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ATHENS – Stratford’s Cree DeFoe will be moving on to the state meet after a ninth-place finish at the WIAA Division 3 Cross Country Sectional on Friday at Erbach Park.
DeFoe ran in 17:31.6 to earn the fourth of five individual qualifying spots for next week’s 2022 WIAA State Cross Country Championships which will be held at Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids on Saturday, Oct. 28.
The top two teams and top five individuals not on the qualifying teams earn berths at the state meet.
Athens (56 points) and Gillett (70) earned the two team berths in the boys division. Alex Peterson of Gillett won the boys race in 16:18.6, 10 seconds in front of Athens’ Connor Sheahan.
Crandon’s Taylor Karcz was third (16:34.3), Bonduel’s Ben O’Brien took fifth (17:19.6), Laona/Wabeno’s Adisun Romprey finished sixth (17:24.5), DeFoe was ninth, and Marathon’s Jaron Gage took 10th (17:50.4) to snag the five individual slots.
Stratford’s Breleigh Skaya and the Tigers team as a whole just missed out on state berths.
Bonduel won the girls team title with 49 points and Colby was second with 65, just five points ahead of Stratford.
Skaya finished ninth overall in the girls race, running in 21:08.0, just ½ second behind Edgar’s Morgan Schnelle, who locked up the fifth and final individual berth.
Addison May of Crandon won the girls race in 20:15.9, 9½ seconds ahead of Gillett’s Carleigh Kaczmarek to earn two of the individual berths. Along with Schnelle, Wittenberg-Birnamwood’s Rory Salveson (third, 20:29.8) and Three Lakes’ Kallie Volk (20:47.4) also will be moving on to state.
2022 WIAA Division 3 Cross Country Sectional
Oct. 21, at Erbach Park, Athens
(*denotes state meet qualifier)
Boys
Team scores: *1. Athens 56; *2. Gillett 70; 3. Marathon 71; 4. Stratford 101; 5. Bonduel 149; 6. Menominee Indian 188; 7. Crandon 192; 8. Oconto 195; 9. Wittenberg-Birnamwood 196; 10. Coleman 203; 11. Edgar 219; Crivitz, Florence, Goodman-Pembine, Gresham-Bowler, Laona/Wabeno, Lena/St. Thomas Academy, Marion, Three Lakes incomplete.
Top 10 and Stratford finishers: 1. Alex Peterson (GIL) 16:18.6; 2. Connor Sheahan (ATH) 16:28.3; *3. Taylor Karcz (CR) 16:34.3; 4. Evan Peterson (GIL) 17:15.5; *5. Ben O’Brien (BON) 17:19.6; *6. Adisun Romprey (LW) 17:24.5; 7. Andrew Schaer (ATH) 17:30.3; 8. Braydin Wendorf (GIL) 17:31.3; *9. Cree DeFoe (ST) 17:31.6; *10. Jaron Gage (MAR) 17:50.4; 17. Lance Krieg (ST) 18:27.0; 25. Ethan Heeg (ST) 18:50.6; 28. Mathias Kaiser (ST) 18:58.3; 37. Kaden Foster (ST) 19:57.8; 44. Derek Wiese (ST) 20:08.9; 63. Calvin Rasmussen (ST) 21:10.6
Girls
Team scores: *1. Bonduel 49; *2. Colby 65; 3. Stratford 70; 4. Crandon 115; 5. Gillett 127; 6. Marathon 148; 7. Edgar 164; 8. Suring 187; 9. Oconto 203; Athens, Coleman, Florence, Goodman/Pembine, Laona/Wabeno, Lena/St. Thomas Academy, Marion, Menominee Indian, Three Lakes, Wittenberg-Birnamwood incomplete.
Top 10 and Stratford finishers: *1. Addison May (CR) 20:15.9; *2. Carleigh Kaczmarek (GIL) 20:25.5; *3. Rory Salveson (WB) 20:29.8; 4. Willow Oehmichen (COL) 20:45.0; *5. Kallie Volk (TL) 20:47.4; 6. Teagan Engel (BON) 21:00.7; 7. MaKenna Herrmann (COL) 21:05.2; *Morgan Schnelle (ED) 21:07.5; 9. Breleigh Skaya (ST) 21:08.0; 10. Mariah Wondra (BON) 21:17.1; 13. Ella Heidmann (ST) 21:34.1; 19. Samantha Mielke (ST) 21:56.8; 22. Kayla Casperson (ST) 22:28.0; 26. Kressa Wenzel (ST) 22:48.3; 36. Mercedes Kramer (ST) 23:25.3; 54. Lexie Christopherson (ST) 24:50.9.