Michalak, Rotering utilize strong finishes to qualify for state cross country meet

Saturday wasn’t perfect, and some parts of the race were downright disappointing. The final result, though? Nobody can take that away. 

That was the message from both Trempealeau County runners who advanced to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Division Two state cross country meet with top finishes at the sectional championship at Skyline Golf Course in Black River Falls last weekend. 

Arcadia senior Tegan Michalak will join G-E-T junior Adrianna Rotering at the girls state run this Saturday in Wisconsin Rapids. Michalak (fifth) and Rotering (11th) finished among the five individual qualifiers after Medford and West Salem’s individual times were omitted since they advanced as the top two teams. 

Michalak will run in the state meet for the second straight season, but she admitted Saturday started slow. She thought her season might have been over until she had a reality check around the mile mark.

“I honestly mentally was not here this morning. I kind of just wanted this season to be done. But after that first mile I knew I had a shot and I just kept passing girls,” Michalak said. “I was like, ‘Well, last year, might as well just give it my all.’”

Her coach in Tim Braunschweig called Michalak’s execution “perfect” at a tough, hilly course.

“We wanted her to be a little more conservative on the first mile and then really just give it on that second mile. And I think that she felt good after that first mile holding back a little bit. And then she was just aggressive up all those hills and she just kept passing girls.”

Rotering apologized to coach Don Foley for not qualifying after she crossed the finish line on Saturday. That’s when Foley gave the junior a funny look and delivered the news that she had in fact snuck into an individual qualifier spot.

Rotering wept joyful tears as her coach congratulated her. 

““I just gave it everything I had and I got done and I felt like ‘Okay, well that’s it. The season’s over.’ I was talking to everybody and I was a little bummed,” she said. “And then Foley came over and told me I made it to state and gave me a hug. … and I just started crying. It feels insane.”

Foley said Rotering was also out of a qualifying spot in the first mile or so, but she too fought back in the second half of the race.

“She just hung in there,” Foley said. “She has been suffering with some shin splints, and she was in pain during the race. For her to kind of fight on this course and go on is a huge testament.” 

Both Michalak and Rotering hope to run their best race of the season this week, and neither takes a state berth lightly. Regardless of finish, both said they planned to enjoy their final run of the season.

No area boys qualified for the state meet. Arcadia junior Nestor Badillo led county runners with a 13th place finish. 

Mauston and West Salem claimed the team berths in the boys race. Arcadia finished fifth as a group, and the G-E-T boys took sixth in a 16-team field.

Cole Lockington placed 18th for Arcadia, while G-E-T was led by a 26th place run from senior Sam Ruiter. The Red Hawks also got finishes from Charlie Caya (30th), Xander Burmeister (35th), Oliver Marley (36th) and Sawyer Smock (42nd).

The Raiders saw sophomore Andy Monroy finish 33rd, followed by Ivan Aguilar in 45th and Peyton Nelson in 49th. Matthew Badillo (64th) and Caden Dahl (97th) also ran for Arcadia.

The G-E-T girls ran to fourth place as a team, and sophomore Delilah Boberg (24th) and junior Audrey Parker (25th) joined Rotering in the top 25. Other scored runners included Alexis Walker in 42nd and Anya Wolfe in 44th. Jasmine Tarjeson and Aubrynn Rotering also ran for G-E-T.

Girls cross country, WIAA Division Two sectional, Oct. 22 at Skyline Golf Course at Black River Falls

Medford 31, West Salem 55, Tomahawk 91, G-E-T 145, Wisconsin Dells 177, Bloomer 183, Mosinee 224, Merrill 235, Adams-Friendship 236, Mauston 253, Altoona 269, Elk Mound 272, La Crosse Logan 279

Arcadia — Michalak, fifth, 21:11.4; Reyes, 86th, 34:15.3; Maldonad, 89th, 38:48.6.

G-E-T — Ad. Rotering, 11th, 21:29.3; Boberg, 25th, 22:52.6; Parker, 26th, 22:54.5; Walker, 43rd, 24:31; Wolfe, 45th, 24:36.8; Tarjeson, 55th, 25:42; Au. Rotering, 75th, 28:24.1.

Boys cross country, WIAA Division Two sectional, Oct. 22 at Skyline Golf Course at Black River Falls

Mauston 72, West Salem 78, Bloomer 108, Altoona 132, Arcadia 158, G-E-T 169, Medford 180, Elk Mound 192, Tomahawk 208, Wisconsin Dells 235, La Crosse Logan 268, Colby-Abbotsford 303, Black River Falls 322, Merrill 386, Neillsville 435, Mosinee 437

Arcadia — N. Badillo, 13th, 18:00.3; Lockington, 18th, 18:20.7; Monroy, 33rd, 18:59.7; Aguilar, 45th, 19:27.1; Nelson, 49th, 19:29.8; M. Badillo, 64th, 20:24; Dahl, 97th, 22:28.5.

G-E-T — Ruiter, 26th, 18:46.3; Caya, 30th, 18:55.1; Burmeister, 35th, 19:07.6; Marley, 36th, 19:11.8; Smock, 42nd, 19:22.5; Giemza, 70th, 20:43; Gagnon, 71st, 20:43.1.