Glenwood City harriers prepare for 2023 season having lost 4 of top 7 runners to graduation
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
by Marlys Kruger
Sports Correspondent
GLENWOOD CITY — After placing second in the Dunn-St. Croix Conference meet and second in the sectional meet to move them to state, the Glenwood City boy’s cross country team culminated their 2022 season with an 11th place finish out of 16 teams in the WIAA Division 3 state meet last October. It was the first time in school history the boys had qualified for the meet. If the Toppers hope to repeat that success they will have to replace four of their top seven runners from that team.
Gone via graduation are JJ Williams who was the conference and sectional champion and state runner-up, along with first team all-conference runner Elek Anderson, second team all-conference competitor Anthony Nelson and the number seven runner for the team Sal Stillday.
Returning are second team all-conference competitors juniors Zeb Holden and Ilan Anderson who along with senior Connor Berends and sophomore Clayton Hoffman will be competing for the top spots for the Toppers.
According to varsity coach Matthew Schutz, Berends and Hoffman have put in a lot of summer miles to get ready for the season. Berends was consistently the third runner in for Glenwood City in their meets last year before having to miss several weeks due to illness which included conference and sectionals before running at state and finishing as the third Topper again. He is looking for a healthy season this year.
As a freshman, Hoffman was usually the fifth, sixth or seventh place finisher for the Hilltoppers and is looking to compete for the top spot on the team.
“Berends and Hoffman look to replace JJ and Elek who were consistently the number one and number two team finishers from last season,” coach Schutz said. “If they come close to that or exceed it, the whole team once again looks to compete for the conference championship and a second run to state,” he added.
Behind them to compete for the remaining five varsity spots are: senior Jonas Draxler who is new and shows competitiveness and grit, all-conference runners Holden and Anderson, Elliott Springborn who ran eighth, ninth or tenth last season but wants that varsity spot this season, sophomore Garrett Gross who shared the same placings as Springborn along with freshman Eli Oberle who has put in a lot of summer training.
Hoping to improve this season and push the leading competitors are senior Riley Krueger, juniors Justin Rogers, Tyler Rogers and Evan Hojem, sophomores Ben Standaert and Micah Simmons and freshmen Hudson Steger and Charlie Bogie.
On the flip side, the Topper girls are a little short on runners this season. For the first time since coach Schutz was an assistant coach in the 2007 season, he will not have a complete team of five runners to compete. The Topper girls placed fourth in the conference meet a year ago and return second team all-conference junior Elsja Meijer along with junior Stephanie Anderson, and freshman Erica Bauman. Senior Haylie Hannah competed the last three seasons and may compete in a couple of meets but has been advised by her doctors to greatly reduce her running mileage.
The Topper boys expect to compete for a conference and sectional title and expect Elk Mound, Mondovi and Durand to be strong in the conference and Chippewa Falls McDonell to be a favorite in the sectionals. On the girls side, Durand should be favored in conference and Eau Claire Regis in the sectional.
Schutz begins his 14th year as varsity head coach and is assisted by Angela Williams and Becky Lamb. Due to injuries Natelle McCarthy, Savanna Millermon, Tyler Harrington, and Kayley Dickmann are not able to compete this season and will serve as team managers.
2023 Roster
Seniors: Connor Berends, Jonas Draxler, Riley Krueger, Haylie Hannah, Natelle McCarthy (M), and Savanna Millermon (M).
Juniors: Elliott Springborn, Ilan Anderson, Evan Hojem, Tyler Rogers, Zeb Holden, Elsja Meijer, Stephanie Anderson, Tyler Harrington (M), and Justin Rogers.
Sophomores: Ben Standaert, Clayton Hoffman, Garrett Gross, Micah Simmons, Alex Anderson, and Kayley Dickmann (M).
Freshmen: Charlie Bogie, Eli Oberle, Hudson Steger, and Erica Bauman
(M) – managers.
THE GLENWOOD CITY boys’ cross country team will work to earn a return trip to the state meet in 2023 while the girls’ squad, with just four runners, will look to improve individual times. Front row (L to R): Stephanie Anderson, Elsja Meijer, Haylie Hannah, and Erica Bauman. Middle row (L to R): Evan Hojem, Charlie Bogie, Eli Oberle, Hudson Steger, Ben Standaert, Garrett Gross, and Justin Rogers. Back row (L to R): Jonas Draxler, Elliott Springborn, Connor Berends, Ilan Anderson, Riley Krueger, Clayton Hoffmann, Zeb Holden, Micah Simmons, and Tyler Harrington. Missing are Tyler Rogers, Alex Anderson, and managers Natelle McCarthy and Savanna Millermon. —photo by Shawn DeWitt