Post Messenger Recorder -

Four F-18 Hornets streaked over the 100th Running of the Indy 500, six warbirds cracked the sky at Super Bowl Fifty.  How can a high school sports event beat that?  Saturday morning, as the national anthem played, thirty-six small flying machines in V-formation, wingtip to wingtip, swooped down, circled the flag then exited the direction they entered.  When even the geese are excited about the big Verona cross country invitational, it’s going to be a great day!

Precisely at 8:30 a.m., ninety-six middle schoolers took off over the grass in pursuit of glory.  As they disappeared up the hill, several youngsters sprinted to the lead.  A moment later the pack swallowed them up, and New Glarus-Monticello eighth grader Conor McCoy (8:43) took the lead for the rest of the 1.5 mile race.  Sixteen more NGM middle schoolers followed.  Cracking the ten minute barrier were Rudy Wicker (9:43), Ty Ready (9:49), Dane Duerst (9:57), Mason Thompson (9:58) and Griffin Ness (9:59).  Desi Delforge, Beckett Malaise, Evan Guenther, Peter Gustafson, Joe Quaglia, Aiden Runkle, Dyna Karls-G, Silas Leuthner, Dylan Noll-G, Keegan Kemp and Miles Fahey represented the largest middle school team in our school history.  The boys defeated all other teams.

As the varsity boys lined-up, spectators focused on the upcoming race between the top runners in the state.  Madison LaFollette’s Finn Gessner (15:18) jumped into the lead as Middleton’s Gus Newcomb (15:19) attempted to stay on his shoulder.  As they kicked to the finish, Gessner held open a tiny gap to best all others.  Cheering our runners, we witnessed NGM senior Kyle Fredrickson (17:07) move up at each mile to finish 24th among 170 varsity competitors.  Running the best races of their season, Christian Arnett (18:35) and Adam Nelson (19:11) broke the twenty-minute barrier on this rolling course.  Andrew Newberry (20:29), Cade Beutler (21:17), Colin McNulty (21:19) and Jonathan Truttman (22:29) placed the boys 19th of 25 teams, and 5th in small school division.

While boys junior varsity lined-up, freshman Garrett Grossen (22:08) checked the older guys times and set a goal of making varsity at the next meet.  Pushing every hill and taking advantage of each downslope, he shaved off enough to fulfill his aspiration.  Surprising himself, freshman Kellan Zweifel (23:11) placed second on the team with Levi Dearth (23:24), Simon Blowowiak (24:23) and Lucas Fink (24:54) backing him up.

The NGM varsity girls positioned freshman Gabbie Sawyer (21:45) in the center spot of the starting line and she performed up to expectations by running each of the 3.1 miles under seven minute per mile pace.  Gabby Whistler (24:00) almost broke the twenty-four minute mark, with Molly Molencamp (24:50), Kelly Fredrickson (25:47), Walela Three-Sticks (26:43), and Rebecca Barr (26:54) placing the team 8th of 10 in small school division, ahead of River Valley and Westield/Montello.

With illness and Wilhelm Tell obligations dwindling our girls junior varsity team, Brooke Dreyfus (30:45) ran alone for NGM among 25 other teams and 420 gals.  When she finished, 79 JV’ers still remained on the course.  The previously apprehensive Brooke appeared relieved and happy to survive the second race of her career.

The Verona Wildcat Invitational sees nearly a thousand runners, another thousand spectators, hundreds of cars, huge speakers blaring out rock-and-roll music and deafening cheering at the end of each race.  In the weeks to follow we witness nothing this large until the state meet.  Maybe at the smaller, quieter meets, the geese will stay to watch.