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Colfax Cross Country sends one to state after boys and girls take fifth at sectional

By Cara L. Dempski

BOYCEVILLE — Colfax head cross country coach Joe Doucette was realistic about where he hoped his two teams would finish in their sectional meet.

“We were hoping for a top-five finish for both teams, and we got that,” he said after the meet. “We had a lot of kids run well in tough conditions.”

The Viking boys’ and girls’ cross country teams both took fifth place in the WIAA Division 3 sectional meet at Boyceville last Saturday, October 21 after racing twice around a wet, sloppy, muddy course.

Junior Erica Kallstrom earned yet another state berth as an individual after finishing fourth in the girls’ race.

The Colfax runner was the first of the Viking girls to find her way to the finish, racing to the line in 21:15.3 to take one of the five individual state-qualifying spots from the sectional.

Senior Mackenzie Jensen finished her high school career with a 23:20.3 race for 31st overall.

Freshman Addisyn Olson ended up in 39th after a 24:01.2 run; Doucette believes she could be a very good runner as time goes on. Hailey Prince and Juelia Berger completed the Vikings’ girls team, finishing 55th and 56th with times of 24:55.3 and 25:02.7.

While Colfax will say good bye to Jensen at graduation next May, Doucette expressed excitement over the girls’ team next year.

“We have some help coming from a strong middle school team,” he explained. “With hard work, we could be back in the thick of it again.”

The Glenwood City girls took home the sectional championship trophy for a second straight year and third time in four years, but it was Elmwood/Plum City’s Kassye Todd who ran away with the individual win after completing the course in 20:16.5.

The Viking boys’ team stepped up its game to take fifth place out of 18 scored teams at the meet.

“The boys ran well, and beat some teams that had beaten us earlier this year,” Doucette noted. “We had a group together, but we needed a couple of boys closer to the front.”

Junior Luke Heidorn and sophomore Trey Hovde led the Colfax boys through the course. Heidorn took 34th after a 19:29.8 race, and Hovde was 35th with a time of 19:30.8. Noah Heidorn and Brady Lawrence were the next two Vikings to finish, with Heidorn picking up 40th after a 19:46.1 race, and Lawrence taking 41st after a 19:50.4 effort.

Trevor Rothbauer finished in 19:56.3 for 45th, Sawyer Best took 52nd for his 20:14.6 run, and Cole Seehaver finished in 20:28.7 for 56th.

Chippewa Falls McDonell nabbed the boys’ sectional championship, but Dan Lau of Eau Claire Immanuel took home the individual win with a time of 17:18.1.

Doucette is looking forward to taking Kallstrom to her third straight state meet, and seemed pleased his top eight boys’ competitors will return for 2018.

“We are going to challenge our kids to train more and get in great shape,” he said. “We have a nice bunch who are not afraid to work hard, but we need more miles in.”

Erica Kallstrom will run in the girls’ Division 3 cross country state race at Wisconsin Rapid’s Ridges Golf Course around 12:40 p.m. this Saturday, October 28.

GIRLS’ INDIVIDUAL RESULTS: 4. Erica Kallstrom 21:15.3, 31. Mackenzie Jensen 23:20.3, 39. Addisyn Olson 24:01.2, 55. Hailey Prince 24:55.3, 56. Juelia Berger 25:02.7.

GIRLS’ TEAM RESULTS: 1. Glenwood City 55, 2. Cameron 73, 3. Elk Mound 80, 4. McDonell Central 128, 5. Colfax 156, 6. Fall Creek 178, 7. St. Croix Falls 191, 8. Boyceville 231, 9. Chetek-Weyerhaeuser 241, 10. Clear Lake 253, 11. Eau Claire Regis 255, 12. Cadott 273, 13. Spring Valley 310, 14. Prairie Farm 343.

BOYS’ INDIVIDUAL RESULTS: 34. Luke Heidorn 19:29.8, 35. Trey Hovde 19:30.8, 40. Noah Heidorn 19:46.1, 41. Brady Lawrence 19:50.4, 45. Trevor Rothbauer 19:56.3, 52. Sawyer Best 20:14.6, 56. Cole Seehaver 20:28.7.

BOYS’ TEAM RESULTS: 1. McDonell Central 66, 2. Augusta 85, 3. Elk Mound 96, 4. Eau Claire Immanuel 122, 5. Colfax 192, 6. Chetek-Weyerhaeuser 215, 7. Spring Valley 215, 8. Glenwood City 223, 9. Cameron 266, 10. Eau Claire Regis 283, 11. Boyceville 286, 12. Fall Creek 293, 13. Clear Lake 297, 14. Stanley-Boyd 319, 15. St. Croix Falls 383, 16. Cadott 383, 17. Lake Holcombe/Cornell 439, 18. New Auburn 547.