HAWKS CROSS COUNTRY - Hawks back on top at the Smiley Invite

After skipping the Stevens Point Invitational a week earlier in the midst of a training reset, the Rib Lake-Prentice Hawks made a solid return to competition Saturday with the boys successfully defending its Division 3 championship from last year at the 69th annual Bill Smiley Invitational at Wausau East.

This year, the Redmen were the overall winner in the Division 2/3 race, which kicked off the festivities on a gray, but dry race day though overnight rain left the course wet in spots. Overall there were 24 scoring teams in the race, with the Hawks scored 74 points to easily beat Marathon, considered a Division 2 team for this race, who scored 127 points. Marathon and Rib Lake-Prentice entered the meet as the number-one and number-two ranked teams in the latest Wisconsin Cross Country Coaches Association Division 3 rankings. Mauston was third with 138 points, followed by Winneconne (173) and Sheboygan Area Lutheran (216).

The Hawks were second in last year’s overall standings behind Two Rivers, who did not attend this year.

When the times were separated for Division 3, the Hawks’ 39 points easily beat Sheboygan Area Lutheran (84) for first place out of 10 teams. Iola-Scandinavia (110), Albany (118) and Edgar (123) rounded out the top five.

In what wound up being a field of 193 runners, Hawk junior Henry Regier came in fifth overall with a seasonbest time of 16:39.8 that easily beat his Smiley time of a year ago, which was 17:16.8. Senior Truman Smith had an outstanding race, pushing up to the team’s second spot with a personal-best time of 17:18.7 that put him 12th overall. Kaleb Scott was right behind Smith in 13th place at 17:25.1. In the Division 3 standings, those three Hawks placed fourth, eighth and ninth out of 89 runners.

Heston Hueckman picked off some runners late and climbed up to 27th place overall and 15th in Division 3 at 18:03.8, which is his best time of the season and Jackson Schutt jumped into the team’s fifth scoring slot with his personal-best time of 18:07.9. He was 31st overall and 17th in Division 3 and about 51 seconds faster than last year on the course.

Dene Zuleger and Seamus Highfill crossed the finish line together at 18:26.6 and were credited with 40th and 41st place overall. They were 22nd and 23rd in Division 3. Zuleger was 2:08 faster than last year’s Smiley race and Highfill was about 1:35 faster. Jeremy Wiitala was the Hawks’ eighth and final finisher, taking 52nd and 28th in 18:41.5, his best time of the year by 7.5 seconds. He was 30 seconds faster than last year’s meet.

Luke Eiden of Stevens Point Pacelli was the overall and Division 3 winner in 16:11, 2.6 seconds ahead of Nolan Waltz of Three Lakes-Phelps. Ben Beck of Iola-Scandinavia was third in 16:30.6, while Little Chute’s Ben Toeppler was fourth overall and the Division 2 winner in 16:38.5.

All three divisions took part in one giant boys JV race that included 386 finishers. The Hawks placed seventh among Division 2 and 3 teams with 179 points and 22nd overall with 623 points.

Eliah Harding earned places of eighth and 59th in 19:52.7. Riley Johnson was 48th and 239th in 22:49.1, Ian Weber was 63rd and 296th in 24:20, Jack Dananay was 72nd and 316th in 24:59.8 and Jaden Briggs was 89th and 360th in a much-improved 26:59.7.

The Rib Lake-Prentice girls 19th overall in their 20team Division 2/3 varsity race and sixth out of six teams when timed with the Division 3 squads. Their senior leader, Kylie Orysen clipped 6.4 seconds off her previous season-best and took 18th overall out of 170 runners and seventh out of 66 Division 3 finishers in 20:52.3, not far from her best-ever times.

Freshman Ella Orysen was 80th overall and 25th in Division 3 with a time of 23:37.8 and Ella Grzanna was the team’s third finisher, taking 99th and 35th in 24:29.3, a personal best.

Mia Lush was 142nd and 52nd in 26:39.4 her second race with the Hawks, improving by 1:38. Annalee Roder was the team’s fifth scorer, placing 147th and 54th in 27:06.7, a season-best by about 16 seconds. Anna Scott was 165th and 64th in 28:48 and Avie Schutt was 168th and 66th in 29:01.3.

In the JV race, Sydney Briggs 42nd in Division 2/3 scoring and 256th overall in a personal-best 30:58.5.

Altoona’s Abbie Hoage was the overall varsity winner in the Division 2/3 scoring with a time of 19:02.9. Taylor Sylla of Independence-Gilmanton was second overall and the Division 3 champion in 19:20.8. Peshtigo’s Berkeley Chaltry (19:51.4) and Rachel Nelson (19:51.6) were third and fourth overall.

In Division 3, Sheboygan Area Lutheran’s Isabelle Harder was second in 20:33.4, Ellis Baer of Athens was third in 20:36.1 and Evelyn Bablitch of Rosholt was fourth in 20:39.8. Independence-Gilmanton’s Allie Sylla (20:46) and Iola-Scandinavia’s Revyn Schrank (20:49.3) were just ahead of Kylie Orysen.

Kiel was the champion in the race’s overall scoring with 104 points, beating Winneconne (130), Wittenberg-Birnamwood (161) and Tomahawk (165). In the Division 3 scoring, Chequamegon (55) was the team champion, beating Three Lakes-Phelps (64), Sheboygan Area Lutheran (70), Rosholt (89), Edgar (92) and Rib Lake-Prentice (100).

The Hawks will return to competition Friday in a unique race under the lights at Marshfield’s RiverEdge Golf Course. The Nightfall Classic features the boys race at 7:30 p.m. and the girls race at 8:10 p.m.

The team will be at the Athens Invitational at Erbach Park on Oct. 2.