With a 4-star rating, 18 holes, 6,240 yards, par 71 and overlooking the Wisconsin River, the hilly Prairie du Chien Country Club is a gorgeous golf course. Saturday morning starts as a beautiful, sunny, 70-degree day. Unfortunately, for a group of athletes used to training in chilly conditions, it will became a contest to see who finishes the 3.1 mile course and remains upright. Our New Glarus-Monticello girls line-up for the 11:00 a.m. start. This sectional cross country race, and last week's conference race, have been our focus all season. They appear nervous, but ready to go. Our nemesis, the Monroe Cheesemakers, lines up next to us with seven other teams to the right and six to the left. Just short of the first mile we catch a glimpse of the race. Monroe has a slight advantage but our ladies are close. At the half-way point Monroe still holds the advantage but our ladies are struggling to hold their positions. All the athletes are sweating and suffering. The last half mile is all uphill and few have the energy to sprint. Ruthie Zuber (21:15), Lily Maynard (21:20) and Molly Olson (21:36) finish 11th, 12th and 14th. Three Monroe gals have already crossed the line, but our team still has a chance to even the score. Unfortunately there is no gas left in the tank as our last four gals, Emma Martinson (22:19), Cam Arnett (22:30), Annika Ziperski (22:38), Mel Fink (22:44), finish in the 22s. Their Cheesemaker counterparts have already crossed. Last year on this same course we finished ahead of Monroe and went on to compete in the State Meet. This year we'll be the spectators. So ends a season in which our ladies won the Capitol Conference Championship and almost every invitational.

The NGM cross country guys start 45 minutes after the gals and the increase in temperature will hit them even harder. Tom Nelson (17:04) sparkles for most of the race as he runs in 2nd then fades to 4th just a few meters from the finish. Jude Rice (18:44) unleashes his usual finishing sprint but the remainder of the guys, Grayson Rodefeld (20:20), Tanner Gardner (20:29), Linden Lounsbury (21:17), Ian Schwartzlow (21:59) and Kaleb Welhouse (22:22), simply struggle to finish. Our gentlemen post 9th of the 15 D2 teams. Last week's surprising Capitol South Conference Championship victory will not be repeated today.

Photo courtesy of Kristi Blum

New Glarus-Monticello cross country runner Tom Nelson shows off his winning smile after winning a spot at next week's Wisconsin State Cross Country meet.

Tom Nelson, however, has qualified for the WIAA State Meet as an individual. He'll be running at The Ridges Country Club at 2:35. For him, Prairie du Chien earns a 5-star rating to top off his 5-star season.