This story is sponsored by: Williams-Gray Co.
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
Click here to view a photo gallery of the meet.
SPENCER – Marshfield High School freshman Rebecca Voss has acted like she has been in this position before, Tigers coach Dan Akin said.
Of course, as a freshman, that is impossible, but Voss ran like a veteran Saturday morning at the Wisconsin Valley Conference Cross Country Meet, taking second on the Frey Field course.
Voss finished in 14:48, 27 seconds behind winner Ashley Eckhoff of Wausau East, to continue her emergence as one of the top girls runners in Central Wisconsin.
“She’s been strong and she had a good week of practice. I think she knew where her focus points were (on the course),” Akin said “I’m not surprised by her, I’m impressed by her. She came in, acted like a veteran – like she’d been here before. Her work ethic is tremendous.”
Voss said Eckhoff was her main competition and she had to keep an eye on the East junior, but she felt comfortable heading into her first postseason meet.
“I knew that it was getting closer to the end of the season and I have been training all season to do the best I can in this race,” Voss said. “I was feeling really confident and I knew I could do it. I knew my competition since I’ve seen these teams before. I knew who I had to look for and went out and ran my hardest and give it my all.”
Eckhoff led a group of five Wausau East runners that placed in the top 10 as the Lumberjacks on their second straight Wisconsin Valley Conference girls team title. Wausau West, which had its five top runners finish no worse than 11th, took second. Marshfield was fourth.
Stevens Point again left no doubt that it is the cream of the crop on the boys’ side.
The Panthers, behind five top-six finishes, won their 23rd straight WVC boys title with ease. Point has won 33 of the last 34 Wisconsin Valley boys team titles.
Michael Larson led the way, finishing in 16:23, eight seconds ahead of teammate Jon Formella. Luke Helminiak was third in 16;34 and Matt Mitchell took fourth in 16:38. D.C. Everest’s Jacob Dirkman spoiled the clean sweep by Stevens Point, taking fifth in 16:39, just four seconds ahead of Stevens Point’s Ryan Besaw.
Marshfield had three runners earn all-conference honorable mention accolades by finishing between 11th and 15th.
Bryan Zimmerman (12th, 17:03), Aaron Anderson (13th, 17:04) and Adam Voss (14th (17:07) helped the Tigers to a fourth-place finish.
“With 1,000 (meters) left, they were on the edge of getting all-conference,” Akin said. “They made a last push in that last 1,000 meters. It’s neat to get three guys honorable mention. Adam Binder ran a heck of a race and was just out of the money in 18th. I thought we could get third today, but Wausau East ran a heck of a race.”
East edged Marshfield by just six points for third place.
Zimmerman has been the Tigers’ top runner all season, and despite still not cracking his goal of running under 17 minutes, the senior said he, and his team, are coming together at the right time.
“Everyone’s feeding off each other and grouping up too,” Zimmerman said. “It was one of the first races where our top three guys all one behind each other.”
Marshfield, and the rest of the Wisconsin Valley Conference teams, will compete in a WIAA Division 1 sectional on Friday at Nine Mile Forest Recreation Area in Rib Mountain. The boys race starts at 4 p.m., with the girls to follow at 4:45 p.m.
The top two teams and top five individuals not on those teams qualify for the WIAA State Cross Country Championships, which will be held at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids on Oct. 30.
BOYS VARSITY
Team standings: 1. Stevens Point 16; 2. D.C. Everest 48; 3. Wausau East 82; 4. Marshfield 88; 5. Wisconsin Rapids 151; 6. Wausau West 204; 7. Merrill 223.
Top 15 finishers (all-conference runners): 1. Michael Larson (SP) 16:23; 2. Jon Formella (SP) 16:31; 3. Luke Helminiak (SP) 16:34; 4. Matt Mitchell (SP) 16:38; 5. Jacob Dirkman (DCE) 16:39; 6. Ryan Besaw (SP) 16:43; 7. Jack Micholic (DCE) 16:50; 8. Andrew Pitney (WE) 16:51; 9. Jacob Hahn (SP) 16:52; 10. Sam Anderson (DCE) 16:56; 11. Luke Merchant (DCE) 17:00; 12. Bryan Zimmerman (MAR) 17:03; 13. Aaron Anderson (MAR) 17:04; 14. Adam Voss (MAR) 17:07; 15. Matt Hupy (DCE) 17:08.
Other results, not in Top 15
Stevens Point: 19. Ryley Ruzek 17:22; 25. Cole Shurbert-Hetzel 17:35.
D.C. Everest: 24. Paul Dau 17:33; 28. Aaron Nelson 17:50; 34. Derek Sanchez 18:05.
Wausau East: 16. Jordan Baur 17:08; 17. Mitchell Straub 17:19; 20. Cody Buckli 17:24; 21. Emmett Stifler 17:26; 27. Adam Martin 17:45; 29. Jase Meyer 17:51; 32. Jordan Marquardt 18:04.
Marshfield: 18. Adam Binder 17:20; 31. Colin Korlesky 18:03; 33. Adrian Kaiser 18:04; 36. Nolan Redetzke 18:14; 38. Max Tibbett 18:18.
Wisconsin Rapids: 23. Booker Berry 17:27; 26. John Graves 17:39; 30. Devin Greiner 18:01; 35. Buck Jones 18:08; 37. Alex Wodlarski 18:17; 39. Patrick Killian 18:25; 41. Wesley Peterson 18:56; 53. Tom Peterson 20:03.
Wausau West: 22. Paul Kumm 17:26; 40. Jacob Kage 18:33; 44. Juan Pintor 19:06; 48. Mark Pan 19:15; 50. Ian Punke 19:23; 51. Jordan Boyea 19:33; 52. Doua Lor 19:41; 55. Peter Myher 20:15.
Merrill: 42. Luke Gessler 19:02; 43. Michael Seaman 19:05; 45. Andrew Seaman 19:07; 46. Marcus Reinhardt 19:10; 47. Trevor Myers 19:15; 49. Andrew Koch 19:19; 54. Matthew Dewar 20:08.
GIRLS VARSITY
Team standings: 1. Wausau East 24; 2. Wausau West 40; 3. Stevens Point 110; 4. Marshfield 116; 5. D.C. Everest 119; 6. Wisconsin Rapids 155; 7. Merrill 181.
Top 15 finishers (all-conference runners): 1. Ashley Eckhoff (WE) 14:21; 2. Rebecca Voss (MAR) 14:48; 3. Katelyn Stine (WE) 14:56; 4. Sarah Poirier (WW) 14:58; 5. Courtney Frahm (WE) 15:06; 6. Marissa Lange (WE) 15:08; 7. Marissa Matushak (WW) 15:13; 8. Haley Dodd (WW) 15:22; 9. Krista Maguire (WE) 15:30; 10. Kierra Kohlbeck (WW) 15:42; 11. Michaela Matushak (WW) 15:53; 12. Ellie Hrdina (WW) 15:56; 13. Marissa Peters (DCE) 15:58; 14. Sydney Harris (MER) 15:59; 15. Payton Tepp (SP) 16:00.
Other results, not in Top 15
Wausau East: 38. Rachel Lange 17:15; 46. Gao Zhong Yang 18:31.
Wausau West: 19. Morgan Weber 16:12; 20. Cassidy Daley 16:13.
Stevens Point: 17. McKenzie Taggatz 16:05; 25. Alyssa Shurbert-Hetzel 16:31; 26. Kaitlyn Hintz 16:33; 27. Katelyn Willoughby 16:40; 29. Savannah Soik 16:43; 31. Josie Brilowski 16:46; 35. Sarah Omernik 17:03.
Marshfield: 21. Jennifer Kaiser 16:19; 23. Lisa Kaiser 16:30; 33. Alexa Fritsch 16:55; 37. Alexis Dzikowich 17:14; 40. Danielle Sopiarz 17:31; 42. Nikki Youngblood 17:55; 44. Katie Urquart 18:16.
D.C. Everest: 16. Laura Meinhardt 16:00; 24. Emilee Mytinger 16:30; 30. Carly Phillips 16:44; 36. Marissa Cherek 17:07; 39. Arianna Nickmeyer 17:16; 41. Hannah Halambeck 17:47.
Wisconsin Rapids: 18. Morgan Elzinga 16:09; 28. Apryl Zimmerman 16:41; 32. Kasey Dillingham 16:50; 34. Miki Brinegar 17:02; 43. Amber Wolfe 18:04; 45. Carissa Freeh 18:30; 49. Sara Graper 19:01.
Merrill: 22. Ashley Berton 16:22; 47. Kathleen Moonen 18:35; 48. Kendra Andreska 18:36; 50. Kelci Peterson 19:06; 51. Mariah Debroux 19:07.
Click here for complete boys varsity results
Click here for complete girls varsity results
Click here for complete girls JV results
Click here for complete boys JV results