Chris Caporale, sports@wolfrivermedia.com
As Shawano Community High School junior Chase Lhotka worked his way down the final straightaway Saturday, he knew he had to pass two runners to qualify for the state meet.
He came 0.7 seconds short.
“Chase wanted it,” Shawano head coach Steve Stomberg said. “I don’t know if we went and replayed that day what we could have done anything over. It just happened. It’s the way it is.”
Lhotka finished in 10th place in a time of 17 minutes, 36 seconds, at the WIAA Division 2 sectional meet at Waupaca High School. Northland Pines junior Matt McGill earned the final individual qualifier spot for this Saturday’s state meet at Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Lhotka passed Marinette’s Carson Polomis, but couldn’t quite make it past McGill. It left the Hawks without a state qualifer this fall.
“It’s close, but you know what, that’s what makes us want to practice harder,” Stomberg said. “That’s what makes us think about the offseason. That’s what makes us think about mentally preparing for this. It shouldn’t come down to a second.”
Hours after the race had ended, as Stomberg attended a wedding in Kewaunee, the end of the race still ran through his head.
“All I could think about was how he’s feeling,” Stomberg said. “I felt sick to my stomach. How does he feel when he’s put on all those miles and now he’s not going on any further? That’s just the part that stands in my mind.”
Stomberg pointed to staying in running shape in the offseason, which would help his entire team.
Senior Brandon Pagel (18:31) made a strong run to close out the season, taking 33rd.
“He’s reaching his maximum ability. Reaching, but he hasn’t met it yet,” Stomberg said. “I would say, if we had another two weeks to go with him, I think we would have better results at our conference meet, better results at our sectional meet.”
Eight of the 14 runners on the Hawks boys and girls teams this year were freshmen and sophomores.
“With those kids stepping up there to do what they had to do and do the best job that they can, I’m very proud of them,” Stomberg said.
WIAA Division 2
Sectional Meet
Oct. 22
Waupaca High School
Boys team scores: Lakeland, 45; Oconto Falls, 111; Medford, 115; Northland Pines, 139; New London, 141; Tomahawk, 168; Peshtigo, 189; Seymour, 205; Rhinelander, 225; Shawano, 236; Mosinee, 272; Marinette, 317; Waupaca, 333; Antigo, 363, Clintonville, 379.
S: 10, Chase Lhotka, 17:37; 33, Brandon Pagel, 18:32; 59, Karsten Anderson, 19:17; 66, Ben Carroll, 19;31; 68, Griffin Bohm, 19:38; 74, Karson Rades, 19:56; 79, Michael Mault, 20:25.
C: 34, Isaac Pyatskowit, 18:35; 60, Tyler Finger, 19:22; 87, Sean Finger, 20:46; 96, Trent Marheine, 21:34; 102, Mitchell Behnke, 103, William Gwinn, 24:29.
Girls team scores: Lakeland, 77; Clintonville, 79; Medford, 80; Peshtigo, 114; Marinette, 156; Mosinee, 160; Oconto Falls, 186; Tomahawk, 190; Rhinelander, 222; New London, 243; Northland Pines, 289; Seymour, 313; Shawano, 328; Waupaca, 366; Antigo, 381.
C: 1, Kara Pyatskowit, 19:00; 8, Madison Hohn, 20:51; 13, 13, Elly Arndt, 21:30; 27, Kayla Klemp, 22:20; 30, Autumn Hohn, 22:30; 77, Bethany Klemp, 25:00; 93, Jules Buttles, 26:14.
S: 46, Sarah Mente, 23:35; 54, Alice Hoffman, 23:57; 64, Sophia Holstrum, 24:20; 80, Madeline Hanson, 25:07; 84, Haley Williams, 25:18; 92, Caitlin Daniel, 26:11; 97, Savannah Johnson, 27:16.
Clintonville girls advance to state
Clintonville High School senior Kara Pyatskowit was not challenged at Saturday’s WIAA Division 2 sectional meet in Waupaca.
Pyatskowit took first place in 18 minutes, 59 seconds, besting Marinette’s Kim Carviou by over a minute.
The Truckers added top 15 finishes from Madison Hohn (20:50), in eighth, and Elly Arndt (21:29), in 13th, to post a team score of 79, finish second and advance to state.
“I am so proud of every member of the team. They were running for each other,” Clintonville head coach Jeff Crumbaugh said. “We had one nearly impossible goal, to make it to state. They did it with passion and determination. This will be a race I’ll never forget.”