Amherst aims for 3rd straight CWC boys championship The Amherst High School boys cross country team is hoping that "pack running" will lead to the school's sixth conference title in seven years. The Falcons, who won the CWC title the last two years, have five members back from the team that advanced to the state meet in 1999. "We're deep and we're going more with the team concept of packing kids in," Amherst coach Rob Sparhawk said. "Once in a while we might have a kid break out and have a great race." Amherst got its season off to a good start Tuesday, winning the Iola-Scandinavia Invitational. The Falcons beat Wittenberg-Birnamwood and Bonduel, two teams that are expected to be in the thick of the race for the conference title. Amherst scored 61 points, compared to 89 for Wittenberg-Birnamwood and 90 for Bonduel. "We were hoping to be in the top three and the win was a surprise," Sparhawk said. "We ran really well against them, but the conference meet will tighten things up." At Iola-Scandinavia, junior Jordan Selbo was sixth (18:39), junior Tim Olson finished 10th (19:11), senior Dan Warner took 13th (19:58), junior Jeremy Sherf finished 14th (20:08) and junior Jeremy Leck was 18th (20:08). Sophomore Scott Hintz (26th in 20:59) and senior Jeff Cloninger (42nd in 21:59) were Amherst's sixth and seventh finishers. Sparhawk said right now, Selbo and Olson look to be the team's top two runners. "The key to this team is we need six people to stay healthy," Sparhawk said. Besides defending their conference title, Sparhawk said the Falcons want to return to state too. "I don't know what it's like to not be competing in the last meet of the year," said Sparhawk, who ran at Stevens Point Area Senior High and won four state championships while coaching at Pacelli. Rosholt The Hornets have two returning runners from last season, a senior transfer student and five freshman in what could be a learning year. Sophomore Brady Staszak, who finished 22nd at the CWC meet last year, is the only Hornet back from the team's top five last year. Junior Bart Butler also returns from last year's varsity team. Senior Willie Van De Yacht joins the team this season after running cross country at Seymour. Rosholt coach Mike Trzebiatowski said Van De Yacht, who ran track last spring at Rosholt, and Staszak should be the Hornets' top two runners. "I'm looking forward to them being our frontrunners," Trzebiatowski said. Brady's brother, Tyler, is one of five freshmen. He joins Zach Rodriguez, Paul Zdroik, Andy Osowski and Gavin LaFave. Sophomore Casey Giese is on the team after running in one meet last year. Trzebiatowski said Staczek, Zdroik and Rodriguez will probably fill the No. 3 to No. 5 spots and Butler will probably be the sixth runner. The Hornets open their season Tuesday at the Wittenberg-Birnamwood Invitational. In the conference, Trzebiatowski hopes the Hornets can have "a respectable finish." "We're going to have runners with limited experience," he said. "I want them to learn and grow as the season goes along. Just survive, run some miles and do well at the end of the year." Pacelli After winning five WISAA state championships in the 1990s, the Cardinals find themselves in a new conference and the WIAA in 2000. Pacelli, now a member of the Central Wisconsin Conference, has nine runners battling for seven spots when the conference meet arrives. Despite being in a different conference, the Cardinals' schedule is basically the same, with the exception of the end of the season. Pacelli opens its season Saturday at the Marshfield Columbus Invitational. The Cardinals will also host the CWC meet, at Iverson Park, Thursday, Oct. 12. "I don't know what to expect with the new conference," Pacelli coach Kim Olson said. "I think the guys have good attitudes and they're willing to work hard. They're also questioning what it's going to be like in the new structure." Senior Nick Gross is expected to be Pacelli's top runner. "I think he's going to be our leader. I think his talent and ability is there," Olson said. Seniors Jason Lepak and Joe Miller, and sophomore Evan Kruzitski also return from last season. Sophomore Ryan Marciniak, senior John Sniadajewski, Chris Jacobson and freshmen Ryan Koch and Brian Mannebach are among the team's top nine runners. "I have high expectations. I expect them to do a lot of things," Olson said. Olson is in her first year as Pacelli's coach. Kim is taking over for her husband, Tim, who is teaching in Wausau. Kim, who ran cross country and track at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, graduated from Pacelli in 1987, running under her maiden name of Bemowski. She will be inducted into Pacelli's Athletic Hall of Fame in October.