By Reagan Hoverman

Four cross country runners from three area high school teams qualified for the 2022 State Cross Country Tournament, which is sched – uled for Saturday, Oct. 29, at the Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.

Local qualifiers include Ellsworth junior Max Bergn- er and senior Alex Pazdernik, Prescott senior Tyler Loucks and River Falls sophomore Quin Andrews. Bergn – er, Pazdernik and Loucks competed in the Division 2 Sectional Cross Country Tournament in Rice Lake and Andrews competed in the Division 1 Tournament in West Salem on Saturday, Oct. 22.

Pazdernik, Loucks and Bergner took the Rice Lake Sectional by storm, as they earned three of the top four overall finishes at the meet. Pazdernik earned the sec – tional victory with a time of 16:17.8 and an average mile pace of 5:14.4. Loucks wasn’t far behind the Ellsworth champion, as Prescott’s top finisher. Loucks earned a second-place finish with a 5K time of 16:31.8 with an average mile pace of 5:18.9. The aforementioned Bergner secured a fourth-place fin – ish with an overall time of 17:00.3 and a mile pace of 5:28.

While that Pierce Coun ty trio was competing in the Rice Lake Sectional, An – drews, the sophomore from River Falls, competed in the D1 Sectional in West Salem. Andrews earned a fourthplace finish with a 5K time of 16:51.3 and an average mile pace of 5:26. He missed out on a solo second-place fin – ish by less than 10 seconds. The eventual winner, a soph –

omore from Onalaska, fin – ished with a time of 15:44.8.

The four State Tourna- ment qualifiers will compete on Saturday, Oct. 29, in Wis – consin Rapids. Ellsworth’s Pazdernik and Bergner and Prescott’s Loucks will com – pete in the Division 2 race which is slated to begin at 2:35 p.m. River Falls’ An – drews will compete in the Division 1 race which is scheduled to begin at 3:10 p.m.

Full River Falls results

Starting with River Falls and the Division 1 Sectional, other results include soph – omore Grady Jensen’s 35th place finish, sophomore Jo – nah Majerus finished 41st, senior Connor Cernohous finished 50th, junior Ethan Engler took 65th, senior Hudsen Smith took 70th and sophomore Cooper Sheely rounded out the boys’ results in 84th.

Perhaps the closest call of any potential state qualifier was River Falls freshman Ol – ive Halvorson, who missed out on going to state by less than a second. She finished one place out of going to the state tournament as a fresh- man with an overall time of 20:13.3. A time of 20:12.7 would have qualified.

River Falls junior Lily Jensen earned an 11th place finish, senior Rita Houman finished 38th, freshman Af –

ton Gillis took 63rd, sopho – more Anna Weyer finished 64th, junior Rachel Winter took 67th and freshman Di – anna Lother rounded out the results in 74th.

Full Ellsworth results

Ellsworth Panther re – sults, in addition to those of Pazdernik and Bergner, include sophomore Brady Mitchell’s 38th place fin – ish, senior Jasper Knutson secured a 54th place result, freshman Ben Baker took 57th and sophomore Will Penn finished 83rd.

Ellsworth’s top female finisher was junior Kayla Kressin, who earned a 57th place finish, junior Jillian Griggs and sophomore Mor – gan Halverson finished 83rd and 84th respectively and sophomore Andrea Esterby secured a 92nd place finish.

Full Prescott results

In addition to Loucks qualifying for state, other re- sults include junior Breckin Schommer’s 12th place fin ish, senior Matthew Lynes secured a 22nd place finish, senior Wesley Dobbs took 26th, junior Ian Leask fin –

ished 37th, junior Jayde Can – field took 39th and senior Brahm Ennenga rounded out the results in 43rd.

Prescott senior Ella John – son led the charge for the Lady Cardinals with a 16th place finish and a time of 20:45.8. Sophomore Katie Huppert took 39th, junior Rhiannon Fabian earned a 42nd place finish, junior Ava Budworth took 48th, senior Evalyn Sieben secured a 49th place finish, sophomore Ni – cole Lynes finished 59th and sophomore Cameryn Rickers finished 63rd.

Full Elmwood/Plum City results The Elmwood/Plum City Wolves had two boys com –

petitors make it to the Divi –

sion 3 Sectional Cross Coun – try Tournament in Cadott on Saturday afternoon. Sopho – more Cole Christman earned a 110th place finish with a time of 23:28.3 and fresh – man Mason Hocking was in 118th with an overall time of 26:33.2.

Elmwood/Plum City also had two girls make it to the Sectional Cross Country Tournament. Freshman Tay – lor Asher earned a 43rd place finish with a time of 23:49.3 and sophomore Isabelle Sk – ogen finished in 104th place with a time of 32:50.5.

Full Spring Valley results Starting with the Spring Valley boys, senior Logen Vorlicek was the Cardinals’ top runner with an 11th place finish and a time of 18:14.4. Junior Brody Gregg took 27th, freshman Doost Mo –

ham Kaker took 52nd, soph – omore Shahrokhan Kakar took 59th, sophomore Dan – ny Cipriano earned a 71st place finish, junior Colton Hoyt finished 81st and senior Rondell Hibbon rounded out the Spring Valley results in 114th.

Spring Valley’s top female finisher was senior Lydia Hannack with an 18th place time of 22:27.9. Sophomore Audrey Matheson finished 44th, senior Grace Webb took 89th, and sophomore Raeann Traynor took 100th.

Spring Valley freshman Doost Moham Kaker tries to make his way to the front of the pack during the early goings of the Division 3 Sectional Cross Country Tournament in Cadott on Saturday, Oct. 22. Photo by Joseph Back

Prescott senior Ella Johnson competes in the final cross country meet of her high school career at the D2 Sectional meet in Rice Lake. Johnson posted a 5K time of 20:45.8, which earned her a 16th place finish. Photo courtesy of Melissa Loucks

Elmwood/Plum City freshman Mason Hocking moments after crossing the finish line at the D3 Sectional Cross Country Tournament in Cadott. Hocking and the Wolves competed on Saturday, Oct. 22. Photo by Joseph Back

Ellsworth senior Alex Pazdernik moments before crossing the finish line of the Division 2 Sectional Cross Country Tournament in Rice Lake on Saturday, Oct. 22. Pazdernik finished with a first-place time of 16:17.8. Photo courtesy of Melissa Loucks

River Falls sophomore Quin Andrews competes in the WIAA Division 1 Sectional Cross Country Tournament at the Maple Grove Country Club in West Salem on Saturday, Oct. 22. Andrews’ time of 16:51.3 earned him a fourth-place finish and a spot in the State Cross Country Tournament.Photo courtesy of GX3 Media