Hilltoppers return plenty of experienced runners in 2021

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by Marlys Kruger
Sports Correspondent

GLENWOOD CITY — Coming off the shortened season due to the COVID-19 issue, Glenwood City cross country coach Matthew Schutz has several experienced runners back but hopes some of his younger athletes can fill the gaps from departing seniors.

Schutz begins his 12th year as head coach for the Toppers and will have to replace their 3-4-5 runners for the girls including second team all-Dunn-St. Croix Conference runner Kinzie Strong along with Gabby Moede and Natasha DeSmith.

The girls team was third at the conference meet and third in sectionals, one point short of qualifying for state. Two girls did run at state as individuals with Bella Simmons placing 11th and Kendall Schutz placing 36th. They were also named first team all-conference.

Simmons and Schutz both competed in the WIAA state meet three years and are expected to lead the Hilltoppers as seniors. Two more seniors, Sam Peterson and Ella Knops have experience and will need to step up if the team wants to continue the success they have had the past seven years, according to coach Schutz.

Sophomores Haylie Hannah, Natelle McCarthy and Savanna Millermon along with freshman Elsja Meijer round out the team.

“Our girls are young and inexperienced and we lack depth,” Schutz said. “Our third, fourth and fifth runners will need to close a large gap between two and three if they want to be competitive as a team. Bella and Kendall will continue to anchor the girls’ team and compete at the front of each race. They will look for a fourth run at state but probably as individuals,” he added.

The boys lost just one competitor via graduation, that being Henry Wallin who was a top five runner for the Toppers.

This year’s boys’ team has experience at the top with junior JJ Williams back. Williams was a first team all-conference runner and qualified for state last year, placing 26th. Senior Austin Nelson and junior Elek Anderson were consistently at the top last season behind Williams, and senior Brendan Booth is looking to compete for the first seven spots after coming off an injury last season.

Working their way up is senior Henry Draxler along with juniors Owen Bauman, Anthony Nelson and Cody Hanson, and freshman Elliot Springborn, Ilan Anderson, Zeb Holden, Justin Rogers, Tyler Rogers and Evan Hojem.

“Our boys have experience at the top, but we’ll probably have to rely on youth to fill in the top seven spots,” Schutz said. “We need the fourth through seventh runners to run much closer in time to our number three if we want a conference championship.”

“We expect our top three boys to lead the team like last year and we will need three to four others to step up to help the team compete for the conference and sectional titles. Our goal is to compete for both of those titles,” he added.

Schutz is assisted by Angela Williams and Sarah Nichols this year. He expects Durand and Colfax to be contenders for the conference title for the girls, and Spring Valley and Elk Mound for the boys.

2021 Roster

Seniors: Austin Nelson, Brendan Booth, Henry Draxler, Samantha Peterson, Kendall Schutz, Bella Simmons and Ella Knops.

Juniors: Anthony Nelson, JJ Williams, Elek Anderson, Owen Bauman and Cody Hansen.

Sophomores: Haylie Hannah, Natelle McCarthy and Savanna Millermon.

Freshmen: Elliott Springborn, Ilan Anderson, Zeb Holden, Justin Rogers, Tyler Rogers, Evan Hojem and Elsja Meijer.