Portage County Gazette

By John Kemmeter

The Rosholt High School girls cross country team edged Marathon to earn its third consecutive trip to state at the WIAA Division 3 Amherst Sectional at Standing Rocks County Park Saturday, Oct. 20.

Pacelli Catholic High School senior Grace Engebretson placed eighth overall to qualify as an individual for the WIAA Division 3 State Meet at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids at 2:25 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, while the Amherst High School girls cross country team had its season come to an end.

Seventh-ranked Rosholt placed second with 71 points to finish behind third-ranked Auburndale (62), and beat out sixth-ranked Marathon (74) to advance to state as a team.

“We were on our phones right away (after ther race), looking and making sure,” said Rosholt senior Taylor Krogwold. “But I’m so glad that we’re going back to state, and so is my team.

“We worked so hard this season, they deserve it more than anyone, and so I’m so proud of all of them,” she said.

“They were hungry, and we came in the right frame of mind,” said Rosholt girls cross country head coach Mike Trzebiatowski. “Sometimes it’s a little easier getting through, but I knew Marathon was a hungry group of girls, and Auburndale is tough.”

Snow covered the ground as flurries continued to fall throughout the Division 3 girls race, where the defending Division 3 State Champion, junior Marissa Ellenbecker of Edgar (19:28.2), overtook Iola-Scandinavia senior Jada Beacom (19:30.6) down the final stretch to win the Individual Title.

Taylor Krogwold finished fifth to lead Rosholt, followed by junior Jordan Zdroik (seventh), junior Jenna Trzebiatowski (11th), sophomore Logan Krogwold (22nd), senior Amanda Wanta (28th), senior Kayliah Meronk (34th) and senior Kenzie Stelter (61st).

“I just kept looking at the girls in front of me, wherever I could see them, and I just kept going after them,” said Taylor Krogwold. “But otherwise, I feel like my team was right there behind me, and I just kept running and going.”

“It was slick,” said coach Trzebiatowski of the course. “We put Jordy on the course after sitting out for two or three races because of hip flexor issues, we slowly weaned her back in, and I said, ‘we need to try to make a run at this if we’re going to try to do anything in the Championship part.’

“Marathon made it interesting at the end, they ran the second half better than I thought they would, and we got kind of close to Auburndale, so that wasn’t too bad,” he said. “We gave up some places the last straight away here, but they did what they needed to do.”

Engebretson finished eighth overall to lead the Pacelli girls and claim the last individual berth to the State Meet, where she will run for the third time.

Senior Grace Van Handel was next in 26th for the Cardinals, followed by sophomore Maya Kunze (39th), junior Katy Czerwinski (41st), senior Dominique Jamison (51st), sophomore Jenna Stolt (54th) and junior Anika Brandl (94th).

Freshman Dylan Werachowski placed 12th to lead the Amherst girls, followed by sophomore Kate Omernik (31st), senior Rebecca Ostrowski (32nd), senior Lindsay Dose (35th), senior Katla Anderson (44th), freshman Nicole Eiden (55th) and senior Victoria Weier (67th).

In the final team standings, Auburndale won the Sectional Title with 62 points and the Hornets (71) earned the second team berth to state over Marathon (74), fourth-place Amherst (149) and fifth-place Pacelli (159).

Next weekend, the Rosholt girls will look to bounce back from a 14th-place team finish at state last year, after they placed third in 2016.

“We knew we could win Conference last week, that’s the first part of Championship season, and then Sectionals are obviously just, ‘punch your ticket to get to state,’” said coach Trzebiatowski. “And then we’ll see what happens.

“Jordy’s going to get another week of training, and the first three girls have to go up and battle, and then hopefully Logan and Amanda and Kayliah can fill in that four, five, six spot,” he said. “But it’s a pleasure to have those girls run, they’re very intelligent kids, and they’ve made some progress.”