Runners compete at conference

‘Jay boys are second, Tiger girls third

By Casey Krautkramer

The Athens varsity boys cross country team finished as runners-up to Phillips at the Marawood Conference championship race on Thursday at Erbach Park in Athens. The Bluejay boys also took second place behind champion Phillips at last year’s conference title race hosted by Phillips.

Just like last year, Phillips is not in Athens’ WIAA Division 3 sectional race therefore the Bluejay boys have a good shot at winning the sectional again this Friday, Oct. 21, to advance to the state tournament.

The sectional girls race starts at 4 p.m. on Friday at Erbach Park in Athens and the sectional boys race is at 4:45 p.m. The top two girl and boy teams in each sectional advance to the state tournament. Last year, the Marathon boys took second place to qualify for state and is hoping for a repeat performance this year.

The top eight boy and girl finishers in the Marawood Conference championship races are awarded first team all-conference this season. Runners who take eighth through 15th place receive second team all-conference and those who take 16th through 24th place are honorable mention all-conference.

Athens senior Connor Sheahan won the boys conference championship race in 16 minutes, 48.2 seconds. Marathon junior Jacob Smith took seventh place in 17 minutes, 26.4 seconds.

Marathon senior Jaron Gage took ninth place followed by Athens senior Nathan Wolf placing 10th, Stratford sophomore Cree DeFoe in 11th and Athens junior Andrew Schaer in 12th.

Stratford senior Lance Krieg placed 17th and his sophomore teammate, Ethan Heeg, was 18th. Athens sophomore Nicholas Pittman took 21st and Stratford freshman Mathias Kaiser was 24th.

For the girls, Stratford sophomore Breleigh Skaya took eighth place in 20 minutes, 47.5 seconds to help the Tigers finish third as a team. Wisconsin Rapids Assumption was the girls conference champion for the third straight season. Skaya is awarded first team all-Marawood Conference this season.

Edgar senior Morgan Schnelle took 11th place, Athens sophomore Brianna Sheahan placed 13th and Stratford senior Ella Heidmann was 15th.

Stratford sophomore Samantha Mielke placed 16th followed by Marathon sophomore Shilo Blake in 17th place, Stratford junior Kressa Wenzel in 19th and her Tigers senior teammate, Mercedes Kramer, in 22nd place.