Waltz earns second trip to WIAA State Championship

Nolan Waltz of the Three Lakes-Phelps varsity cross country team took home a first-place medal in the WIAA Division 3 Sectional 3 boys 5,000-meter race last week at Colby High School, earning his second consecutive visit to the WIAA State Championship races this Saturday, November 2, in Wisconsin Rapids.  

Waltz came from behind to beat his top Northern Lakes Conference rival, Taylor Karcz of Crandon, in a dramatic sprint to the finish line in front of walls of spectators lining the final stretch of the race. At one point on the course, when most runners are typically low on internal fuel, Waltz seemingly lit rocket boosters in his legs moments before the scoreboard flashed with his 16:21 winning time, three seconds ahead of Karcz.

“I have been chasing Taylor for a long time now,” Waltz shared after the race. “It feels good to come out on top, especially at such a major event. I now need to stay focused for the state race and will work hard to be at my best.” 

The second-place finish for Karcz, from the field of 100 runners, also qualified for a spot on the state championship roster, so the two athletes will have one final time to compete in the same race.   

Bluejays head coach Laurie Levandoski said that Waltz is very mature for his age. 

“It was a great finish for Nolan and one he should be very proud of. He is only a sophomore and already one of the most disciplined and mature runners we have seen in a long time. Nolan is also very humble and I look forward to Saturday when he will toe the line again with Taylor.”

Levandoski also mentioned that Waltz’s preparation for the race was a key factor in how he performed.

“But today was exciting and Nolan was prepared for a challenge, especially since Taylor had a second-place finish at the state meet last year. Taylor took a quick lead and held it for much of the race, but just shy of the third mile Nolan made his move, and the last 200 meters of the race is what movies are made of as the two friends went nose to nose to see who would cross the finish line first.”

Waltz and Karcz finished in the top two spots during several events this season including the conference championship race in Pembine, and invitationals at Northland Pines, Rhinelander, and Crandon where Karcz had first-place finishes. Waltz is a sophomore at Three Lakes High School, while Karcz is a senior at Crandon High School.

In the girls race, two freshmen Bluejay runners finished in the top 20, but did not rank high enough to qualify for the state meet. Rylee Glembin and Erica Stauffer finished 13th and 20th with times of 21:09 and 22:25 on the 5,000-meter course. They both had solid freshman seasons with Glembin picking up four top-10 finishes, while Stauffer reached this same level on two occasions.

Sophie Nafziger had the third-best time for the Bluejays, finishing the race at 23:24. This also marked the final high school event for Nafziger as she will graduate in June. 

“Sophie has been an outstanding leader,” said Levandoski, “with many accomplishments to her credit including a trip to the state meet as a freshman. She has been one of our captains for the last two years and will be sorely missed.”

Other Bluejay finishers included Abby Raddatz who crossed the finish line seconds after Nafziger at 23:33, followed by Mikayla Corbett (25:48), Madelynn Hanneman (26:02), and Melanie Stauffer (26:26). The only other Bluejays runner to compete in the boys sectional race was sophomore Wyatt Gebele, who finished with the second half of the pack at 25:10.

The 2024 WIAA State Cross Country Championship races will take place this Saturday, November 2, at the Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids. First runners are scheduled at noon and it is expected that Waltz will compete at 2 p.m. when the boys Division 3 race is scheduled to start.