One of the WIAA D3 sectional cross country races was held in Rosholt this past weekend, where the Three Lakes-Phelps girls team finished in second place to qualify for the state meet as a team.
Three Lakes junior runner Nolan Waltz qualified for the race in Wisconsin Rapids for a third consecutive season, as he finished in second place in the boys race at the sectional meet.
It is the first time since 2009 that the Three Lakes-Phelps cross country team has qualified for state as a team.
The girls came into the meet knowing they would need to battle with runners from Stratford and Bonduel. Stratford took top team honors with 64 points, and the Bluejays finished with 70 points. Bonduel finished in a close third with 72 points.
“It’s tough to capture the emotions and excitement that made the day one these girls will never forget. We believed Bonduel would take top team honors and that second place would be a battle between Stratford and us,” stated Three Lakes Head Coach Laurie Levandoski. “Our girls were mentally prepared to chase down any uniform in front of them, particularly if the runner was from Stratford or Bonduel, and the scores would be close.”
The team grew more confident as the season progressed that they could advance to the state meet as a full team.
“As we began the season in August, our girls team qualifying for the state meet wasn’t more than a passing thought,” stated Levandoski. “As the weeks passed, we started thinking that maybe this could happen.”
Freshman Bekah Koch was the top finisher for the Jays in sixth place, gaining five points for the team. She finished with a time of 20:11.
Sophomore Rylee Glembin finished her race in 10th place with a time of 20:49. Glembin narrowly missed qualifying for a spot at the state meet as a freshman.
“Rylee has had qualifying for state in her sights since she narrowly missed last season,” stated Levandoski. “Her determination was evident as she grabbed a top-10 spot.”
Erica Stauffer made up a few spots late in the race, according to Levandoski, as she sprinted towards the finish and passed a few runners in the process. Her 16th-place spot became a big difference in the final scoring. She took a time of 21:31.
Levandoski has been surprised by the performances of seniors Ayla Connor and Kassidy Williams, as their performances lifted the team throughout the season.
Connor finished inside the top 20 in 20th place, while Williams finished inside the top 50. Freshman Grace Mandli finished between her teammates in 32nd.
“Maybe one of the biggest surprises this season has come from senior newcomers Ayla and Kassidy. This is a hard sport to jump into and have such exciting outcomes,” explained Levandoski. “These two girls were motivated to help take out team to the next level and didn’t back off.”
Junior Madelynn Hanneman finished her race with a time of 25:56.
Waltz came into the sectional race this past weekend eying another state meet appearance, and he did just that with a second-place finish out of 107 runners.
Waltz paced the field early and finished his 5k race in a time of 15:52, a personal best time. By holding the early lead, Waltz was tailed by Pacelli standout Luke Eiden for much of the first two or so miles.
“Nolan knew Luke would be a fierce competitor and this race showed that he is also a fierce competitor,” said Levandoski.
By mile three, the Pacelli senior made a move around Waltz, and the Three Lakes junior was unable to hang on to first.
Junior Wyatt Gebele rounded out his season with a time of 26:42.
The team and Waltz will now prepare this week for the state cross country meet at the Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids this Saturday, Nov. 1, with race times for Waltz at 12 and the girls D3 race at 1:45 p.m.
“We are looking forward to an exciting opportunity for our runners,” stated Levandoski.
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