WISCONSIN STATE MEET

Kaukauna Girls, Oconomowoc Boys Taste State Victory For First Time In Pared Down Meet

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

With about half of the state's schools sitting out and intending to conduct a cross country season in early 2021, the WIAA in Wisconsin staged a state championship meet like no other on Saturday. 

With three divisions spread to three separate locations, each course ran three sessions of boys and girls races and then merged the results to determine the winners and final rankings. The 2020 season will be remembered for being fractured by politics and clouded by one of the country's worst spikes in Coronavirus cases. 

But for the 100 or schools that pressed on, the state meet offered a fitting cap to a strange season. 

Senior Kora Malecek defended her Division 1 title at Arrowhead High, running 17:52.8. Brooke Edwardson of Kimberly improved from sixth last season and finished second in 18:00.3. 

Kaukauna knocked off defending champion Muskego with the school's first cross country title and a score of 79 points.

The Raccoons of Oconomowoc won the boys Division 1 title with 109 points, also capturing their first title.

Senior Joshua Truchon of West Allis Hale ran to the individual title in 15:18.3. Cael Grotenhuis of Slinger was second in 15:38.0.

In Division 2, held at Colby High, Winneconne won it's first girls state title with 76 points. Junior Kayci Martensen repeated as the individual winner, running 18:09.2. She won by 28 seconds. 

Aquinas, the Division 3 champion in 2019, moved up and claimed the Division 2 title with the help of five returning runners. The Blugolds scored 96 points for the win, while Kiel was second with 108 points and Freedom was third with 112.

Senior Leo Richardson of Edgewood ran 15:47.0 for the victory and had a 44-second gap over the field. 

In Division 3, at Maple Grove Venues in West Salem, Lancaster's girls won their second team title in three years with 93 points. Ozaukee wsa second with 103. 

Junior Brooklyn Luebke of  Manitowoc Lutheran was the fastest girl, in 18:55.5. Freshman Halle Van Horn of Random Lake was second with a time of 19:04.0. 

Sheboygan Lutheran took the Division 3 boys title for the first time since winning three straight from 2004-06. The Crusaders scored 56 points. 

Junior Parker Schneider of Durand ran 16:05.7 to win the individual title. 

Team Champions - 

Division 1 - Oconomowoc boys 109 points, Kaukauna girls 79 points - RESULTS

Division 2 - Aquinas boys 96 points, Winneconne girls 76 points - RESULTS

Division 3 - Sheboygan Area Lutheran boys 56 points, Lancaster girls 93 points - RESULTS