16 Raiders among GNC’s honorees

Joe Sullivan’s two long-distance championships, Bryn Fronk’s 400-meter title and victories by the girls 800-meter and 3,200-meter relay teams highlighted Medford’s list of 16 athletes who earned 2021 All-Great Northern Conference track and field honors.

Sullivan was a nominee for the conference’s Boys Runner of the Year award after winning the 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter runs at the June 8 GNC championships, which were held at Medford’s Raider Field. The award ultimately went to Mosinee senior Cyle Kowalski, who won the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes as well as the long jump.

Sullivan won the 1,600-meter race in 4:37.71 to earn first-team All-GNC honors by 10.91 seconds over Sam Gremban of Northland Pines. Honorable mentionee Alex Norman of Tomahawk finished in 5:07.9. Later in the meet, after a lengthy lightning delay, Sullivan posted what was then his best time in the 3,200-meter run at 10:00.42, 11.86 seconds ahead of Tomahawk senior Drew Bolder. Medford senior Jack Tlusty earned his first All-GNC track award by placing third and gaining honorable mention in 12:00.26.

Sullivan went on to advance to the WIAA Division 2 state championships in both events, earning a medal and placing fifth in the 1,600-meter run in 4:24.27 and taking ninth in the 3,200-meter run at 9:56.72. Both times were personal bests.

Medford had one more All-GNC boys performer. Senior Ty Baker earned second- team honors in the triple jump with what was then a personal-best effort of 41 feet, 1.25 inches. Mosinee’s Kyle Miller beat him by a half-inch, while Tomahawk senior Adam Hall got honorable mention by finishing a half-inch behind Baker.

Baker went on to jump 42-1.5 at the WIAA Division 2 Medford regional and 41-6.5 at the WIAA Division 2 Osceola sectional to advance to state, where he placed 16th at 39-9.

Miller was named the GNC Field Athlete of the Year after winning the triple jump and taking second in the high jump at 5-10. Mosinee’s Greg Jensen was named the GNC Boys Coach of the Year after leading the Indians to their first-ever conference team title. Mosinee edged Rhinelander 149.5-144 to win the meet. Medford was fourth with 91.5 points, just behind Northland Pines (93).

Girls awards

All four of Medford’s relay teams, consisting of 11 different individuals, earned All-GNC awards, led by the champion 3,200-meter and 800-meter teams.

The 3,200-meter team of junior Alexis Fleegel, junior Jennifer Kahn, sophomore Brooke Rudolph and senior Alicia Kawa easily won its race in 10:36.29. There were just three teams in the race. Tomahawk took second-team honors at 11:08.51 and Mosinee got honorable mention in 12:55.21.

Medford later advanced to state in the race with the combination of Fleegel, Kahn, Kawa and freshman Meredith Richter earning a sixth-place medal in 9:47.39.

The 800-meter team of senior Marissa Fronk, junior Sophie Brost, sophomore Alyssa Brandner and freshman Jaylin Machon pulled away from Tomahawk to win its race by a 1.91-second margin over Tomahawk and a 3.95-second margin over Antigo.

Honorable mention went to the thirdplace 400- and 1,600-meter teams. In the 400, Brost joined the freshman trio of Brenley Beran, Lindsey Klapatauskas and Machon to finish in 54.54 seconds. They trailed Rhinelander (52.06) and Mosinee (53.88) and edged Northland Pines by 0.11 seconds for third place. Medford later advanced to state in this race with the combination of Marissa Fronk, Brost, Machon and Bryn Fronk placing 11th in 51.71 seconds.

Medford closed the GNC meet with senior Karli Higgins, Brandner, Rudolph and Bryn Fronk taking third in the 1,600-meter race at 4:26.27 behind Lakeland (4:17.65) and Mosinee (4:17.7) and ahead of fourth-place Tomahawk (4:29.25).

Bryn Fronk was Medford’s lone individual GNC champion. Her first-team spot came in the 400-meter dash at 1:01.57 as she beat Lakeland sophomore Grace Kern (1:02.23) and Mosinee junior Sydney Leszczynski (1:04.51). Fronk also got honorable mention in the 200-meter dash at 27.01 seconds behind Mosinee junior Kate Fitzgerald (25.92) and Antigo freshman MacKenzie Wissbroecker (26.69).

Marissa Fronk added an honorable mention finish in the 100-meter dash at 13.25 seconds behind Wissbroecker (12.54) and Fitzgerald (12.62). She was fourth in the 200-meter dash, 0.28 seconds behind her sister.

Kawa earned All-GNC second-team honors in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs behind superstar freshman Nora Gremban of Northland Pines, who went on to win Division 2 state championships in the 800- and 1,600-meter races and was named the GNC’s Girls Runner of the Year. Kawa later qualified for state in the 3,200-meter race. In the GNC, Kawa ran the 1,600 in 5:37.78 to finish 13.53 seconds behind Gremban and she ran the 3,200 in 12:13.79 to finish 1:14.59 behind Gremban.

Medford freshmen Ella Daniels and Machon tied for the second place in the GNC pole vault competition by clearing 7-6. They trailed Lakeland’s Olivia Wingo (10-0). Machon capped a four-award day by placing third in the 100-meter high hurdles at 18.52 seconds, trailing Mosinee’s Claire Selenske (17.55) and Malina Carattini (18.18).

With 136 points, Medford finished second in the team standings behind new GNC power Mosinee (197.5), who won its first GNC title since 2010 under the leadership of Coach of the Year Craig Martens. Antigo senior Heather Arlen was named Field Athlete of the Year by winning the shot put and discus competitions.