s learning fast how to adapt. We are proud of how our youth have stepped in and become such an integral part of our success.”

Sam VonSchrader, senior

“…Sam crushed his PR by 40 seconds in the JV race and earned a podium finish in the process. He really ran with a lot of confidence today and got in a nice groove with the teammates he was working with. He has been an important part of this program for the past four years and it’s great to see his efforts paying off for him.”

Week #3: Fall Creek Invite- (Sept. 8, 2018)

Tiana Gerstenberger, sophomore

“…Tiana in her first year of high school Cross-Country has found her niche and is getting better each race as she grows as a Cross-Country runner. It was nice to see her get her first individual race title and literally crush the field in the process! Her nearest competitor was over a minute behind her.”

Arden Ziert, freshman

“…Arden is on the cusp of varsity and is making those guys work harder at every practice and meet to hold their team positions. He really looked good coming down the home stretch today as he grabbed the title. Arden has such a natural stride and solid turnover, he will impact the varsity level in a big way in his future years in the program.”

Week #2: Freedom Invite- (August 31, 2018)

Haley Voermans-Dean, junior

“…she is such a natural athlete and gifted runner who uses these gifts to the best of her ability. She was able to get out of traffic early and find herself with the main lead pack when it was important early in the race to establish position. Despite the nagging heat, mid race she was able to finish strong and secure that top-25 medalist effort finish.”

Kate Reilly, freshman

“…having had success as a middle level runner in our program she has huge expectations of herself. It’s awesome that she is making progress towards her season goals and working her way into a varsity position. To get her first hardware as a high school athlete was quite an accomplishment as well.