By Chris Bennett
Correspondent
The third time this season on the cross country course at Fox River Park in Wilmot might be the most charming for the Elkhorn Area High School boys and girls cross country teams.
Nineteen of the Elks’ 22 runners finished with personal bests Oct. 17 in the Southern Lakes Conference cross country meet at Fox River Park.
“It was the best performance, as a team, that I can remember, as far as setting new personal bests goes,” Elks coach Randi Wulf said. “It helped that this was the third time running this course this year and conditions were great.”
Taylor Mair finished fourth and led the girls to a third-place finish. Arandu Huerta paced the boys, which finished sixth.
Elkhorn races Saturday in a WIAA Division 1 sectional meet at Watertown High School. The top two teams in each sectional and the top five individuals not members of one of the qualifying teams advance to state.
The WIAA Division 1 State Cross Country Championship is Oct. 31 in Wisconsin Rapids at The Ridges Golf Course.
Mair finished the five-kilometer course in 20 minutes, 17.47 seconds and earned First Team All-SLC honors. Allyssa Reeves finished 10th (20:48) and earned Second Team All-SLC honors.
“I was extremely proud of how the girls race, with their third-place finish as a team,” Wulf said.
Maddie Barlow finished 18th (21:30) and Ryley Rand finished 25th (21:54).
“Freshman Kassie Thompson really stepped up for the varsity team and surprised herself with a one and a half minute PR (personal record),” Wulf said.
Thompson finished 26th (21:55). Alex Moreno came in 41st (23:32), Monique Briand 42nd (23:33) and Elizabeth Gottschalk 43rd (23:37).
Huerta finished 27th (18:20) in the boys five-kilometer race.
“Sam DiVarco and Spencer Ingersol had stand-out races, breaking 19 minutes for the first time,” Wulf said.
Ingersoll finished 32nd (18:32) and DiVarco 36th (18:45). Connor LaFavor finished 41st (19:02). Jacob Truesdale came in 48th (19:44) and Peyton Sanders 53rd (20:10).
Westosha Central’s Jacob Hebior won the boys’ race (16:28) and Delavan-Darien’s Erin Sorg won the girls’ race (19:19). Westosha Central won the boys’ SLC title and Lake Geneva Badger won the girls’ SLC title.
