3 LG runners make top 10 at Levis Mound NG athlete earns 11th-place finish

Area teams, including Loyal-Greenwood (LG) and Neillsville-Granton (NG), convened at Levis-Trow Mounds Recreational Area west of Neillsville for the NG home cross country meet Sept. 12. The cool day featured overcast skies and on-again, off-again rain.

“Although battling the weather a bit, the team ran well. [We had] some great performances from our top performers in Summer Smith, Connor Genteman and Bryce Deegan. Lucas Nielsen also ran a strong race and continues to show improvement throughout this season,” wrote LG coach Hannah Olson in an email.

LG had two runners claim the bronze medal in their respective races. Genteman, a senior, took third place in a field of 91 male runners with a time of 17:39.3, equal to a 5:42 mile. Smith, a sophomore, took fourth place out of 64 runners in the girls race with a time of 22:08.9, good for a 7:08 mile.

Besides Smith, Bailey Eckes was the only other girl to race for LG. She had a time of 25:03.2, good for 24th place.

The remaining LG boys’ times were as follows. Deegan took ninth with a time of 18:53.9. Nielsen came in 43rd with a time of 20:59.3 and Cody Eckes took 52nd at 21:41. Wyatt Mulvaney came in 66th at 22:53.5 and Ridge Ashbeck was 72nd at 23:41.8.

The LG boys came in seventh place out of 10 teams, with 156 points. Other teams’ point totals were: Bangor 66, Marathon 86, Tomah 106, Mondovi 120, Chippewa Valley Lightning Bolts 131, Stanley-Boyd 143, Cadott 183, NG 221 and Auburndale 224.

NG results Will Drinka was the first to cross the finish line for the NG boys. He took 11th place with a time of 19:14.8, equal to a 6:12 mile. Hunter Schultz came after him, in 35th place at 20:37.6. Next for NG was Jeremmiah Dorshorst, who took 58th at 22:15.5. Claiton Anderson-Ruskin took 79th at 24:19.8, Koltin Luchterhand took 81st at 25:53 and Grant Slone took 90th at 33:30.1.

For the NG girls, Klarissa Canfield was the fastest finisher. She completed the race in 28:16.4 and took 46th place. Haylee Schultz had a time of 28:33 and earned 51st place. Margaret Canfield’s time was 29:34.2 and she took 53rd place. Savannah Dorshorst finished just a little after her, at 29:56.4, and took 57th place. Rounding out the NG girls team was Addison Anderson-Ruskin, who took 60th place with a time of 30:24.7.

The NG girls took seventh place out of seven teams with 206 points. Other point totals were Marathon 60, Bangor 69, Cadott 76, Auburndale 84, Tomah 89 and Chippewa Valley Lightning Bolts 110.

Getting it over

Greenwood’s Liv Lucas spikes the ball over the net during competition against Northland Lutheran Sept. 18. The Indians lost the first set 25-23, but went on to win the next three (with scores of 25-23, 25-23 and 25-18) to overcome the Wildcats.

CHEYENNE THOMAS/STAFF PHOTO

Going through the gap

Loyal running back Louis Nikolai weaves through a gap made by the Loyal offensive line during the team’s game against Coleman on Sept. 15. Loyal didn’t have much success in its ground game that night, but Nikolai did manage to break away for a touchdown just before the closing of the first half. Coleman won the game 56-6.

CHEYENNE THOMAS/STAFF PHOTO

Loyal-Greenwood’s Summer Smith runs along the Loyal home cross country course at the meet held there earlier this season. Smith has been a top runner for the Greyhounds at the team’s competitions this season. In her latest run at Levis Mound on Sept. 12, she took fourth place overall.

TRG FILE PHOTO

Neillsville-Granton’s Klarissa Canfield makes her way around the course at Loyal during the meet held there on Aug. 29. Canfield was the top finisher for the Warriors at their home invitational held at Levis Mound, taking 46th place.

TRG FILE PHOTO