By Adam Knoll
Sports Correspondent
The Whippet boys cross country team had a good run on the grass during a conference meet last Thursday. Joe Zidmars took third place with a 17:45 time, just 22 seconds off of first place, helping Whitewater a third place overall finish.
“(Joe) absolutely attacked the second loop of the course. He was moving forward as others were fading back,” coach Chad Carstens said. “I am so proud of the way he displayed all the things that Whippet cross country is all about.”
James Ehlen finished 12th (18:36), earning second team all-conference while Jimmy King earned honorable mention for finishing 18th (19:09).
Jason Shelbourn finished 39th, Nathan Barett was 43rd, Wentao Guo ended 49th and Alfredo Gomez came in 61st. Six of the seven runners were seniors.
McFarland took first overall with a total score of 28, Jefferson came in second with a 68, and the Whippets rounded off the podium with 115. Scores are tallied using a team’s top five runners.
For the junior varsity squad, Jacob Korf finished 14th, which helped the squad turn in a second place finish. Justin Brantmeier and Steven Witt were 20th and 21st respectively.
“The times on this day were slow due to the rain over the last few days,” Carstens said, “but we don’t race the clock in a meet like this. It’s all about placing as high as possible as that makes up the team score.”
“On both levels, these young men understand the difference between the regular season and the championship portion. I am lucky I get to work with kids like this on a day-to-day basis. They represented Whitewater very well and with high class and dignity,” he added.
The Whitewater girls brought home a second place finish thanks to strong finishes by the team’s top four runners.
Andrea Sandoval came in sixth (21:07) while Sarah Ziolkowski (12th, 21:41), Allisan Barrett (13th, 21:43) and Abby King (20th, 22:18) all finished in the top 20.
The only team the Whippets fell to was McFarland, who is currently ranked second in the state.
Sandoval earned all-conference honors with her sixth place finish.
“(Sandoval) ran such a tactically smart race and knows how far she can push her body. It’s really been a lot of fun seeing her up so far this season. The volume of work put in this summer is really paying off big for her,” Carstens said.
Ziolkowski and Barrett both earned second team all-conference honors. Ziolkowski has battled sickness much of the season yet she was able to return to form at the right time. Barrett, just a freshman, has what should be a long, successful road ahead of her.
“(She) is such a talent,” Carstens said. “Allisan has been motivated by being the top freshman in the conference and today she was once again the top girl. She has a bright future.”
Whippet Abby King earned honorable mention honors by finishing in the top 20.
