Elk Mound girls cross country headed to state, boys sending Cade Hanson

By Cara L. Dempski

DURAND — Elk Mound cross country coach Jeremiah Fredrickson said he had one senior girl crying at the end of the October 22 WIAA Division 3 sectional race in Durand because she hadn’t qualified as an individual.

Then Fredrickson and the girls read the team results and learned they had placed second in Saturday’s meet, earning the senior and team a state berth – the first ever state berth for a Mounders’ cross country team.

“On our ladies side, it was a roller coaster ride,” Fredrickson said. “When we found out we were going to state, everyone was on cloud nine.”

The Mounder girls took runner-up honors after finishing with 79 points in the sectional cross country race held on the Rolling Green Golf Course last Saturday. The Elk Mound boys, meanwhile landed in sixth with 202 points to finish ahead of Colfax, Glenwood City and Boyceville.

Elizabeth Fasbender, the lone senior for the Mounder girls and a 2015 state participant, didn’t need to fear for the end of her high school cross country career when she led the Elk Mound runners across the finish line with her 11th-place finish and time of 21:25.7. Sophomore Alana Plaszcz pushed Fasbender with her own time of 21:38.8 to take 12th.

Kristin Martinson, Victoria Fasbender and Brook Plaszcz finished within seconds of each other to take home 24th through 26th placings. Martinson ran a 23:09.8 race, Fasbender raced to a 23:11.5 finish, and Plaszcz completed her race in 23:15.1.

Junior Claudia Paul and sophomore Paige Romanowski brought up the rear for the Elk Mound girls. Paul ran to a 24:44.5 finish to take home 56th, and Romanowski was 62nd with her 25:11.7 race.

The Glenwood City girls scored 57 points beat Elk Mound and claimed their second sectional championship in three years. Colfax sophomore Erica Kallstrom won the individual championship with a time of 20:00.8.

“Our women ran a smart race, but at the first mile I thought we were out a little slow,” Fredrickson said. “The girls kept moving up and pushing each other.”

Fredrickson said he thought the team had an outside chance by mile two, but he just wasn’t sure of the final outcome by the finish. He said he was very proud of each runner at the meet.

Freshman Cade Hanson also gave Mounder fans another reason to smile during Saturday’s sectional meet. Hanson pulled off another great race for the Elk Mound boys and finished fourth overall with a time of 17:29.2 to earn a place in the individual field at the state meet in Wisconsin Rapids.

“He’s (Hanson) learning to race better each and every time out,” Fredrickson said. “I can’t wait to see how he handles the big stage, although I think he will be just fine.”

The rest of the Mounder boys also put in solid runs on the way to the team’s sixth-place finish.

Nate Schreiber, Andrew Pathos, Seth Hazen and Nate Lind occupied placings 52 through 55. Schreiber ran a 19:44.6 race, Pathos crossed the line in 19:44.8, Hazen finished in 19:48.8, and Lind raced to a 19:49.5 finish.

Matt McLaughlin and Jonas Kohls completed the Mounders’ seven-man roster. McLaughlin was 83rd with his 20:35.7, and Kohls finished in 20:35.8 to take home 84th.

The Durand and Augusta boys took the team berths for the state race, while Hanson earned an individual spot. Eau Claire Immanuel’s Dan Lau won the boys race in 17:10.1.

The Division 3 boys will open the 2016 State Cross Country Championships at noon this Saturday, October 29 at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.

The Elk Mound girls will run in the Division 3 championship race at approximately 1:45 p.m.

TEAM SCORES — BOYS VARSITY: 1. Durand 34, 2. Augusta 70, 3. McDonell Central 116, 4. EC Immanuel Lutheran 162, 5. Chetek-Weyerhaeuser 187, 6. Elk Mound 202, 7. Spring Valley 238, 8. Boyceville 246, 9. Colfax 255, 10. Glenwood City 262, 11. Fall Creek 266, 12. St. Croix Falls 266, 13. Cameron 282, 14. EC Regis 316, 15. Cadott 331, 16. Cornell/Lake Holcombe 351, 17. New Auburn 536.

TEAM SCORES — GIRLS VARSITY: 1. Glenwood City 57, 2. Elk Mound 79, 3. Cameron 103, 4. Durand 144, 5. Boyceville 160, 6. McDonell Central 178, 7. St. Croix Falls 180, 8. Elmwood/Plum City 183, 9. EC Regis 196, 10. Spring Valley 218, 11. Chetek-Weyerhaeuser 230, 12. Thorp/Gilman 294, 13. Cadott. 322.