Hraby said. “This ….

Hraby said.

“This meet is pretty big,” Josh Clark said. “It gives us a pretty solid preview of how we’re going to be doing at conference.

“Now we know where we want to be at conference, timewise,” Hraby said.

“Tanner got up on Owen Clark pretty good and didn’t falter too far back and stayed strong and Josh really moved up,” Meyer said. “His times are just great. Lucas Borman, his finish today and his times all season have been great.”

“We’ve improved so much,” Clark said. “Everybody is chopping down their time. Every race Lucas shaves off three or four minutes from last year’s time.”

Clark’s improvement has been notable as well. In just his second year with the team, he was over two minutes faster Thursday than he was in last year’s Medford Invite.

“It’s my senior year so if I’m going to do something, I wanted to do it right,” he said. “So over the summer I put in a lot of training, a lot of miles and it’s definitely paying off.”

Brandon Curtis was Medford’s sixth finisher, taking 32nd in 21:33.7, a season-best by more than a minute. Evan Pagel was 36th in 22:11.3, also a season-best by more than a minute. Ervin Ulrich was 39th at 22:37.8, a season-best by 1:20 and Cullen Jones was 40th in 22:48.

Lakeland won the meet with 44 points, followed by Medford (61), Rhinelander (65), Marshfield (70) and Northland Pines (101).

“Brandon Curtis really has blossomed and stepped up,” Meyer said. “All the boys are really taking it serious and wanting it. Ervin Ulrich has some great goals and tonight he was all smiles with his time. Nick had a little bit of a rough race at the Griak, he had some tender legs but tonight it seemed like he was really picking it up. Logan Gubser’s going well. Cullen Jones is getting into a different speed and moving up too.”

Middle school

The meet began with the middle school race, which featured 90 girls and 100 boys.

Medford’s boys placed fourth with 99 points behind Marshfield (38), John Muir (43) and D.C. Everest (49). Corbyn Radlinger was 12th in 13:05.8, Jordan Lavin was 22nd in 13:38.3 and Ayden Tyznik was 28th in 13:45.3.

Medford’s girls were fifth with 111 points and trailed D.C. Everest (33), John Muir (40), Marshfield (78) and Minocqua-Hazelhurst-Lake Tomahawk (109). Annalee Bull led Medford by taking 16th in 14:23.8. Olivia Schaefer (14:34.3), Greta Seidel (14:36) and Kyra Scheithauer (14:36.2) were 23rd-25th.