The Whippet Boys’ Cross Country Team emerged as sectional champions once again after supreme races from top to bottom on Friday, October 25 on the campus of UW-Whitewater. In a very controlled, dialed-in effort, Jack Hefty once again led the team to his second individual sectional title in 16:39. Xavier Zei ran perfectly and closed the door on his race very well and finished fifth overall. Miles Nickelsburg had the race of the day for the team placing in sixth overall. He methodically made his way through the upper crust of the pack passing two runners in the second mile and five runners in his final 1.1 miles of the race to stop the clock in 17:47. Luc Pomazak will get his first taste of the state meet after never seeing a varsity race all last season. Having improved significantly this season, he was the team’s fourth runner today and placed 17th in 18:28. Andrew O’Toole rounded out the team scoring with a strong 23rd place finish and an overall time of 18:47 on this difficult course. Onyx Thompson mowed down at least five guys in the final 200m finish straight and placed 31st with a time of 19:06. Isaac Straight was the final Whippet to finish today in 54th with a time of 19:56, twenty-four seconds faster than he ran on this course a week earlier.
The girls’ race proved to be a good day overall for the team as they finished in sixth place. Nearly every girl ran faster than they did a week earlier on the same course at the conference championship. Today the team was led by senior Carley Boudreau who stopped the clock at 22:37 for a final placing of 21st. Fellow senior Athena Soto was a few steps behind her in 22:39 and placed 22nd. Virginia Nelson completed her first high school season as the team’s third runner and placed 23rd in 22:42. Mady Hefty moved up little by little throughout the race and was the team’s fourth runner in 28th with a time of 22:58. Senior Nola Coburn placed 41st with a time of 24:25. Ema Aranda placed 44th in 24:35, and senior Sami Van Daele placed 47th in 24:57. The team wraps up their season having finished second in the Valley division, third overall in the RVC, and with numerous seniors that have dedicated themselves to the sport of cross country for four years. The coaching staff is very thankful for the seniors and the leadership they have provided over the years. They are Isabella Aranda, Carley Boudreau, Nola Coburn, Athena Soto, Lucy Troxel and Sami Van Daele.
The WIAA State Meet will be held on the Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids on Saturday, November 2nd. The boys will be competing in the Division 2 race which is slated to begin at 2:35.
Full results: https://wi.milesplit.com/meets/628524-wiaa-d2-sectional-whitewater-2024
Article and Photo Submitted by Chad Carstens
Whitewater High School Head Cross Country Coach
ccarstens@wwusd.org
