Bluejays perform well in Athens; Waltz takes second

The Three Lakes-Phelps varsity cross country team is hitting its mid-season stride as several runners performed well last week, led by sophomore Nolan Waltz who took home a second-place medal at the Athens Invitational, a large meet with hundreds of competitors representing more than 15 high schools throughout the region. 

Waltz finished the 5,000-meter boys race with a time of 16:14, which was just three seconds behind the winner, Gavin Esterholm, a junior from Phillips High School. Both athletes had banner days with Esterholm recording his personal best race of the year, while Waltz enjoyed his second fastest race.

Bluejays head coach Laurie Levandoski said Waltz entered this race with a plan.  

“Earlier this week, Nolan set a personal goal of running a sub-16:15 race by the end of the season, and then just days later he achieved this goal as he blistered the course here in Athens, finishing in 16:14. He is a special runner, and a great leader to have on the team, as he inspires others to set and reach their own personal goals.”

In seven major events this season, Waltz has finished in first or second place and now has 17 top-10 medals in his young high school cross country career. The team competed in the Northland Pines Invitational early this week, and while results were not available at press time, Waltz won a second-place medal at the same event last season.

Ethan Potrykus finished the Athens race with a time of 17:42, which was 13th in a field of 122 runners in the boys race. While he did not have a medal finish, the Potrykus race time was just two seconds off his pace at the Three Lakes Invitational two weeks ago where he walked away with a top-five medal. Wyatt Gebele closed out the running for the Bluejays with a time of 25:42, his second-fastest race of the year.

“We had several runners beating their goals for this race, which also placed many with some of their best times ever recorded,” coach Levandoski observed. “Their determination is fun to watch and is very rewarding for the kids. Even the middle school runners are striving to meet goals, with 10 race results at levels faster than the times of last season at this same event.” 

In the girls varsity race, the field of 111 racers held the Bluejays without a medal finish, but the leading team trio of Rylee Glembin, Erica Stauffer and Sophie Nafziger finished in the top half of the pack with finish times of 22:20, 22:24 and 23:38, followed by Madelynn Hanneman, Abby Raddatz and Melanie Stauffer with mid-pack times of 25:34, 25:35 and 25:58, respectively. Stauffer’s time was her best of the year, while the times of Raddatz and Hanneman were career best.  

Mikayla Corbett, Annabella Steinbach, Raqual Gebele and Hailey Koepp finished with 27:47, 27:49 39:57 and 53:56 race times. Corbett and Steinbach had their best finishes of the year for the Bluejays. Lucy Dolan, a junior from Wisconsin Rapids, led the girls race with a first-place time of 18:48.

The Bluejays middle school also competed in Athens with a two-mile run led by Matthew Potrykus and Charlie Welsh, who for the second straight week ran nearly stride-for-stride to top-10 finishes, with only a second separating the runners. On the girls side, Bekah Koch also earned a top-10 medal, with a finish less than one minute behind the top position.

The Bluejays competed earlier this week at the Northland Pines Invitational in Eagle River with results not yet available as of press time. The next event will take place next Thursday, October 17, at 4 p.m., with the Northern Lakes Conference Championship meet at Lake Lundgren Bible Camp in Pembine.