Volume 1, Issue 5
October 15, 2009
Lady Spartans Make Mid-Season Surge 3rd at Fond du Lac (10/2/09) and 5th at Port Washington (10/8/09)
Varsity 8 all under 17:00 at Fondy If there is a defining meet in a season for every team, it might have just been Friday night at Rolling Meadows Golf Course in Fond du Lac for the Lady Spartans. With the team back at full strength and sharpening up for Conference in a few weeks, they placed 3rd in a solid field behind two perennial powers, 6th ranked Neenah and previously state-ranked Fond du Lac. It was good to have sophomore Taylor Uebersetzig (13th, 16:08) and freshman Kayla Janto (18th, 16:11) back and racing, as they paced the Spartans attack up front. They got out hard in 6:15 at the mile and ran stride for stride with each other nearly the entire race. Doing the dirty work in the next group was freshman Molly Hertz (22nd, 16:22), sophomore Candice Wayne (30th, 16:43), and senior Cate Virnich (31st, 16:45). This group collectively finished 24 points better at the finish line than the positions they held at the mile mark, securing a 3rd place team finish instead of a 6th they’d have been without the surge.
Girls Pl
Gr
@ Fond du Lac
Time
13
10
Taylor Uebersetzig
16:08
18
9
Kayla Janto
16:11
22
9
Molly Hertz
16:22
30
10
Candice Wayne
16:43
31
12
Cate Virnich
16:45
34
11
Raina Wedeward
16:51
39
12
Jenny Lemminger
16:57
41
9
Eden Rogers
16:59
Top 5 Average
16:25
1
Neenah
51
2
(6)
Fond du Lac
75
3
West Bend West
114
4
Appleton North
123
5
Nicolet
124
8
Appleton East
194
9
Menomonee Falls
218
11
Teams Total
Raina Wedeward, Jenny Lemminger and Eden Rogers helped display the Spartans’ impressive team depth by also going under 17:00 and pushing scorers for other teams back further. No other team besides Neenah and WBW put all 8 runners under 17:00 and in the top half of the field of 84 runners. Junior Melissa Dock (12th, 17:28) and sophomore Jonelle Ritger (15th, 17:37) led the JVs to a 2nd place finish behind Neenah.
From Top: Candice, Kayla, Molly, Raina, Jenny, Taylor, Eden and Cate 2
JV
West Bend West
87
( Lady Spartans Continued on page 2)
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Lady Spartans
(Continued from page 1)
Girls Sharpen up at Port Invite Getting their first look at WLT Conference rival Slinger, the Lady Spartans put in an impressive effort as they sharpened up for the Conference race next Saturday. Germantown (8th ranked) led the field, followed by a pair of Division 2 powers Port Washington (6th ranked) and Catholic Memorial (9th ranked), who was led by individual winner Morgan Sickels in 14:38 for 4k. Recognizing that Slinger was running without their #3 runner in this meet, Coach Naomi Fulton was pleased with how the Spartans stacked up against one of the quality teams in the WLT. “We definately had our eyes on Slinger,” said Fulton. “They are in our Conference, so we will be competing against them again next weekend.” Taylor Uebersetzig (17th, 16:02) inched ever closer to her goal of going under 16 minutes for a 4k race, setting another PR, as did Molly Hertz (19th, 16:18). Kayla Janto (21st, 16:18) finished close behind. Candice Wayne (30th, 16:37) and Cate Virnich (33rd, 16:51) completed the scoring for the Spartans. Recognizing that she’s getting a lot out of her underclassmen, Coach Fulton looked forward to the big meets ahead. “I have been very impressed by the improvements of the entire freshmen class....they don’t look like rookies anymore. They look like real cross country runners,” said Fulton. Fulton also looked forward to whatever rotten weather October can bring. “The girls have proved themselves to be strong runners in bad weather. Bring on the snow!”, said Fulton.
Girls Pl
Gr
17
10
Taylor Uebersetzig
16:02
19
9
Molly Hertz
16:13
21
9
Kayla Janto
16:18
30
10
Candice Wayne
16:37
33
12
Cate Virnich
16:51
43
11
Raina Wedeward
17:08
45
12
Jenny Lemminger
17:09
59
9
@ Port Washington
Time
Eden Rogers
17:31
Top 5 Average
16:24
1
(8)
Germantown
63
2
(6)
Port Washington (D2)
103
3
(9)
Catholic Memorial (D2)
115
4
New Berlin Eisenhower
118
5
West Bend West
120
6
Slinger
138
7
Cedar Grove Belgium
162
13
Teams Total
2
JV
West Bend West
65
Below: Jenny, Raina, Cate and Candice each have to dodge a fallen runner on the bridge at Fond du Lac.
Above: The Spartans got a good look at individual winner, Morgan Sickels, at the start of the Port Invite.
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Spartan Boys Finish 6th in Pair of Tune Ups Appleton East Proves Worthy of #1 State Ranking 6th at Fond du Lac Invite While the Spartan Boys team now competes in a difficult Sectional to the south of West Bend, they got a reminder of the stiff competion from their old Sectional foes to the north at Rolling Meadows golf course in Fond du Lac. WB West finished 6th behind #1 ranked Appleton East and #6 ranked Neenah - two teams they used to tussle with each year to get a trip to the State Meet. Appleton East was able to put two runners under 16:00 and another two under 17:00 to secure the team title and edged Neenah. Lead Spartan Ben Skurek was able to crack the Top 25 with a time of 17:40 on the soggy 5k course. Ryne Goralski, Sam Eichner, Noah Eichner and Nic Lache all came up with top 40 finishes, but the Spartan total was 50 points higher than 3rd place Fond du Lac. The JV team was led by Junior Pat Kelley’s 7th place finish in 18:39, as they took 4th. 6th at Port Washington Invite The Spartan boys have probably seen enough of the #1 ranked team in the state. For the second week in a row, West ran in an Invite where Appleton East ran away from the field.
Boys Pl
Gr
@ Fond du Lac
25
11
Ben Skurek
17:40
32
11
Ryne Goralski
17:53
34
12
Sam Eichner
17:55
36
10
Noah Eichner
17:59
39
12
Nic Lache
18:05
41
11
Mason Petrin
18:11
43
11
Eric Stoll
18:13
58
12
1
(1)
2
(6)
3
Also for the second week in a row, West finished 6th in the middle of the pack. This time, the Spartans got a close look at several other teams they’ll be facing at the WLT Conference Meet in Watertown next Saturday. West beat conference foes West Bend East and Slinger handily, but were 25 points behind Hartford who took 4th. The Orioles are one of the teams the Spartans intend to keep in their sights at the Conference Meet. “Their top 4 runners were very solid,” said Coach Scott Hammer. “We knew that they were going to be tough and they did not disappoint.”
Boys Pl
Gr
@ Port Washington
Time
19
11
Ben Skurek
17:40
29
10
Noah Eichner
17:54
32
11
Eric Stoll
18:03
33
12
Sam Eichner
18:04
35
12
Nic Lache
18:06
37
11
Ryne Goralski
18:16
45
11
Mason Petrin
18:36
Top 5 Average
17:57
1
(1)
Appleton East
33
2
Cedar Grove Belgium
72
3
Port Washington
77
4
Hartford
123
5
Cedarburg
138
6
West Bend West
148
8
West Bend East
231
12
Teams Total
2
JV
West Bend West
35
Time
Aaron Serwe
18:41
Top 5 Average
17:54
Appleton East
34
Neenah
56
Fond du Lac
112
4
Sheboygan North
129
5
Nicolet
137
6
West Bend West
162
7
Appleton North
164
11
Teams Total
4
JV
West Bend West
102
Ben Skurek again led the Spartans with a time of 17:40, good for 19th place. Noah Eichner (29th, 17:54) was also under 18:00. The rest of the scoring pack of Eric Stoll, Sam Eichner and Nic Lache finished in the mid-places just over 18:00. “The guys were in great position around the mile and a half mark to have the breakout performance we've been waiting for,” noted Hammer. “But we struggled a bit in the final mile while the top four Hartford runners and some other individuals from our Conference had very strong finishing miles.” Hammer feels that the team may need to rethink their strategy a bit going into the Conference Meet. “I think we’re going to have to be a bit more patient during the first mile in order to have the legs to close up and finish strong,” said Hammer. Coach was extremely pleased with how the JV performed. Senior Aaron Serwe clocked an impressive time of 18:18 in winning the individual crown in the JV race. He ran away from a pack of five Germantown runners down the home stretch. While Germantown won the JV meet with those runners placing 2nd through 6th, the pack from 7th through 10th was all Spartan blue. Pat Kelley, Myles Petrin, Josh Ulickey and AJ Emerich all went under 19:00 to secure 2nd place for the JV team. A total of 13 JV runners set PRs in the race.
Photos Needed - If you have a good photo of a Spartan in any upcoming Boys race, please submit them to wbwspartancc@yahoo.com 3
The Spartan Harrier
Alumni Spotlight - Catching Up with Megan Duwell One would have to dig deep into city lore to find the number of kids from West Bend, Wisconsin who have gone on to be a part of multiple Big Ten College Championship teams, who have also won an individual Big Ten Title. After conducting the search, that short list might have just one name on it…Megan Duwell. A West Bend West alum and fifth year senior captain of the Minnesota Golden Gopher Cross Country team, Duwell will lead her team into the championship portion of the 2009 fall season over the next month. The Gophers are ranked 8th in Division I and will be favored to win their 3rd consecutive Big Ten team title when Penn State hosts the meet November 1st. Five other Big Ten teams are ranked in the Top 25 in Division I, so the competition will be stiff. But Duwell figures to have the team ready and herself in the hunt for the individual title. She’s already won several races this season, including the prestigious Roy Griac Invitational on her home course. Duwell’s running career at Minnesota has been nothing short of spectacular. She was the Big Ten outdoor track 10,000 meter individual champion last spring and is a returning All American in cross country. She has several team MVPs, All Conference honors, and “Big Ten Runner of the Week” awards…all while contributing towards consecutive (2007, 2008) Big Ten team championships for the Gophers in both track and cross country. These were the first two conference championships the women’s cross country team has ever earned (the Wisconsin Badgers lead with 10 titles). All in the Family Megan grew up on Pine Drive in West Bend, attending McLane Elementary and then Badger Middle School. Her early memories of running were like most of ours…participating with family and friends at the annual Bob Cross Memorial Run (now the Boys & Girls Club 5k). She loved the community and competition the race would bring every year. But it was participating with family that made running special for her. “I come from a family full of runners,” said Duwell. “Running just became such a big part of my family’s lifestyle.” Running has always been part of the Duwell family heritage. Megan’s father, John, ran for UW-Stevens Point, and three of her uncles also ran collegiately. One of those uncles, Donn Behnke, has coached the Stevens Point high school boys team to 9 Division I State Championships. Training is always easier with a partner. Growing up, Megan had the ultimate running partner…a twin sister. Katie, who also excelled at the sport, ran collegiately and recently completed her first marathon in the Twin Cities. The Spartan Years (2001-2005) It didn’t take long for the Duwell twins to make their mark on the West Bend West cross country program. “My freshman year, we were a very tight-knit group that ran well together and worked our way to a Little Ten Championship,” recalled Duwell. It was the first title in over 25 years for the Lady Spartans. It was just the first of three conference championship teams the Duwells would contribute to West Bend West. The Spartan coach at the time, Brian Heimark, speaks fondly of the years he coached Megan, and still travels out of state to watch her compete in college. While he recalled her magnificent talent and the tireless hours of training (Continued on page 5)
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she spent in the summer…it was her high character that he pointed to that made her so special. “The thing that I remember most about Meg is her work ethic, and always wanting what was best for the team, not just as an individual,” said Heimark. “She had a way of making all teammates feel welcome.” Heimark was quick to point out that this high level of character rubbed off on the rest of the team. “She lead a team that not only excelled in cross country, but also in the classroom,” he mentioned. “Megan was part of a state qualifying team that had a team GPA of 4.0! I am proud to say that I had the opportunity to coach such an outstanding individual and athlete.” Duwell feels lucky to have enjoyed her high school running experience as much as she did. She credits Heimark for making it fun, and not burning out her running flame like so many coaches do when blessed with a talented athlete. She faces competitors today who trained intensely in high school, some on as much as four times the mileage she did. “I hold Coach Heimark in such high regard in so many ways,” she said. “He always motivated me to improve, and helped me reach my high school potential, while enjoying the sport and the team aspect that was so important to me.” Duwell also excelled on the track for the Spartans, placing in the top 3 of the 800m finals all four years at State, winning the title twice. She also finished 2nd twice in the 1600m. Her high school PRs are all school records: 4k CC – 14:44 800m – 2:13 1600m – 5:01 Going for Gold(en Gophers) Choosing a college is never easy. Especially when you have the athletic and academic record that opens just about any door you like. But when Duwell toured the University of Minnesota campus and met with Coach Gary Wilson, her decision got a lot easier. “I fell in love with the whole program,” said Duwell. “The teammates were extremely welcoming and friendly. The coach was knowledgeable, experienced and an overall wonderful person!” It was important to Duwell that she find a program where the coach cared about the runner’s whole person and not just their talent. “Coach Wilson had his priorities straight. The program was strong and stable…just the type I wanted to be a part of.” Coach Wilson, like Heimark had five years earlier, feels blessed to have his program touched by Megan Duwell. “If every young person in this world was like Megs, we would have no problems,” gushed Wilson. “The most impressive thing is her character and the way she carries herself. Not only on the course, but in the classroom and in the community. Thanks for sending her this way, West Bend!” Megan will soon graduate with a double major in marketing and operations management from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. But before she enters the “real world”, she has a bit more business to take care of on the cross country course. The month of November will finish an incredible high school and college running career from one of West Bend’s finest. Good Luck Megan!!
Did You Know? There is a little-known website that tracks Cross Country Meet Results and Honor Roll times by Division and Age? Check out www.wi-track.com. A few interesting nuggets from that site this week: * WLT girls teams Oconomowoc (11th) and Wisconsin Lutheran (13th) would have to be considered favorites at the Conference meet, given their average of top times by their scoring 5. * Mandy Prom (Ocon), Taylor Blazei (Slinger), Katryna Williams (Wat) and Erica Spiegelberg (WL) each have average times in the Top 100 runners in the state (average of 3 fastest times). * WBW Freshman Kayla Janto shows up in the Top 50 list of Freshmen in the State. * Sam Kitzrow (WL) is the only boy from the WLT in the Top 100 runners in the state at 92nd. So all-conference honors could be wide open!
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