OFHS boys win 4th, and last, Bay title

The Oconto Falls High School boys cross-country team will go out on top. The Panthers earned their fourth consecutive Bay Conference title Thursday at Mid Vallee Golf Course in De Pere, edging Shawano by 13 points. Next year OFHS will move to the Eastern Valley Conference. For the second straight year senior Mike Friedman finished as the runner-up. “I know he’s disappointed,” Oconto Falls coach Lon Ludemann said. “I know he wanted it. I don’t have an answer as to why he got beat.” Friedman has struggled in the third mile of races recently, and he did again Thursday. Battling Shawano senior Jake Klister, Friedman fell behind after the 700 meter mark. In the end he came in 6 seconds off Klister’s time of 16:51. Friedman finished the conference race fifth as a freshman and third as a sophomore. Senior Michael Fifield finished seventh (17:23) for Oconto Falls. He was followed by Evan Konitzer (11th, 17:40) and Liam Spillane (12th, 17:42). Freshman Justan Konitzer (15th, 17:49) was the fifth runner in and received high praise from his coach. “He’s been getting better by the week,” Ludemann said. “Our goal was to keep our No. 2, 3, 4 and 5 close and we were.” The close battle between Friedman and Klister, and between Oconto Falls and Shawano, had Shawano coach Steve Stomberg wishing the Panthers weren’t leaving the conference. “They have a good program up there,” Stomberg said. “Coach Ludemann is an excellent coach. He just came up and said, ‘We’re leaving.’ And I’m thinking, ‘Aw, wish we could have one more chance to put one on you.’” In the girls race, junior Bailey Wolf, a two-time state-qualifier, took third with a time of 20:05 to once again pace the Panthers, who finished seventh. Sophomore Diane Moore finished 28th with a time of 22:04, followed by Ashley Keuken (35th, 22:30), Megan Loberger (38th, 22:42) and Jaclyn Erickson (49th, 23:11). “I think all of our girls (set personal records),” Ludemann said. The girls finished last in the Bay a season ago. “I would say the pack running has improved,” Ludemann said. “Both genders. The girls have gotten much closer.” Luxemburg-Casco won the girls race as a team, followed by West De Pere and Marinette.