FONTANA, Wis. — As the starter gun’s shot rang out and Big Foot/Williams Bay junior Elijah Henningfeld took off from the starting line, he had one racer in his sights.
It wasn’t any one of the runners from rival schools like Delavan-Darien or Beloit Turner, it wasn’t even Shoreland Lutheran’s Temp Zondag, the fastest runner of the evening who would go on to win the Duck Pond Invitational in a neat and tidy time of 20:40.30.
No, Henningfeld was going after a racer wearing black and red just like him.
“My friend and teammate (Noah Langlund) beat me in our last race,” Henningfeld explained. “I was like ‘I can’t let that happen.’ Usually I’m our number one runner. So I went out aggressive and stuck with it. He's a senior, but I had to show him that I still want this more.”
Nothing like a little friendly competition to help your squad show out on its home course.
Henningfeld finished 10th overall with a time of 18:48.9 to help the Chiefs’ boys finish fifth as a team at its annual meet hosted in Fontana, held on Thursday night under sunny and warm conditions.
“This whole week, we've just been running this course,” the junior said. “We would come out here and do a quick run to really get our footing, even though it's flat. We have to get used to and know our home course.”
Henningfeld's frenemy Langlund finished 15th (19:12.8) while Sam Lange placed 24th (19:31.3) and Jose Pilo 26th (19:41.9) to help the Chiefs rack up 112 points.
“We have a good senior group right now,” Henningfeld said. “They'll be leaving us but us juniors, if we really get into that summer running, we could be really good.”
Rockford Christian won the team competition with 30 points followed by Delavan-Darien (81), Shoreland Lutheran (90) and Kenosha Christian Life (109). Holy Family placed sixth (150), Kenosha St. Joseph was seventh (169), Brodhead/Juda ended eighth (175), Parkview was ninth (249) and Beloit Turner was 10th (279).
Gauge Jorgenson was the first Cardinal across the finish line in 29th (19:52.8) followed by Jorge Villalva (19:59.0) in 30th and Treyton Leutenegger in 32nd (20:27.5).
“The guys had a nice race but you could tell we were a little sore,” Brodhead/Juda coach Curt Gratz said. “We don’t have a standout but we have a pretty nice pack. We didn't score as well today as we have been, but it's homecoming week and sometimes that's how it goes.”
Alan Diaz placed 36th (20:33.4) as the top runner for the Vikings while Milo Jackson was 43rd (21:17.8) and Charley Wohlfert was 48th (21:47.1).
For the Trojans, Logan Tysee finished 49th (21:47.6) followed by Thomas Peters in 54th (22:17.7) and Evan Spanton in 60th (23:14.4).
“We’ve got more depth this year than we’ve had in the past,” head coach Riley Clark said. “Thomas Peters is an incredible worker, we're looking at getting him to PR at the Midwest Invitational. Seniors Ayden Rockweit and Ethan Scherck have really stepped up this year. They've been our two best performing athletes and really stepped up into that leadership role.”
On the girls side, Brodhead/Juda ran its way to a team title off a balanced effort. Senior Madi Brown led the way in 15th (25:06.8) and was quickly followed by Rachel Hater in 16th (25:26.2), Serena Santiago in 17th (25:35.2), Olivia Brooks in 20th (26:01.4) and Isabelle Yoshida in 22nd (26:12.4)
“My girls ran really tight packed,” Gratz said. “We didn't have anybody in the top ten, but we were all really nice, tightly packed and that helped us score really well today. We've had a couple different girls be first. Our three through five switch a lot. So it's really been a nice core group.”
Holy Family took second (56) and Beloit Turner placed third (58) and Shoreland Lutheran was fourth (67).
Clark told his girl with the Midwest Invitational, which is a mega meet filled with stout teams, hosted at Janesville's Blackhawk Golf Course coming up Saturday that they could "take it a little off the gas pedal today."
“Then we end up having multiple athletes PR,” Clark said with a laugh. “Mentally and physically, we're in a good place. I think our athletes are going to peak at the right time.”
Sophomore Madaline Luety finished 12th (24:39.2) and was followed by senior Makena Whitt in 14th (25:03.0). Devlyn Halverson placed 25th (26:43.8) and Olivia Moore was 26th (26:44.0).
“Madaline is very young and was battling injuries last year,” Clark said. “This year, we've been managing her workouts to train but not overtrain her. I knew she had that potential as a freshman, but seeing it come into fruition is exciting. Makena was a late addition, this was just her second race. It's bittersweet, I wish I could have had her all four years but am super excited to see her do it as a senior.”
“It was a lot easier (of a course) than I was expecting,” Luety said. “When I started, I was nervous that it was going to feel really long. But after the second lap around, I was like 'Okay, I can do this. I'm over halfway done'"
Whitt credited the team environment with helping make the girls' squad a strong one.
“We have good support and good teammates to cheer me up as I race,” she continued. “When they follow me through the race, I feel like that makes me run faster.”
While Parkview didn't score as a team, three of its four runners were in the top 21 with freshman Hannah Treinen finishing ninth (24:03.7), Serenity Pautsch placing 18th (25:40.7) and Amaya Boers-Augustine ending 21st (26:05.5).
“I was really tired and sleepy (heading into the race)," Treinen said. "But when I started going, it was all good. I felt good through the first three miles, kind of felt a little sick at the end but kicked it in and finished.”
Treinen's late push was essential in cracking the top ten.
"My teammates were yelling that they were right behind me, so I just started going faster," she added. "I used the last of the energy that I had."
Big Foot also didn't place as a team but Bianca Mondragon was its top girls runner in 40th (29:36.2).
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