Division 3 state track 3,200-meter champ Ovanin back for Amherst
With 68 girls on the Stevens Point Area Senior High cross country team, there's no question that the Panthers have a large pack of runners traveling the city streets during practices.
In their quest for a conference title and a high finish at state, it will be important for coach Mike Olson's team to stay in a pack during the races too.
"We've got great team depth. Our key this season will be our pack running," Olson said.
The Panthers have 12 runners returning with varsity experience but no clear-cut number one runner. Sophomore Kim Klosno, seniors Kjersten Johnson and Katie Ziehr and junior Alexis Sustman will battle for the elite runner status.
"Any of these girls can place high. But on a consistent basis, at this point, I don't know," Olson said.
SPASH has two newcomers who are currently their fifth and sixth runners - junior Laine Willkom and sophomore Nikki Cruz. Sophomore Danielle Gralla and freshmen Britt Paulson round out the varsity team for the Panthers' first meet, the Marshfield Columbus Invitational on Saturday.
Junior Taylor Ebens and sophomores Ashley Francis and Kerry Hyland are SPASH's next tier of runners, according to their finishes at the team intrasquad race last weekend.
"Our first team (junior varsity) will be able to beat a lot of varsity teams," Olson said.
In the Wisconsin Valley Conference, SPASH will fight defending champion and rival D.C. Everest for the title.
"It's going to be us and Everest. The pressure's on them as far as I'm concerned," Olson said.
"I expect it to be a two-way dogfight. I don't see anyone in the conference that's with us. There are other teams with great runners, but not with great team depth."
After last season's second place finish at conference, Olson said several girls ran a lot over the summer to get themselves ready.
"These are the girls that are dominant right now. The work they put in is paying off," he said.
"Last year the girls were disappointed with conference and a little disappointed at state. So the girls set higher goals, to win conference and to be in the top five at state.
"It remains to be seen (if we can accomplish that), but we're on the right track."
Pacelli High School
For the first time in years, the Cardinals do not have enough runners to compete as a team. Pacelli, who lost three seniors that finished in the top 15 at the Wisconsin Independent Schools Athletic Association state meet last year, have only four girls on the 1999 team.
The only returning runner is sophomore Katie Hansel. She will be joined by freshmen Amber Bemowski, Angela Peters and Jenna Pliska.
"This year will definitely be a year of transition," Pacelli coach Kate Luebke said. "The girls that are out have been working hard in practice and are getting stronger.
"I am looking forward to rebuilding the team. For starters, we need to get more girls out. With smaller class sizes and more activities available, the numbers just aren't there."
Amherst
The Falcons have an elite runner on the team this year in junior Jane Ovanin. As a sophomore, she ran to a state title in the 3,200 meter run at the WIAA Division 3 state track and field meet.
Ovanin is joined by four upperclassmen and two freshmen on a varsity team that coach Rob Sparhawk will look to improve as the season progresses.
"I expect them to get better every race," Sparhawk said.
Amherst had a good showing in its first meet of the season, the Iola-Scandinavia T-Bird Invitational, finishing fourth.
Behind Ovanin, the Falcons have Samantha Diver (Jr.), Jenny Woyak (Jr.), Leah Hunter (Jr.), Karen Ehr (Sr.), Ashley Bauery (Fr.) and Amber Worden (Fr.).
"Leah and Jenny really improved over last year," Sparhawk said.
Rosholt
The Hornets are looking to build on their top five finish at the WIAA Division 3 state meet a year ago and have four returnees from that team.
Senior Jen Zdroik, Amy Scott (Jr.) and sophomores Tami Scott and Lisa Yenter are back to shoot for a higher finish.
"Despite finishing fifth at last year's state meet and losing a few kids through graduation and volleyball, we feel we have the potential to better our finish at this year's state meet," Rosholt coach Mike Trezbiatowski said.
"We will have a tough foursome but a bunch of young kids and a foreign exchange student will battle for the fifth, sixth and seventh spots."
Trezbiatowski will see his team in racing action for the first time Tuesday at the Wittenberg-Birnamwood Invitational.