The Shawano Community High School cross-country runners went into Thursday’s Bay Conference meet knowing the course just a little bit better than everyone else.
They also knew their coach was expecting them to improve on their times from September’s home invitational.
“It’s our home course. We ran out here four or five weeks ago,” coach Steve Stomberg said. “I told them, ‘I expect you to come out here and drop some major time off your home invite.’ They did a good job. I’m very proud of everybody.”
The boys rose to the challenge, finishing second, behind conference champion Oconto Falls.
Jake Klister led Shawano with a fifth-place finish in 17 minutes, 14 seconds, about the same time he had at the invitational.
Nick Matz, meanwhile, took 27 seconds off his invitational time, finishing eighth with a time of 17:24. Travis Geenen, who finished 15th with a time of 17:34, shaved 28 seconds off his time. Austin Lhotka took off 39 seconds, taking 10th with a time of 17:28.
“Our kids came out and they did everything I asked them for,” Stomberg said. “I said, ‘put it on the line, go out there.’ I told them all along, if you’re going to give it 100 percent, that’s all I can ask for.”
The Shawano girls, led by Teagan Monfils’ fifth-place finish, placed fourth.
Monfils took 5 seconds off her invitational time, finishing in 15:39. Hannah Williams shaved 26 seconds off her time to finish 39th in 17:56. Savannah Johnson took 40 seconds off her time, finishing in 18:01 to take 42nd.
“I felt really good with fifth place,” Monfils said. “I felt like I ran really good. We’ve been training to run our home course and I think I did better than the first time we ran it.”
Monfils’ strategy came down to sticking close to a trio of Hortonville girls who finished second, third and fourth.
“The Hortonville girls, they are really good at staying with pack running,” Monfils said. “This time I said I’m going to stay with their pack and I did actually. So I’m really proud of myself.”
Thanks in part to that group, Hortonville won the girls meet, followed by Luxemburg-Casco.
Lisa Baeten of Luxemburg-Casco built up a big lead to take first, finishing in 14:51.
The boys race was won by Seymour’s Justin Skinkis, who finished in 16:36.
Results
Boys
Teams: 1. Oconto Falls (48), 2. Shawano (65), 3. Hortonville (93), 4. Luxemburg-Casco (106), 5. New London (109), 6. Seymour (112), 7. Denmark (174), 8. West De Pere (181)
Shawano: 4. Jake Klister, 17:14; 8. Nick Matz, 17:24; 10. Austin Lhotka, 17:28; 15. Travis Geenen, 17:34; 28. Cole Reuter, 18:24
Girls
Teams: 1. Hortonville (40), 2. Luxemburg-Casco (49), 3. West De Pere (101), 4. Shawano (125), 5. Denmark (137), 6. New London (138), 7. Seymour (160), 8. Marinette (172), 9. Oconto Falls (210)
Shawano: 5. Teagan Monfils, 15:39: 12. Kristy Kurtz, 16:27; 27. Sophia Holstrom, 17:23; 39. Hannah Williams, 17:56; 42. Savannah Johnson, 18:01
Categories
