Marshfield sending three to state after high finishes at WIAA Division 1 cross country sectional

Marshfield freshman Eliana Kanitz, front left, and juniors Joshua McKee, middle, and Joseph McKee, second from right, qualified for the 2018 WIAA State Cross Country Meet after earning top finishes at the Division 1 sectional meet Saturday at Standing Rock Park in Stevens Point. (Submitted photo)

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STEVENS POINT – The Marshfield cross country teams will be sending three athletes on to the state meet after earning top finishes at the WIAA Division 1 sectional meet Saturday at Standing Rock Park.

Juniors Joseph McKee and Joshua McKee, and freshman Eliana Kanitz will be representing the Tigers at the 2018 WIAA State Cross Country Meet, which will be Saturday, Oct. 27, at the Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.

The top two teams and top five individual finishers not on those qualifying teams earn spots in the state meet field.

The McKee brothers earned the final two state spots in the boys race. Joseph McKee was 11th in 16:43.0 and Joshua McKee was right behind, taking 12th in 16:47.5. Joseph McKee will be making his second consecutive trip to state. He finished 48th in 16:44.64 in the Division 1 boys race a year ago.

Kanitz took seventh in the girls race in 19:47.6 to grab the final girls individual qualifying spot.

Neenah won the boys team title and Stevens Point was second to earn spots at the state, while Appleton North won the sectional title and Stevens Point was second in the girls standings.

Roisin Willis of Stevens Point won the girls race in 18:50.9, 40 seconds ahead of Wausau West’s Brooke Jaworski.

Neenah’s Matthew Meinke was the boys champion, finishing in 15:42.2, 35 seconds ahead of Point’s Chad Franz.

The Marshfield boys finished fourth in the team standings with 115 points. Addison Hill took 22nd (17:15.8), Henry Hoerneman was 33rd (17:53.5), and Evan Ellis was 37th (17:58.8) to round out the Tigers’ scoring runners.

The Marshfield girls were eighth among the 12 teams at the sectional. Bailey Bauer was 33rd (21:18.9), Meghan Jaeger took 36th (21:33.6), Kairi Kim finished 47th (22:03.7), and Jerica Mueller was 64th (23:13.0) for the Tigers.

The Division 1 boys race will begin at noon on Saturday, and the D-1 girls race is scheduled for 1:45 p.m.

2018 WIAA Division 1 Cross Country Sectional
Oct. 20, at Standing Rock Park, Stevens Point
(*denotes state meet qualifier)
Boys
Team scores:
*1. Neenah 39; *2. Stevens Point 46; 3. Hortonville 99; 4. Marshfield 115; 5. Appleton North 124; 6. Wisconsin Rapids 137; 7. D.C. Everest 186; 8. Wausau West 188; 9. Appleton West 276; 10. Merrill 296; 11. Wausau East 307; 12. Menasha 328.
Top 15 and Marshfield finishers: 1. Matthew Meinke (NEE) 15:42.2; 2. Chad Franz (SP) 16:17.8; *3. Ryan Hartman (WW) 16:23.1; 4. Jake Lepak (SP) 16:23.6; 5. Austin Henderson (NEE) 16:24.1; 6. Trenton Bauer (NEE) 16:25.1; 7. Griffin Congdon (NEE) 16:27.8; *8. Jake Krause (HOR) 16:36.9; *9. Isaiah Winowiski (DC) 16:39.5; 10. Zach Scharbarth (SP) 16:42.6; *11. Joseph McKee (MAR) 16:43.0; *12. Joshua McKee (MAR) 16:47.5; 13. Alex Strojny (SP) 16:53.2; 14. Harrison Sullivan (WR) 16:55.6; 15. Sam Forstner (WR) 16:56.4; 22. Addison Hill (MAR) 17:15.8; 33. Henry Hoerneman (MAR) 17:53.5; 37. Evan Ellis (MAR) 17:58.8; 44. Carter Chojnacki (MAR) 18:10.5; 48. Eli Swansen (MAR) 18:20.3.
Girls
Team scores:
*1. Appleton North 80; *2. Stevens Point 87; 3. Neenah 131; 4. Wausau West 131; 5. Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln 139; 6. Hortonville 176; 7. Appleton West 186; 8. Marshfield 187; 9. D.C. Everest 196; 10. Wausau East 200; 11. Merrill 270; 12. Menasha 315.
Top 15 and Marshfield finishers: 1. Roisin Willis (SP) 18:50.9; *2. Brooke Jaworski (WW) 19:30.6; *3. McKenna Taylor (WE) 19:36.4; *4. Maddy vantassel (AW) 19:40.5; *5. Willow Sering (WR) 19:41.1; 6. Anika Nettekoven (AN) 19:42.6; *7. Eliana Kanitz (MAR) 19:47.6; 8. Grace Belson (SP) 19:59.2; 9. Sarah Price (WR) 20:09.2; 10. Alyssa Rafuse (HOR) 20:12.2; 11. Ellison Kohlbeck (AN) 20:19.7; 12. Dalie Thomas (MER) 20:21.8; 13. Faith Dix (WR) 20:26.8; 14. Krista Baumgartner (NEE) 20:28.6; 15. Rachel Jaworski (WW) 20:32.4; 33. Bailey Bauer (MAR) 21:18.9; 36. Meghan Jaeger (MAR) 21:33.6; 47. Kairi Kim (MAR) 22:03.7; 64. Jerica Mueller (MAR) 23:13.0; 67. Reese Scheibe (MAR) 23:29.1.