The Oconto Falls High School boys cross-country team’s seniors capped their careers with a third trip to state, and Gillett freshman Lauren Herzog had the area’s best showing Saturday at the WIAA State Cross-Country Championships at Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
The OFHS boys team finished with a team score of 330, good for 14th in Division 2. Senior Mike Friedman finished 41st.
“I was feeling good the first mile,” Friedman said. “I think I might have went a little too fast. It hit me the rest of the race.”
“I think he was probably in the top 10 at the mile, and he was 19th at the two mile,” Oconto Falls coach Lon Ludemann said. “He gave it everything he had. I’m not going to be disappointed about that.”
Friedman said he was impressed with his fellow runners.
“The competition was really good. There’s a lot of good runners in this division,” he said. “The course, it was really nice out, but those hills just kill me.”
Friedman’s teammates finished in a loose group. Senior Liam Spillane finished 110th, followed by senior Michael Fifield at 111th. Sophomore Evan Konitzer finished 123rd and freshman Justan Kontizer finished 125th.
“Time-wise, they ran slower, but this is a harder course,” Ludemann said. “Add in the nerves and everything else, they weren’t too far apart. It would be nice to have them a little bit closer. I’m not disappointed.”
Friedman felt responsible for the team falling to 14th.
“I don’t feel like I came through for them today,” Friedman said. “I’m pretty disappointed.”
Ludeman, though, said his team can be proud of what it accomplished.
“The fact that they were good enough to get here, they had a good year,” Ludemann said.
Ludemann, whose son, Noah Ludemann, finished 139th as the team’s seventh runner, said this team was special.
“My son’s on there, that’s part of it,” he said. “Those kids have been with me for a long time. Those seniors, they’ve been here three times. It’s a special team. They’re great kids. The coaching part is easy with that.”
In the girls Division 2 race, OFHS junior Bailey Wolf, a three-time state qualifier, finished 85th with a time of 20:54. She placed 55th in the 2013 race and 38th as a freshman.
Herzog had the area’s best showing, finishing 21st in the Division 3 girls race.
The races were delayed an hour because of frost on the course.
Division 2 Results
Boys
Team Scoring: 1. Wisconsin Lutheran 33, 2. Shorewood 123, 3. Lakeland 131, 4. Pewaukee 148, 5. Notre Dame 180, 6. McFarland 197, 7. Winneconne 198, 8. Edgewood 215, 9. Catholic Memorial 241, 10. Colby/Abbotsford 249, 11. Valders 258, 12. Mauston 259, 13. Ashland 268, 14. Oconto Falls 330, 15. Waupun 341, 16. Unity/Luck 393
Oconto Falls: 41. Mike Friedman, 16:54; 110. Liam Spillane, 18:04; 111. Michael Fifield, 18:05; 123. Evan Konitzer, 18:22; 125. Justan Konitzer, 18:26
Girls
Team Scoring: 1. Green Bay Notre Dame 91, 2. McFarland 99, 3. Shorewood 104, 4. Two Rivers 118, 5. Wisconsin Lutheran 130, 6. Dodgeville/Mineral Point 133, 7. Freedom 222, 8. Winneconne 234, 9. Cedar Grove-Belgium 256, 10. Pewaukee 270, 11. Deerfield/Cambridge 272, 12. Ashland 309, 13. Fox Valley Lutheran 314, 14. Northwestern 315, 15. Mauston 352, 16. Wisconsin Dells 359
Oconto Falls: 85. Bailey Wolf, 20:54
Division 3 Results
Girls
Team Scoring: 1. Oshkosh Lourdes Academy 68, 2. Westby 90, 3. Poynette 127, 4. Aquinas 147, 5. Phillips 173, 6. Rosholt 205, 7. Brookfield Academy 227, 8. Boscobel 229, 9. Kenosha Saint Joseph Academy 238, 10. Chequamegon 242, 11. Saint Mary’s Springs 256, 12. Glenwood City 256, 13. Howards Grove 271, 14. Fall Creek 309, 15. Cameron 339, 16. Stratford 342
Gillett: 21. Lauren Herzog, 20:23
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