Marathon boys have strength in numbers

Marathon’s varsity boys cross country team is off to a great start to the 2025 season. The Red Raiders won the seasonopening Pittsville Invite on Aug. 18, took third place at its home meet on Sept. 4 at Nine Mile Forest and placed second at the Marshfield Tiger Invite on Sept. 9 at Wildwood Park.

The Red Raider boys are led by juniors Logan Peters and Brady Annis who both earned second team all-Marawood Conference honors last season. Peters took 29th place in his first WIAA Division 3 state championship race last year. Other top returning boy runners are seniors Gavin Matthiae. John Kahon, Ethan Huebsch and Brayden Pinter and sophomores Brevyn Johnson, Matthew Kindlarski and Ywv Pheng Veng.

Marathon cross country head coach EJ Otto is looking for even bigger things from his top two runners Peters and Annis this season.

“Logan had a great sophomore season finishing 29th in his first ever state appearance,” Otto said. “He had a super track season and a year of experience running in the state meets and he will only get stronger. Logan is a great competitor and he is evolving into a great leader. Brady had a great sophomore season and just missed going to state by one place. Brady also had a fantastic track season. Being able to coach these two student athletes in the fall and spring has been great to watch as they get stronger and more mature. Each runner has put in a good summer of work and will hopefully lead us to big things this season.”

Marathon’s top newcomers to the boys cross country team this season are senior Blake Sternberg, sophomore Kyle Sulzer and freshmen Joshua Baeseman, Dane Switlick, Darren Altenhofen and Aiden Blake.

The Red Raiders’ top returning girl cross country runners this season are senior Mya Yach, junior Aubrey Fieri and sophomores Bristal Baumann and Sophia Bowe. Marathon’s top girls runner last season, Shilo Blake, graduated in spring so the team is searching for a new No. 1 runner this season.

“Girls battling for the No. 1 running spot are Mya Yach, Aubrey Fieri, Bristol Baumann and Sophia Bowe,” Otto said. “Each of the other girls are first time runners.”

Marathon’s top newcomers to the girls cross country team this season are senior Lindsay Putnam, junior Kayla Cihlar, sophomore Berta Boat and freshman Camilla Ortiz Mendoza.

The Red Raider boys cross country team last won the Marawood Conference championship in 2013 and the Marathon girls have never won a conference title. The Rib Lake/Prentice boys won the Marawood Conference championship last season, breaking Phillips’ streak of three straight conference titles. The Wisconsin Rapids Assumption girls won the Marawood Conference championship last season and have won four out of the last five conference titles. Otto explains what it will take for Marathon’s boys and girls cross country teams to win conference titles this season.

“The Marathon boys and girls teams have been very competitive over the years,” Otto said. “When you run in maybe the best conference in the state things will be difficult, but the kids are always right there in the end. The kids put in a great summer of work so we will try to make a little magic and see what happens.”

Race results

Logan Peters took first place as an individual boys cross country runner at the Pittsville Invite on Aug. 28. Brady Annis took third place while Gavin Matthiae was fourth and Brevyn Johnson finished in fifth place. Matthew Kindlarski placed ninth. Marathon’s boys team tallied a low score of 18 points ahead of runners-up Stratford with 42.

Mya Yach was the top Marathon girls finisher in 22nd place at the Pittsville Invite. Bristal Baumann took 26th place.

Peters took fifth place at the Marathon Invite on Sept. 4. Annis placed seventh and Matthiae was 14th. Marathon scored 59 points for third place. Yach was the highest Marathon girls finisher in 47th place at the Marathon Invite.

Peters took third place at the Marshfield Tiger Invite on Sept. 9. Annis placed sixth and Matthiae was 10th. The Marathon boys took second place with 60 points. Baumann was the highest Marathon girls finisher in 44th place.