CROSS COUNTRY: Hodags open season, finish 4th at Ted Voigt Invite
Alayna Franson 2nd in girls race
STAR JOURNAL REPORT
The Rhinelander High School cross country teams competed in their first meet of the season Tuesday in the Ted Voigt Invitational at Winter Park in Minocqua, where the boys and girls both finished fourth and two runners on each team placed in the top 10.
In the girls race, Lakeland Union High School, which had its top-five runners place eighth or better, topped the team standings with 21 points. Mosinee and Merrill each had a score of 71, but Mosinee broke the tie for second place with its sixth runner ahead of Merrill’s sixth runner. The Hodags ended up fourth at 75. Mercer had fewer than five finishers and was unable to score in the team standings.
LUHS sophomore Ashley Peterson finished first on the 5,000-meter course in 20 minutes, 53.4 seconds. RHS senior Alayna Franson was 17 seconds off the winning pace and placed runner-up in 21:10.4.
“(Franson) ran a really tight race all the way to the very end,” said Hodags assistant coach Brittany Haakenson.
RHS senior Anna Sturzl placed ninth in 24:56.7. The Hodags’ other three girls whose finishes counted toward the team score included: junior Alexandra Fugle, 17th in 26:55.8; junior Claire Bowman, 23rd in 30:20; and sophomore Jenna Younker, 24th in 30:28.8.
LUHS BOYS ALSO WIN
In the boys race, the Thunderbirds also had their top-five runners who scored finish in the top eight to lead the team to a first-place victory with 23 points. Mosinee was second at 54. Merrill (75) edged out RHS (76) by a point for third.
Two LUHS seniors occupied the top-two places with Darius Diver (18:02) reaching the finish line 2.3 seconds ahead of Kavanaugh FitzPatrick (18:04.3).
The Hodags’ top finish came from senior Markus Johnson, who placed sixth in 20:12.2. RHS freshman Jacob Weddle came in ninth in 20:34.1. The Hodags’ other three boys whose finishes counted toward the team score included: freshman J.C. Adams, 19th in 22:58; sophomore Connor Kennedy, 20th in 23:11; and freshman Tristan Fuss, 22nd in 24:02.9.
Up next for RHS is its only home meet of the season Thursday morning with the Hodag Invitational.
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