Raiders run on D-3 state course

Boys end the season at the state meet

By Casey Krautkramer/Ross Pattermann

Marathon’s boys cross country team wasn’t fazed by the numerous hills while competing on the WIAA Division 3 state championship course on Saturday afternoon, because the village of Marathon is on one big hill that provides the Red Raiders ample opportunities to practice running up and down on during practices throughout the season.

The Red Raider boys finished as WIAA Division 3 sectional runnersup in Athens to qualify for the state championship race for the second time in the past three years. Marathon was also sectional runners-up in the 2019 season. Marathon took 15th place out of 16 teams at state on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids. Valders won the WIAA Division 3 boys cross country state championship.

Sophomore Jacob Smith was the fastest Marathon boys runner on Saturday, by placing 65th out of 149 runners in 18 minutes, 14.5 seconds on the state championship course. Junior Jaron Gage placed 91st in 18:49.1, sophomore Dylan Dodson 106th in 19:07.6, sophomore Derek Vesely 122nd in 19:28.5, junior Ian Blake 135th in 20:18.3, senior Owen Marks 142nd in 20:53.7 and sophomore Brandon Gitzlaff 148th in 21:19.6.

Jacob Smith spoke about his team’s mentality coming into the state championship race. “We just wanted to run as good as we could,” he said. “I mean, we already made it here and we weren’t expecting to win it, so it was just doing as good as we could and enjoying the experience.”

Jaron Gage wasn’t affected too much by the hilly state championship course.

“We’re used to it, and the hills get a lot of runners every time, but since we’re from Marathon we have hills that we run on every day,” Gage said. “So we’re able to push through them and beat the hills instead of them beating us.”

Marathon head cross country coach EJ Otto was proud of his boys’ team for even making it to state again this season, following its last trip in 2019.

“We talked about all week that with what we’ve gone through with this COVID-19 pandemic, with the kids getting quarantined left and right, you gotta give them credit,” Otto said. “They hung in there and we shouldn’t have even been here according to all the prognosticators. But the kids got themselves here. I give our girls credit too; they only missed making it to state out of sectionals by four points. So, it’s just a fabulous feeling and we’re thrilled to death that we got here, and we performed well and we’re already talking about next year.”

Coach Otto explained Marathon’s secret to success in running cross country.

“I got great kids walking the halls and sometimes I’ll do the eyeball test and say ‘I think you look like a runner,’” he said. “You give all the credit to the kids because they’re the ones who have to put up with me and the practices. I just consider myself a lucky guy; I’m kinda just the chaperone because it’s my job just to keep track of the kids but they’re the ones who want it and put the work in.”

Otto outlined what he wanted the cross country runners to get out of competing in the state tournament race.

“We’re hoping to use it as a springboard for the track season, and for the other kids for wrestling and basketball,” he said. “This is a great jump starter for those boys and those sports. The kids are going to be in great condition, and you never turn down success, and they’ve had a lot of success this year. You look at our trophy case and all the meets we went to, and between the boys and girls, it’s full. This is just a wonderful season for them, and it’s nice to see a lot of teeth because it means they’re smiling.”

Thurs at state again

Marathon senior cross country runner Julianna Thurs took 54th place out of 149 girl runners competing in the WIAA Division 3 state tournament on Saturday. She finished the state course in 21:26.2. This was her third trip in four years to the state tournament.

“I made it to state my freshman year, my junior year, I didn’t compete my sophomore and then this year,” Thurs said. “The only time I actually ran here was my freshman year, be- cause of COVID it was a different state course last season. It was definitely as difficult as I remember it being; it’s a course where you have to be in the right mindset. Since I’ve been here before, I knew the place I had to get to.”

Thurs explained her journey running cross country over the years.

“I joined cross-country in eighth grade, and before that I was a volleyball player,” she said. “Joining cross country has been one of the most wonderful experience of my life and I want to take this moment to convince other girls who might be on the fence about joining. You can see what you can accomplish when you take the jump and when you push yourself. I hope that’s what I inspire other girls to do.”

CHEERING ON HIS RUNNER- Marathon varsity head cross country coach EJ Otto, pictured in the top far left, encourages his boy runner, sophomore Dylan Dodson (955) to run his best during the WIAA Division 3 state championship race on Saturday.STAFF PHOTO/ROSS PATTERMANN