Columbus Catholic, Spencer, Stratford all compete at season-opening meet

By Paul Lecker

Sports Reporter

PITTSVILLE — The Auburndale girls cross country team, a state meet qualifier in each of the past two seasons, picked up where it left off last fall with an impressive victory at the 2017 Pittsville Cross Country Invitational on Thursday.

The Apaches’ top four runners finished in the top seven, and Auburndale had seven in the top 20 overall to run away with the girls team title with 30 points, well ahead of second-place Marathon, which had 75 points.

Spencer was fourth (92), Stratford took fifth (93), and Marshfield Columbus Catholic finished sixth (141) at the nine-team meet.

Anna Buchberger of Marathon won the girls race in 21:19.4, 12 seconds ahead of Auburndale’s Isabella Jewell. Kali Karl took fourth for the Apaches in 22:43.7, and Erricka Zenner finished fifth in 22:58.8. Vanessa Mitchell ended up seventh in 23:11.2 for the Apaches.

Kaitlin Kasch was Spencer’s top finisher as she took sixth in 23:07.6, and Kaily Northup was 13th in 23:34.9.

Macie Schillinger led Stratford, taking ninth in 23:15.3, and Hailey Roehl topped Columbus Catholic by finishing 17th in 24:03.0.

Marathon won the boys team title with 62 points, seven better than Wisconsin Rapids Assumption. Columbus Catholic was third with 86 points, Spencer finished fourth (115) earning a tiebreaker over Stratford (115), and Auburndale was sixth (139).

Spencer’s Collin Nieman had the top boys finish among the four area teams as he took fourth in 18:33.5. The boys race was won by Miguel Mathias of Nekoosa, who scorched the field in 16:38.6, winning by 59 seconds over Sean Dolan of Wisconsin Rapids Assumption. Aaron Pankratz placed 11th for the Rockets in 19:13.2.

James Heeg topped Stratford, taking eighth in 18:55.1.

Columbus Catholic had top-20 finishes from Peyton Nystrom (10th, 19:06.4), Bryce Fuerlinger (12th, 19:15.2), Joshua Guyer (16th, 19:29.3), and Jeremiah Giles (20th, 19:44.6).

Auburndale’s best finish came from Paul Kollross, who was 13th in 19:19.3. Teammate Carl Lundren was 18th in 19:32.1.

(Hub City Times Sports Reporter Paul Lecker is also the publisher of MarshfieldAreaSports.com.)

2017 Pittsville Cross Country Invitational

Boys

Team scores: 1. Marathon 62; 2. Wisconsin Rapids Assumption 69; 3. Marshfield Columbus Catholic 86; 4. Spencer 115; 5. Stratford 115; 6. Auburndale 139; 7. Colby/Abbotsford 148; 8. Nekoosa 208; 9. Pittsville 226.

Top 10 and Columbus Catholic, Spencer, Stratford, and Auburndale finishers: 1. Miguel Mathias (NEK) 16:38.6; 2. Sean Dolan (WRA) 17:37.4; 3. Garrett Donal (WRA) 17:43.2; 4. Collin Nieman (SP) 18:33.5; 5. Joe Kraimer (MAR) 18:33.5; 6. Matt Roth (CA) 18:36.2; 7. Evan Pilgrim (MAR) 18:50.2; 8. James Heeg (ST) 18:55.1; 9. Nicholas Smits (WRA) 19:00.0; 10. Peyton Nystrom (MCC) 19:06.4; 11. Aaron Pankratz (SP) 19:13.2; 12. Bryce Fuerlinger (MCC) 19:15.2; 13. Paul Kollross (AUB) 19:19.3; 16. Joshua Guyer (MCC) 19:29.3; 18. Carl Lundgren (AUB) 19:32.1; 20. Jeremiah Giles (MCC) 19:44.6; 21. Isaac Thompson (ST) 19:49.6; 25. Lance Heidmann (ST) 20:07.7; 30. Jacob Dick (MCC) 20:35.6; 31. Leo Rodriguez (SP) 20:40.0; 32. Andrew Chapel (ST) 20:40.2; 33. Antonio Verdone (ST) 20:45.4; 35. Matthew Leick (AUB) 20:54.6; 36. Brett Kasch (SP) 20:55.6; 37. Paul Peplinski (AUB) 21:02.3; 39. Ashton Ackman (SP) 21:07.1; 40. Bryce Shaw (SP) 21:30.1; 41. Brenden Fecker (ST) 21:31.1; 42. Gage Stoflet (AUB) 21:44.0; 45. Sam Schoenfuss (ST) 21:56.8; 46. Tim Wenzel (ST) 21:58.6; 47. Dominick Wichlacz (SP) 22:00.0; 48. Darren Kieffer (AUB) 22:02.1; 50. Derek Marten (ST) 22:30.1; 51. Will Boyer (MCC) 22:42.7; 53. Cody Miller (ST) 22:47.0; 54. Josh Peplinski (AUB) 22:51.0; 61. Ian Lang (AUB) 23:36.7; 63. Flynn McQuillen (MCC) 24:20.1; 64. Colten Post (SP) 24:28.2; 67. Orion Smith (MCC) 24:48.0; 69. Benno Wenzel (ST) 24:54.1; 70. Nate Knoeck (MCC) 24:58.7; 71. Spencer Griepentrog (ST) 25:00.5; 72. Kaden Haupt (ST) 25:08.1; 74. Taylor Bach (SP) 26:33.1; 75. Tyler Lappe (ST) 26:41.0; 78. Ryan Patyk (AUB) 27:25.2; 79. Carver Empey (AUB) 27:26.8; 80. Kobly Mueller (ST) 27:30.2; 81. Jake Skroch (ST) 27:42.0; 84. Braedon Miller (SP) 30:26.2.

Girls

Team scores: 1. Auburndale 30; 2. Marathon 75; 3. Colby/Abbotsford 79; 4. Spencer 92; 5. Stratford 93; 6. Marshfield Columbus Catholic 141; 7. Nekoosa 208; Wisconsin Rapids Assumption and Pittsville incomplete.

Top 10 and Columbus Catholic, Spencer, Stratford, and Auburndale finishers: 1. Anna Buchberger (MAR) 21:19.4; 2. Isabella Jewell (AUB) 21:31.9; 3. Alysha Stieber (MAR) 21:48.6; 4. Kali Karl (AUB) 22:43.7; 5. Erricka Zenner (AUB) 22:58.8; 6. Kaitlin Kasch (SP) 23:07.6; 7. Vanessa Mitchell (AUB) 23:11.2; 8. Kallie Falteisek (CA) 23:13.0; 9. Macie Schillinger (ST) 23:15.3; 10. Isabelle Feiten (CA) 23:19.6; 12. Taylor Stanton (AUB) 23:34.3; 13. Kaily Northup (SP) 23:34.9; 15. Angelia Verdone (ST) 23:52.1; 16. Annalise Jewell (AUB) 23:57.1; 17. Hailey Roehl (MCC) 24:03.0; 18. Kaylee Hollatz (ST) 24:11.0; 19. Victoria Hasenorhl (AUB) 24:41.8; 20. Lily Kloos (AUB) 24:44.5; 21. Leah Nieman (SP) 24:44.5; 22. Anna Kollross (AUB) 25:00.1; 23. Melanie Lang (MCC) 25:07.2; 24. Julianna Kollross (AUB) 25:11.8; 28. Taya Nett (ST) 25:33.8; 29. Kaylee Wehrman (SP) 25:34.7; 31. Chelsey Gliniecki (ST) 26:08.8; 32. Hannah Zastrow (SP) 26:37.1; 34. Morgan Albrecht (MCC) 27:09.2; 36. Tiffany Meinders (SP) 27:11.2; 37. Leigh Anne Sieracki (SP) 28:00.8; 38. Holly Dean (MCC) 28:03.0; 39. Maddy Payloski (ST) 28:06.2; 41. Lillian Onsager (AUB) 28:27.5; 43. Faith Miller (SP) 28:53.3; 44. Saige Tichy (ST) 28:54.8; 46. Hannah Schulte (AUB) 29:05.2; 48. Delaney Wichlacz (SP) 30:04.2; 49. Heather Greenberg (ST) 30:16.6; 50. Megan Schmidt (ST) 30:19.8; 51. Paige Kolbeck (ST) 30:25.9; 52. Grace Greenberg (ST) 30:29.2; 53. Sydney Boeger (ST) 30:37.1; 54. Kylah Wenzel (ST) 30:39.2; 55. Amanda Momont (AUB) 30:51.2; 56. Alexandra Wolf (AUB) 31:01.7; 57. Rose Huther (ST) 31:06.3; 58. Brenna Manecke (ST) 31:11.8; 59. Julia Schneider (ST) 31:13.0; 65. Greta Schiferl (MCC) 34:54.1; 66. Marissa Immerfall (MCC) 34:54.8.