Cross-Country: Gillett girls finish second at state
Updated: 10 p.m., 11/2
WISCONSIN RAPIDS — The Gillett High School girls cross-country team had a day to remember at the WIAA Cross-Country State Championships at The Ridges Golf Course on Saturday.
The team placed second in Division 3 with a score of 126, trailing just Lourdes Academy (112). A total of 16 teams competed in D3.
“It (taking second as a team) means the absolute world to me,” said junior Sylvia Hansen, who took 32nd overall as an individual with a time of 20 minutes, 52.3 seconds. “These girls on my team gave everything they had this season and it showed today. I’m so proud and so blessed by God to be a part of such an amazing, hard-working group of people that I can share my love for running with.”
The girls finish was also the team’s best in school history, topping a third-place finish back in 2004.
The Gillett boys also turned in a strong effort on the course, placing seventh with a score of 191. Aquinas won with a score of 68.
Leading the girls on the course was sophomore Ryann Wagner, who took 20th overall with a time of 20:26.1.
After competing as an individual at state for Suring as a freshman, Wagner was thrilled to run at state with teammates alongside her.
“Last year (at state) was very exciting, but this year I felt like it was more exciting because you’re not just competing for yourself, you’re also going hard for your team to help them out,” said Wagner. “It was like a whole different race almost.”
While snowflakes fell throughout all six state races on an already cold and breezy day, Wagner and the rest of the D3 girls field had the worst conditions to run in.
About halfway through the race, it turned into a near white-out, with girls runners having to close their eyes and keep brushing water off their faces so they could see clearly.
The Gillett girls powered through the snow and many moved up during the final part of the race to help out the team score.
Sophomore Angela Mosconi (21:14.3) took 62nd after sitting in 80th after the first mile.
“I think that a second-place finish is awesome for our small town team,” said Mosconi. “We worked so hard this year and we left it all on the course. It shows just how strong of a team we are and how far we can go together.”
Three of the other girls on the team were freshmen, but the big stage didn’t rattle the group.
Freshman Cheyenne Krueger (21:19.7) placed 67th, while freshman Kasey Hansen (21:21.9) took 69th to round out the team score. Krueger was running in 79th place after a mile, while Hansen was 76th.
Freshman Megan Wagner (22:16.9) and sophomore Alaina Herzog (23:15.1) rounded out the seven-runner team, taking 99th and 125th, respectively.
For the boys, freshman Alex Peterson paced the team. He completed the course in 17:25.9 to place 38th overall.
“I think that I started off strong and continued a good pace throughout the whole race,” said Peterson, who was in 68th place after a mile. “I’m really thankful for the support from all the fans for pushing me. It helped a lot, especially at the end.”
Junior Derek Hanson finished 48th with a time of 17:31.7.
It was Hanson’s second straight year competing at state, and although he wished for a better finish, his teammates picked him up.
“My team helped me realize it was more than just about my performance individually,” said Hanson, who moved up 22 spots from the first mile marker to the end of the race. “I’m incredibly proud of everyone on our team and couldn’t have asked for a more caring and dedicated group of runners to have spent my season with.”
Sophomore Connor Hanson (18:17.2) took 81st, freshman Evan Peterson (18:34.2) was 95th and junior Riley Engebretsen (18:35.1) came in 97th to cap the team score.
Sophomore Antonio Lizarrag (21:44.8) was the team’s sixth runner, taking 145th place.
“To place seventh in the entire state means a lot to the team,” said Connor Hanson. “We have come so far this year alone, going from not having enough people for a team to having a full and powerful team. It was good to see how well we performed this year.”