By Fred Kroner
The Bulldogs opened their girls’ cross-country season on Tuesday (Aug 17) with a dual-meet victory at Tolono Unity.
M-S had 11 of the first 15 finishers and won the dual meet for seventh- and eighth-grade runners, 25-34.
Eighth-grader Madalyn Marx was the runner-up in the 2-mile race and the first Bulldog runner. She was timed in 13 minutes and 44 seconds.
The next three M-S finishers were seventh-graders: Taylor Mills (third), Anniston Huff (fifth) and Hannah Martin (seventh).
Teammates in the top 10 were eighth-grader Hadley Grotelueschen (eighth), seventh-grader Claire Waggoner (ninth) and eighth-grader Ella Walk (10th).
The Bulldogs’ other top placers were seventh-graders Jaci Kellenberger (11th), Ayla Finfrock (12th) and Emma Busch (13th) along with eighth-grader Isabel Lietz (14th).
The sixth-graders competed in a 1-mile race where the boys and girls ran together.
For M-S, the leader was Marley Cloward, who placed third in 6 minutes and 46 seconds.
Ten other Bulldog runners secured spots in the top 15 in the 1-mile event. They were: Kennedy Ashby (fourth), Kip Fan (fifth), Liam Burwell (sixth), Dominic Gaudio (seventh), Adam Varga (eighth), Abi King (ninth), Cecily Smith (10th), Shaelinn Ruzich (11th), Carter Alderks (13th), and Noah Snyder (14th).
In the boys’ dual meet featuring seventh- and eighth-grade runners, M-S edged Tolono Unity, 27-31.
Eighth-grader Ethan Peterka was the leading Bulldog, placing third in the 2-mile race with a time of 12 minutes and 7 seconds.
The next five M-S finishers were also eighth-graders: Augie Gaudio (fourth), Henry McMurry (fifth), Justus Vrona (seventh), Preston Sriver (eighth) and Emmett Kerans (ninth).
Seventh-grader Evan Shuff finished in 15th.
At all levels, nearly 120 M-S runners went to the starting line on Tuesday.
“This group truly amazes the coaches with their grit and determination to learn the sport and reach goals,” M-S coach Lisa Martin said. “Many of our athletes spent a lot of time preparing this summer for the start of the 2021 cross-country season.
“Many others are trying running for the very first time. Those who are learning right now have so much growth ahead of them. Coaches are excited to see where this team takes us this year.”
