This story is sponsored by Norm E Lane Farm
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
STEVENS POINT – Auburndale’s Danica Harrison is putting together a great senior season.
It continued Saturday with a victory at the Stevens Point Pacelli Cross Country Invitational.
Harrison won the girls race in 15:32, 19 seconds ahead of second-place Emily Sether of Iola-Scandinavia.
Abby Bauer was sixth for the Apaches (16:35) to help the team to a second-place finish. Wittenberg-Birnamwood had four finishers in the top seven to win the team title with 34 points. Auburndale was second with 91 and Marshfield Columbus Catholic finished eighth with 188.
“Danica ran a solid race to win the girls race, and the girls improved, especially Abby Bauer, who is starting to gain confidence in her running abilities,” Auburndale coach Jim Johnson said.
Claire Pinter led Columbus with a ninth-place finish, running the course in 17:05. Riley Roehl was 28th.
On the boys side, Auburndale took fourth and Columbus was eighth. Rosholt won the team title.
Luke Haas led Auburndale, taking fourth in 17:00. David Haas took eighth in 17:50.
Jeremy Binder was the Dons’ top runner, finishing 26th in 18:41.
Johnson added that one Auburndale girls, Melanie Brandl, a junior, essentially sacrificed her finish in the race to help a fallen opponent.
In what he said was a great act of sportsmanship, Johnson said he didn’t know who the girl was that Brandl helped, but that Brandl saw a girl from another team who was lying on the ground in pain and that Melanie was able to flag down an adult to help her before she continued on her run.
Brandl ended up 68th out of the 74 girls who finished.
Stevens Point Pacelli Invitational
Girls
Team standings: 1. Wittenberg-Birnamwood 34; 2. Auburndale 91; 3. Amherst 115; 4. Iola-Scandinavia 123; 5. Wisconsin Rapids Assumption 131; 6. St. Thomas 134; 7. Gillett 188; 8. Marshfield Columbus Catholic 188; 9. Owen-Withee 196; 10. Stevens Point Pacelli 230; 11. Marion 284.
Top 10: 1. Danica Harrison (AUB) 15:32; 2. Emily Sether (IS) 15:51; 3. Jenni Berndt (WB) 15:59; 4. Kendal Wormuth (WB) 16:10; 5. Megan School (WB) 16:34; 6. Abby Bauer (AUB) 16:35; 7. Leah Vosters (WB) 16:39; 8. Alyssa Loferski (ST) 16:54; 9. Claire Pinter (MCC) 17:05; 10. Martha Hokamp (WRA) 17:18.
Other Auburndale finishers: 24. Emma Steines 17:49; 27. Sam Karl 17:55; 33. Heather Nigh 18:18; 36. Stafani Karl 18:22; 56. Becky Willfahrt 19:59; 68. Melanie Brandl 21:11.
Other Columbus finishers: 28. Riley Roehl 18:04; 40. Rachel Albrecht 18:35; 53. Alexandria Viegut 19:35; 58. Tori Schlagenhaft 20:08.
Boys
Team standings: 1. Rosholt 39; 2. Wittenberg-Birnamwood 87; 3. Gillett 96; 4. Auburndale 132; 5. Iola-Scandinavia 135; 6. St. Thomas 142; 7. Wisconsin Rapids Assumption 151; 8. Marshfield Columbus Catholic 194; 9. Amherst 223; 10. Stevens Point Pacelli 294; 11. Owen-Withee 311; Marion incomplete.
Top 10: 1. Matthew Easker (WB) 16:26; 2. Jordan Yenter (ROS) 16:29; 3. Eric Tomson (WB) 16:54; 4. Luke Haas (AUB) 17:00; 5. Kyle Wallace (ROS) 17:19; 6. David Rosenlund (GIL) 17:23; 7. Mark Heriog (GIL) 17:39; 8. David Haas (AUB) 17:50; 9. Jim Liebe (ROS) 17:52; 10. Josh Studinski (ROS) 17:56.
Other Auburndale finishers: 25. Jacob Hunsberger 18:36; 36. Tom Sabel 19:16; 61. Lane Schuld 20:16; 63. Aaron Kollross 20:25; 65. Brad Becker 20:41; 66. Cody Steines 20:50.
Columbus finishers: 26. Jeremy Binder 18:41; 39. Travis Wienke 19:21; 40. Tyler Derfus 19:21; 43. Sam Studinger 19:28; 50. Pat Sullivan 19:49; 55. Alex Larson 20:02; 56. Brandon Nikolai 20:03; 57. Alex Baierl 20:04.