Colby girls 2nd at Don Chase Relays

You won’t find a closer race than the one the Colby girls cross-country team ran last Thursday at the Don Chase Relays in Weyauwega-Fremont. But when it was all said and done, Amherst just barely squeaked by Colby, 59-60.

The Don Chase Relays saw improvement from nearly all runners and the Colby girls are in near perfect form as they head into the Cloverbelt Championships this weekend.

Senior Daisy Feiten is a favorite to earn first team all conference as she eclipsed 21 minutes for the first time in her career, racing out to a new personal best of 20:49 last week for third overall.

Mercedes Sarkkinen also collected a new PR in Weyauwega-Fremont with a time of 21:34 for 13th overall. Willow Oehmichen came next, placing 14th in 21:44. Senior Trinity Severson tied her PR at 21:46, finishing behind Oehmichen for 15th place.

MaKenna Herrmann destroyed her previous season best by over 90 seconds. In just her second race with Colby, Herrmann was the girls final scoring runner, taking 20th in 22:24. Reagan Schraufnagel was the sixth runner through, completing her race in 22:52 for 24th place.

Pearl Feiten collected another PR, taking 30th in 23:14. Ella Halopka was the last Colby runner in the varsity race, finishing 34th with a time of 23:36.

Casey Reynolds ran a season best by nearly a minute, finishing first overall in the JV race in 23:49. Payton Roth was second overall in the JV race after she ran a season best time of 24:39. Veronica Mateer ran a 25:55 for fifth overall, and Jenelle Ertl was eighth in 26:21.

Elizabeth Winters ran a season best by almost a minute taking tenth in 26:37. Kaylee Podevels shaved two minutes from her season best to place 15th in 29:15. Gianna Mundt was 17th in 29:44. Allie Robida’s time of 29:53 was a PR by over 40 seconds, and good for 18th. Senior Brittney Meyer was 22nd in 47:04.

The Colby/Abbotsford boys team had a good outing in Weyauwega-Fremont, even without Matt Mateer. The boys took fourth with 139 points, getting revenge for the ladies after they got the better of the Amherst boys by one point.

Pacelli won the meet with 47 points, followed by Iola-Scandinavia with 88, and Weyauwega-Fremont with 131 points.

Talon Severson ran a 19:10, earning him 16th overall. Sergio Camargo ran a season best 19:46 to place 24th overall. Max Adams was third for Colby/Abby, taking 31st in 20:01.

Richard Streveler hit a new season best by twenty seconds, finishing in 20:22 for 36th. Braylon Schoelzel picked up a PR, knocking off an impressive 47 seconds. Schoelzel was 41st overall in 20:38.

Bryan Camargo crossed the tape in 46th place in 20:50. Carter Roth was 59th in 22:01. Xander Roesler is another newcomer, and in just two weeks, Roesler knocked off 1:58 from his previous best to finish 65th in a time of 22:21.

Josiah Bridger was first in the JV race with a 26:19, followed by Braxton Smith in second in 26:33, and Parker Johnson in third place in 26:36.

The Don Chase Relays should serve as a great springboard for the postseason, with the Colby girls looking to defend their Cloverbelt title for a unprecedented fourth straight title. The Cloverbelt Championships begin this Saturday in Fall Creek at 10 a.m.