Stevens Point News

Main Menu

  • Covid 19
  • Sports
    • Sports News
    • High School Sports Scores
    • Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
  • Crime
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Obits
  • Contact
    • Subscribe
  • Classifieds
    • View Ads
    • Place Ads
  • Legal Ads
    • Our Legals
    • Statewide
  • E-Edition
    • Stevens Point City Times

logo

Stevens Point News

  • Covid 19
  • Sports
    • Sports News
    • High School Sports Scores
    • Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
  • Crime
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Obits
  • Contact
    • Subscribe
  • Classifieds
    • View Ads
    • Place Ads
  • Legal Ads
    • Our Legals
    • Statewide
  • E-Edition
    • Stevens Point City Times
SPASH freshman Roisin Willis battles for the lead in the front pack just past the one-mile marker at the WIAA Division 1 State Meet at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids Saturday, Oct. 27. (John Kemmeter photo)
SPASH senior Madelyn Schneider (856) and freshman Emelia Johnson (858) try to navigate their way through a pack of runners at the WIAA Division 1 State Meet at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids Saturday, Oct. 27. (John Kemmeter photo)
SPASH sophomore Sara Hopper finished 93rd overall at the WIAA Division 1 State Meet at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids Saturday, Oct. 27. (John Kemmeter photo)
SPASH senior Grace Belson closes in toward the finish line at the WIAA Division 1 State Meet at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids Saturday, Oct. 27. (John Kemmeter photo)
SPASH freshmen Autumn Itzen (right) and Josie Reeve (right) enter a turn just past the one-mile marker at the WIAA Division 1 State Meet at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids Saturday, Oct. 27. (John Kemmeter photo)
SPASH freshman Roisin Willis runs toward the finish line on her way to a fourth-place finish at the WIAA Division 1 State Meet at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids Saturday, Oct. 27. (John Kemmeter photo)
SPASH freshman Roisin Willis gets a hug from her mother Breeda, following a fourth-place finish at the WIAA Division 1 State Meet at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids Saturday, Oct. 27. (John Kemmeter photo)
Freshman Emelia Johnson closed out the team scoring for the SPASH girls cross country team at the WIAA Division 1 State Meet at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids Saturday, Oct. 27. (John Kemmeter photo)
SPASH freshman Autumn Itzen tries to hold off a trio of runners down the stretch at the WIAA Division 1 State Meet at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids Saturday, Oct. 27. (John Kemmeter photo)
SPASH freshman Josie Reeve heads toward the finish line at the WIAA Division 1 State Meet at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids Saturday, Oct. 27. (John Kemmeter photo)
SPASH girls cross country assistant coach Zoe Browne hugs freshman Roisin Willis after Willis placed fourth at the WIAA Division 1 State Meet at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids Saturday, Oct. 27. (John Kemmeter photo)
Sports
Home›Sports›Willis places fourth, as SPASH girls 11th at State Meet

Willis places fourth, as SPASH girls 11th at State Meet

By STEVENS POINT NEWS
October 31, 2018
1502
0
Share:

Portage County Gazette

By John Kemmeter

Stevens Point Area Senior High School (SPASH) freshman Roisin Willis’ chase for a State Title came up just short at the WIAA Division 1 State Meet at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids Saturday, Oct. 27.

Willis battled at the front of the race until the final stretch, on her way to a fourth-place finish, while the 10th-ranked ended up 11th in the team standings.

“I was pretty tired once I finished,” said Willis. “But now coming back, I’m pretty excited because I know I gave it everything I had.”

“It wasn’t our total best effort, but it was a very good, solid effort, and that’s what you’re looking for, is consistency,” said SPASH girls cross country head coach Mike Olson. “We really haven’t had a bad meet, and this was no exception.

“You would like everybody to have a PR on a day like today, but it just didn’t happen for us,” he said.

SPASH made its third consecutive appearance at the State Meet Saturday, while Willis look to challenge for the Individual State Title, after she won each of her previous seven races this season.

Willis was in the lead pack from early on in the race Saturday afternoon, as she was one of six runners to pass the one-mile marker in 5:41, while she held a slight advantage (11:41) over Madison West freshman Genevieve Nashold (11:41) to lead after two miles.

However, as the runners approached the final hill to head toward the finish line, Nashold was the first to emerge, and she pulled away to win the State Title in 18:10.

Wills was next up the hill, with sophomore Kate Sperka of Muskego and sophomore Brooke Edwardson of Kimberly right behind, while Sperka (18:26.5) separated herself from the pack to finish second, followed by Edwardson (18:29.9) in third and Willis (18:30.3) in fourth.

“The pace just got harder and harder, until I was just tight all over,” said Willis. “And I just had to hold on until the end just to finish the race.

“It was definitely eye opening, just the way that these girls compete,” she said. “They’re ruthless and it’s just like racing against myself, but better. It’s really humbling to be able to run against these amazing girls.”

“Roisin ran a great race, put a good effort into it and came up a little bit short,” said Olson. “This is just the beginning for her, things are going to get much, much better, and the sky’s the limit for this girl.

“She’ll get one of these, or more, before it’s all over,” he said.

Sophomore Sara Hopper (93rd overall, 55th in team standings) finished second for the Panthers, followed by seniors Grace Belson (124th overall, 79th in team) and Madelyn Schneider (135th overall, 89th in team).

“Sara has been doing great all year, really came on strong, and in my opinion she had her best race of the season at the State Meet, and you can’t ask for anything more than that,” said Olson. “Grace has had some breathing difficulties the last few meets and it cropped up again today. But she held on, and where most other kids you see fall down and start crying, she keeps pushing and keeps going, and so she ended her career, not on a PR, but on an effort she should be proud of.

“And Maddie did fantastic, she’s been nicked up for a couple of years now, still is not 100 percent healthy, but every time she goes out there, there’s no question that she’s giving everything she has, and in my opinion had her best race of the season, by far,” he said.

Freshman Emelia Johnson (144th overall, 95th in team) closed out the team scoring for SPASH, while freshmen Autumn Itzen (154th overall, 105th in team) and Josie Reeve (186th overall, 136th in team) rounded out the team’s lineup.

“Emelia has been gaining confidence with every meet, you can see her pushing her way up,” said Olson. “We have four freshmen on varsity, and the experience they gained this year is going to be invaluable.

“Autumn wasn’t 100 percent on today, but it was a good, solid effort, and she kept it together and finished strong,” he said. “And Josie has been a model of consistency all year, and is just a great girl.”

In the end, SPASH totaled 322 points to finish 11th in the team standings, while top-ranked Muskego had 48 points to win the State Title over second-ranked Sun Prairie (103) and third-ranked Onalaska (112).

Olson thanked assistant coaches Pat Leahy and Zoe Browne for all of their help this season, as SPASH won its sixth Wisconsin Valley Conference Title in seven years ,and also advanced to state for the sixth time in seven years.

“I’ve been real proud of everybody this year, the junior high kids did great, the JVs did great, and I think the future’s bright,” said Olson. “We’ve got some kids coming up that are going to be tough, and we hopefully will have Maddie Hyland back next year, so these girls have got to bust their butts in the summer to keep their spots, otherwise some of the youngsters are going to come up and take it.

“We’re going to get better in the next couple of years, before these freshmen are done I think we’ll be a podium team, if they keep working the way they have so far,” he said. “But all in all, we did really good and I’m very proud of the girls, and I’m looking forward to next year already.”

TagsRoisin WillisSPASH girls cross country
Previous Article

Amherst’s Wise, Pacelli’s Engebretson compete at State ...

Next Article

Up the Creek: Why can’t Wisconsin have ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Related articles More from author

  • NewsSports

    SPASH girls cross country looks to make push for state

    October 20, 2017
    By STEVENS POINT NEWS
  • NewsSports

    Sets of siblings run for SPASH at state

    November 3, 2017
    By STEVENS POINT NEWS
  • SportsTop Feature

    SPASH girls cross country eyes return to state

    September 13, 2018
    By STEVENS POINT NEWS
  • Sports

    SPASH boys, girls cross country teams win Conference

    October 15, 2018
    By STEVENS POINT NEWS
  • SportsTop Feature

    Willis wins Sectional Title as SPASH girls advance to State Meet

    October 22, 2018
    By STEVENS POINT NEWS
  • SportsTop Feature

    Runners battle sudden snowstorm at Cross Country Sectional

    October 24, 2018
    By STEVENS POINT NEWS

Leave a reply Cancel reply

High School Sports

Go to High School Sports

Free SP Newsletter

  • Sports

  • Commentary

  • SPASH names new head football coach

    By Taylor Hale
    May 4, 2022
  • Nelson’s walk-off sparks series win with three victories

    By Taylor Hale
    April 13, 2022
  • UWSP women’s basketball coach announces retirement

    By Taylor Hale
    April 9, 2022
  • Pitching dominates with pair of one-hitters as Pointers finish sweep

    By Taylor Hale
    April 5, 2022
  • SPASH trap shooting club hosts fundraiser

    By Taylor Hale
    March 16, 2022
  • Ice fishing contest Reels in $1,500 for Portage County Literacy Council

    By Taylor Hale
    March 17, 2022
  • Kemmeter Column: County celebrates year after quarantine

    By Taylor Hale
    July 12, 2021
  • Isherwood Column: Great engineering projects two

    By Taylor Hale
    July 11, 2021
  • Shoes News Graphic

    Show Column: Odd Jobs

    By Taylor Hale
    July 9, 2021
  • Looking ahead with Larry: July 2

    By Taylor Hale
    July 5, 2021

About Us


The Portage County Gazette is published every Friday by Multi Media Channels. It is locally-owned, locally-operated and locally-written. Subscriptions are $59 annually, delivered via the U.S. Postal Service.


To subscribe, go www.shopmmclocal.com/product/portage-county-gazette or call 715-258-4360

  • 2619 Post Road, Stevens Point, WI 54481
  • (715) 343-8045
  • News editor: [email protected]
Copyright © 2022 Multi Media Channels LLC.
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted without the prior written consent of Multi Media Channels LLC.
×