Coulee Region dominates state cross country meet

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. — High School cross country is alive and well in the Coulee Region.

At the WIAA state championships on Saturday, Onalaska’s Kora Malecek won one meet — breaking a meet record — her team took second overal. The Aquinas boys won as a team — again — led by a second-place finish by Andrew Skemp.

And, the Logan boys took fourth as a team, thanks in part, to Zach Slevin’s second-place finish at The Ridges Golf Course.

DIVISION 3
AQUINAS BOYS WIN BACK-TO-BACK TITLES

The Blugolds Top 5 all finished in the Top 25 — in team standings — in winning back-to-back Division 3 WIAA state titles at the Ridges Golf Course on Saturday.

Skemp, a junior, finished second in 16 minutes, 26.1 seconds, while junior teammate Mitch Ellis finished 22nd overall (17:12.3). Alec Taylor was 43rd (17:29.3), Zachary DeGroot in 45th (17:29.9) and Ethan Nott 54th (17:40).

Cashton juniors Jarret Carpenter finished ninth overall (16:37.8) and Carson Hayes took 55th (17:40.7) competing as individuals.

DIVISION 2
SLEVIN’S SECOND LEADS LOGAN TO FOURTH-PLACE FINISH

In leading the Rangers to fourth overall — they were eighth last year — Slevin finished runner-up in 16:16.6 for Logan, Bye finished seventh overall (16:37.6).

The Rangers finished with 133 points. Valders won state with 78 points, while Notre Dame was second (108) and Freedom third (116).

Competing as individuals, West Salem’s junior Brady Niemeier finished 12th overall (16:48.3) and junior Charlie McKinney took 40th (17:09.6).

DIVISION 1
MALECEK’S WIN LEADS ONALASKA TO SECOND OVERALL

Malecek didn’t just win, the Onalaska junior finished in 17:44.6 — 30 second ahead of the second-place finisher — breaking a meet record in doing so.

But to take second as a team, Kara Malecek needed some help. Her sisters, Lydia Malecek took 18th (19:02.3) and Amalia Malecek finished 20th (19:08.1).

Kora Malecek took fifth at state last year in 18:35.2.