Whippet CC Runners Continue Steady Improvement at Midwest Invite

The Whippets continued their steady improvement Saturday, September 26, at the 88th Annual Midwest Invitational in Janesville, putting together another strong performance against the deepest field they will see all season.

Racing in near-perfect conditions, Whitewater lined up against a field of 50 teams, with the overwhelming majority competing at the Division 1 level. The Midwest Invitational provides a level of competition that is arguably even more challenging than the WIAA State Meet, giving the Whippets an opportunity to race alongside some of the best teams and athletes in the state. The Whippets took full advantage of the opportunity, recording numerous lifetime and season-best performances.

Girls

Virginia Nelson continued to lead the way, running a lifetime personal record of 21:32.
Melody Smith clocked 23:18, her second-fastest time of the season.
Ema Aranda finished in 23:44, her third-fastest time of the year.
Peyton Comfort ran 25:36, her fastest time of the season.
Madelyn Taylor also posted her fastest time of the year, finishing in 26:59.

The girls finished 36th.

Boys

Tyler Carollo continued his strong season with a lifetime personal record of 18:12.
Marcus Roe continued his impressive improvement, running a lifetime PR of 19:24.
Marcus Roselle finished in 20:03, his second-fastest time of the season.
Wyatt Esch ran 20:33, his second PR of the season.
Angel Kilar posted a lifetime PR of 21:29.
Jameson Rothwell ran a lifetime PR of 21:53.
Hunter Runnoe continued his progress with a lifetime PR of 23:19.
Horatio Nelson also recorded a lifetime PR of 23:31.
Ian Agen finished in 28:01, his second-fastest time of the season.

With the regular season winding down, the Whippets have one final opportunity to put their progress on display before championship racing begins.

Next up: the Whippets travel to Green Lake on Friday, October 2, for their final regular-season race. The unique night race will be contested entirely under the lights, illuminating the course as athletes complete two laps of the 2,500-meter loop.

The championship season is almost here—and the Whippets are continuing to build momentum at exactly the right time.

Article Submitted by Chad Carstens
Whitewater High School Head Cross Country Coach
ccarstens@wwusd.org
Photos courtesy of Coach McKenzie and Mike Kilar.