Raider boys are ranked in the top 10
By Casey Krautkramer
Marathon’s varsity boys cross country team is ranked seventh in Division 3 in the latest Wisconsin Cross Country Coaches Association (WCCA) poll. Despite the team losing top runner Jacob Smith to graduation in spring, the Red Raiders have several solid underclassmen runners this season.
Smith earned first team all-Marawood Conference during his final three high school running seasons. He was Marathon’s lone boy runner who qualified last season to compete in the state championship race. Ej Otto is in his 15th season as Marathon’s varsity boys and girls head cross country coach and his assistants coaches this season are Lindsay Johnson and Tera Fieri.
The top Marathon boy runners returning this season are juniors John Kahn, Ethan Huebsch, Brayden Pintor and Nick Falkowski along with sophomores Logan Peters, Gavin Matthiae and Matthew Kindlarski. The top newcomer boys to the varsity squad are sophomore Brady Annie and freshmen Brevin Johnson, Alec Miller and Ywv Pheng.
The Marathon boys dominated the season- opening Pittsville Invite by finishing in the top seven places for a perfect team score of 15 points to easily win the championship. Peters, who earned honorable mention all-Marawood Conference last season, was the top individual boy runner at the Pittsville Invite.
Senior Shilo Blake returns to lead the Marathon varsity girls cross country team this season. She took fourth place in the Marawood Conference race last season to earn first team all-conference honors. Blake was the only Red Raider girl to qualify last season to compete in the state championship race, where she took 29th place.
“Shilo has a great attitude and a tremendous work ethic that rubs off on both the boys and girls,” Otto said. “She put in the right amount of miles this past summer and just as importantly, time in the weight room.”
Marathon’s other top returning girl runners besides Shilo Blake are fellow seniors Kennedy Blake, Katie Oliver, Caly Fieri, Jaden Henrichs and Cayden Sapinski, junior Mya Yach and sophomores Greenly Treankler and Aubrey Fieri. The top newcomer girls to the varsity squad are senior Addie Molepske and junior Addison Baesman.
The last time the Marathon boys cross country team won the Marawood Conference championship was in 2013. The Red Raider girls, meanwhile, have never won the conference title.
“It does not matter if it’s the boys or girls, you need a little luck and things to fall into place on race day,” Otto said. “The boys and girls have consistently been knocking on the door over the last year and will again compete at a high level to win a championship.”
The Marathon boys cross country team has 13 state team appearances, most recently in 2019 and 2021. The Marathon girls’ only state team appearance was in 2019.
“We have always had one or more members of the boys or girls teams competing at state,” Otto said. “Our goal at the beginning of each season is to get a team to state, which means practices need to be good and our runners need to take care of their bodies. Over the last few years, the boys have been right there just missing out on advancing to state as a team, and the same with the girls. I guess they call that being a bridesmaid. This year’s group has a great work ethic and willingness to do what needs to be done to get to Wisconsin Rapids and run with the best of the runners at state.”
