Elk Mound girls cross country finishes 16th at state, Cade Hanson places 46th

By Cara L. Dempski

WISCONSIN RAPIDS — Elk Mound senior Elizabeth Fasbender, competing in her third consecutive state championships, led the Lady Mounders to a 16th-place team finish at the WIAA Division 3 Girls’ State Cross Country meet held October 29 on the Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids. The Mounders finished with 321 points.

Freshman Cade Hanson, the Mounder boys’ lone representative, ran a 17:45.67 race to finish 46th in the Division 3 boys state race which opened this year’s state cross country championships.

This was the first time an Elk Mound cross country team made a state appearance in the program’s eight-year history. While coach Jeremiah Fredrickson said he would have like to finished a little higher, he thought the girls handled the race quite well.

“Both Kristin (Martinson) and Paige (Romanowski) ran their best races of the season on a tough state course,” Fredrickson stated. “Seeing as four of our runners were first-year high school competitors, things went very well.”

Fasbender, worried that she had not qualified to run at state as a senior following her October 22 sectional race, had no need to fret as the Mounders’ qualified as a team after finishing second behind Glenwood City in the Durand Sectional. Fasbender, a three-year state meet veteran, finished the 5,000 meter course at The Ridges in 20:47.57.

Fredrickson said Fasbender’s 2016 time was faster than her two previous state finishes. She improved from finishing 87th her first year (2014) to take 32nd as a senior.

“It’s been a privilege to coach Elizabeth for the last six years,” Fredrickson said. “Her teammates and I appreciate all the hard work she’s done to make her – and our – program a success.”

Sophomore Alana Plaszcz was the next Elk Mound runner to reach the finish. She took 82nd overall with a time of 21:55.94. Kristin Martinson was the third Mounder to cross the line, and did so in 22:57.86 to take 117th.

Brook Plaszcz, Paige Romanowski and Victoria Fasbender, all sophomores, finished 131st, 132nd and 133rd. Plaszcz had a time of 23:52.5, Romanowski raced across the line in 23:53.35, and Fasbender’s time at the finish was 23:58.18.

Freshman Taya Schafer rounded out the Elk Mound team and placed 138th for her 24:29.09 effort.

The Darlington girls took home top team honors for the first time, while Belleville senior Noelle Maire won the girls’ Division 3 individual gold in a time of 19:12.79.

Cade Hanson finished 46th overall with a time of 17:45.67. Fredrickson said the freshman runner finished about where he hoped he would and can build on this year’s success.

“Cade ran one of his best races of the season. Hopefully this experience will feed his, and his teammate’s desire to improve and we’ll have an even better season next year,” Fredrickson finished.

The Darlington boys won their sixth consecutive Division 3 state team title and Luther’s David Vannucchi claimed boys’ individual crown with his 15:59.33 finish.

TEAM SCORES — BOYS DIVISION 3: 1. Darlington 68, 2. Aquinas 85, 3. Durand 118, 4. Living Word Lutheran 136, 5. Chequamegon 155, 6. Assumption 189, 7. Rosholt 195, 8. Luther 202, 9. Wisconsin Heights/Barneveld 213, 10. Kenosha St. Joseph Catholic 256, 11. Manitowoc Lutheran 264, 12 Unity 266, 13. Augusta 275, 14. Amherst 275, 15. Sheboygan Area Lutheran 246, 16. Stratford 425.

INDIVIDUAL TOP 10 — BOYS DIVISION 3: 1. David Vannucchi (Luther), 15:59.33; 2. Wesley Schiek (Valley Christian), 16:05.98; 3. Payton Heinberg (Darlington), 16:33.65; 4. Adam Rzentkowski (Rosholt), 16:38.64; 5. Jacob Wahlers (Algoma), 16:39.62; 6. Andrew Ruiz (Webster), 16:39.64; 7. Dan Lau (EC Immanuel Lutheran), 16:45.24; 8. Connor Dolan (Assumption), 16:46.26; 9. Garrett Franczek (Hilbert/Stockbridge), 16:47.01; 10. Alex Binfet (Unity), 16:48.03.

TEAM SCORES — GIRLS DIVISION 3: 1. Darlington, 2. Lourdes Academy 93, 3. Rosholt 152, 4. Dodgeland 157, 5. Albany 184, 6. Saint Mary’s Springs Academy 193, 7. Chequamegon 207, 8. Glenwood City 214, 9. Auburndale 236, 10. Lake Country Lutheran 247, 11. Pacelli 251, 12. Wittenberg-Birnamwood 252, 13. Aquinas 271, 14. Melrose-Mindoro 298, 15. Phillips 301, 16. Elk Mound 321.

INDIVIDUAL TOP 10 — GIRLS DIVISION 3: 1. Noelle Maire (Belleville) 19:12.79; 2. Lydia Murphy (Lancaster), 19:26.98, 3. Marissa Ellenbecker (Edgar), 19:30.85; 4. Meygan Benzing (Dodgeland), 19:31.44; 5. Emily Foley (Lourdes Academy), 19:36.45; 6. Ciara Kaderly (Albany), 19:41.71; 7. Erika Kisting (Iola-Scandinavia), 19:42.49; 8. Hannah Constable (Johnson Creek), 19:44.94; 9. Erica Kallstrom (Colfax), 19:45.53; 10. Delaney Greene-Gre (Marion), 19:46.51.