Boyceville cross country girls ninth at Durand, boys 11th

DURAND — For the first time this year, Boyceville’s girls cross country had a full compliment of runners as the team competed in Durand last Thursday, September 24.

The girls finished ninth out of 12 teams while the Bulldog boys’ squad placed 11th out of 14 teams.

The race gave the Bulldogs and the other Dunn-St. Croix teams the opportunity to run on the course that will host this year’s conference meet in a few weeks.

Colfax took the girls’ title with 41 points and Altoona laid claim to the boys’ crown after scoring 53 points.

Sam Retz and Maxwell Engel lead the Bulldog boys’ team as they finished 20 and 26th with respective times of 19:51.0 and 19:58.1. Jack Kapsner was 50th in 21:08.9; Jerod Nelson was 72nd with a time of 21:58.1; Michael Chich ran a 23:25.7 for 99th; Kiel Anderson finished in 24:18.0 to place 107th; Emmett Kapsner was 115th in 26:06.3; Casey Owen ran a 27:04.3 for 120th; Mark Timper was 126th with a 30:01.8; and Brennon Wheeldon crossed the finish in 37:48.3 to place 129th.

Shiann Wagner, running for just the second time this season, was the Bulldogs’ top finisher for the girls. Wagner was 19th in 23:39.8.

Lauren Dominick took 39th in 26:09.4 and was followed by Emma Harnisch, 42nd, 26:33; Marissa Dormanen, 48th, 26:55.0; and Sarah Kapsner, 97th, 35:35.4.

“Sam Retz and Max Engel had nice performances for the boys,” stated Corey Day, Boyceville head coach.

“I was most impressed, however, by Kiel Anderson,” noted Day. “He had a growth cut off his foot at the beginning of the season and just a few weeks ago he was struggling to walk on that foot. Now he was not only able to run but earned back his varsity spot.”

“Shiann had a strong finish and I look for her to move up with each race she runs,” added Day.

The Boyceville Middle School boys finished third as Andrews Akers won the race and Nathan Corr took sixth. Noelle Wheeldon was the girls’ top middle school finisher.

Boyceville has a pair of races this week. The Bulldogs will run in Spring Valley this Thursday, October 1 and at New Richmond on Saturday, October 3. The teams will then be in Amery on Tuesday, October 6.