Don Loker City Championships - Varsity 2nd, JV 3rd

A great afternoon of racing by the Spartans at the 2026 Don Loker City Championships. The Madison area has produced a lot of talented runners that have competed at the City Championships over the years. Future state champions, national champions, and Olympians have toed the line at the Madison City Championships and although the meet might be small in number of teams the competition is always in big in depth and talent. This year was no different and our Spartans came prepared to battle. The team is running well at the right time of year and our varsity started the night off with a bang. Our guys battle for 1st place through the first half of the race, before the Lancers pulled away over second half (we will see LaFollette again at Conference and Sectionals) but finished a very solid 2nd, our highest finish since 2021. Individually, Charlie G led with a hard-earned 5th place finish and PR of 16:28. Berndt was close behind in 10th place and with another sub 17 time on the season. Paul K and Max B both also ran PRs and Patrick H and Ian G rounded things out with 24th and 25th place finishes and solid races. It is great to see this group keep improving from week-to-week as we head into the end of the season.

Our JV squad finished a strong 3rd place and were battling for the win throughout the entire race. We also saw some big time drops as these guys let the strong competition push them to lots of PRs. They were led by top 10 finishes from Anthony L and Bowen D. Bowen ran a PR of 18:31 and was followed by Henry M who also ran a big PR of 18:39. Henry S also ran a huge PR of over 1-minute to get 19:10 and be the 5th finisher for the Spartans. There were tons of other PRs from Levi B (first sub 24), Eli B (first sub 20), Grey H, Miguel M (first sub 25), Ethan P, Kaiden S, Eli S (first sub 23), Owen G, Devon M, Jacob S, Milo L, Jaxon P, Coda S, Ryan S, and Walter S (first sub 20). The young guys on this team showed some great effort and were rewarded with nice PRs....who from this group can make the big jump in the off-season to challenge for a varsity spot? S These guys prepare for their final meet of the season at the Big 8 Conference Championship but have many future races in their lifetime where they will continue to run faster as they continue to embrace this sport and their training. 

RESULTS
Badger State Timing - Live Results

NEXT COMPETITION
Saturday October 17th
Big Eight Conference Championships
@ Janesville - Black Hawk Golf Course (Course)
Bus = 7:30am
10:05 = Boys Varsity (Box 1)
11:15 = Boys JV (Box 1)
~11:50 = Awards - top 16 finishers in each race

NEWS & NOTES
--> Team picture on Thursday. Remember your uniform!

--> Thurs & Fri practice this week still at normal schedule time (4:00pm)
--> JV Runners will have optional practices on Monday-Tuesday next week to run a last chance mile on the track (We will pick the day with the best weather to run the mile)

--> JV runners turn in uniforms and other checked out items next week
--> Only varsity runners preparing for Sectionals will have required practice Oct 20th & beyond 

- For all the photographers - Upload pictures here https://photos.app.goo.gl/XCx5pYMw4uhwsVht8

- Sign up for meet snacks - https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C0948AEA72CA3FB6-65337408-memorial?useFullSite=false

Arrowhead Invite: Varsity 9th, JV1 13th, JV2 9th

The calendar has turned to October which means there is only 1 month left of cross country season. To kick off the final week the Spartans traveled to the Arrowhead Invite, our first time attending this meet. There was good competition and a chance to face off against teams we don't normally compete against. Will L-S had a great race up front finishing at 2nd place and a season's best time. Charlie just missed a top 25 finish with 29th place and he was followed by Berndt who ran a solid race with 16:50 finishing time. This led to a 9th place finish out of 25 teams, although the varsity squad will need to be more aggressive the first half of the race to improve their team finish over the coming meets. We saw many of our JV runners embrace the opportunity to run fast in the Varsity Reserve race This group was led by Bowen and Andy both running 18:46 and saw freshman Ryan S and Eli K both run PRs. The rest of the JV squad took to the course for the final race as the sun was drying out the course. The JV squad ran a great race as a team to achieve a 9th place finish and PRs from Abhi K, Ephraim M, Christian D, Luke H, Miguel M, Kaiden S, Eli S, Hunter E, Owen G, Noah H, Devon M, Luke S, Brayden T, Declan K, Coda S, and Walter S. It is exciting to see our guys chasing fast times and working with their teammates to accomplish difficult things. We look forward to every runner, running hard every run, on every day...big things to come in the closing weeks of the season!

RESULTS

Arrowhead Invitational

NEXT COMPETITION
Friday Oct 9th
Don Loker City Championships @ Lake Farm Park - Madison, WI (Course)
Early Release = 1:43pm (end of 5th period)
3:30pm - Boys Varsity
4:40pm - Boys JV 
~ 5:45pm - Awards

NO BUS!!!! Athletes are responsible for their own transportation to Lake Farm Park and home after the meet.

NEWS & NOTES

- For all the photographers - Upload pictures here https://photos.app.goo.gl/XCx5pYMw4uhwsVht8

- Sign up for meet snacks - https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C0948AEA72CA3FB6-65337408-memorial?useFullSite=false

- Snap Raise... Thank you everyone who has donated! Try to get 20-emails uploaded! Fundraiser runs through 10/6

- Thursday 10/8 -- Team Picture (bring uniforms...)
Championship season...JV = City & Conference, Varsity = City, Conference, Sectional, & State
JV athletes will have practice through the Conference meet

Midwest Invite - Varsity 9th, JV1 13th, JV2 20th

Fall has officially arrived which means it is time for the annual running of the Midwest Invitational. On Saturday morning the Spartans headed to Janesville to compete against 50 teams in one of the largest cross country meets. Madison Memorial was led by Will L-S who finished 6th place in the varsity race and was followed by Charlie G who continued his streak of PRs to run 16:32 and chip another second off his best time. Paul K and Ian G also ran strong races to earn PRs of 17:19 and 17:21, finishing just outside the top 100 spots in race with over 300 competitors. Anthony L led the JV1 squad running just off his PR and finish in 31st place, just outside the medals. He was followed by a number of athletes running PRs, including Eli B, Grey H, Henry M (first sub 19), Jacob S (first sub 20), Ryan S (first sub 20), and Walter S. Brothers Luke H and Noah H were the top finishers for JV2 and both ran PRs of 21:19 and 21:20 and finished in the top 100! Other PRs in the JV2 race included Abhi K, Ephraim M (first sub 30), Levi B, Christian D, Owen G, Oliver K, Devon M, Jaxon P, and Coda S.  Our team competed at a high level and is looking strong at the right time of the season. As we enter the last month of the season it will be important to do the little things right to put a perfect ending on an already great season.

RESULTS
Midwest Invitational (High School) 2026 - Meet Information

NEXT COMPETITION
Saturday October 3rd

Nightfall Classic @ Arrowhead High School North Campus (Course)
Bus - 6:45am
10:00am - Varsity Boys (8 athletes)

10:55am - Varsity Reserve Boys (next 8 athletes)

12:05pm - JV Boys
Awards - top 25 varsity, top 15 varsity reserve, top 10 JV, Top 3 teams varsity and varsity reserve
Bring $ to stop and eat after the meet

Arrowhead encourages spectators to carpool or park off campus as they will be hosting several athletic events on Saturday. Campus Parking Map

NEWS & NOTES
Keep up your work in the classroom...make sure you have all your assignments turned in
Stay healthy...get good sleep, eat well, hydrate, stretch, ice, sleep

- For all the photographers - Upload pictures here https://photos.app.goo.gl/XCx5pYMw4uhwsVht8

- Sign up for meet snacks - https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C0948AEA72CA3FB6-65337408-memorial?useFullSite=false

- Snap Raise... Thank you everyone who has donated! Try to get 20-emails uploaded! Fundraiser runs through 10/6

Smiley Invite - Varsity 4th, JV 9th

 Great day of racing at the Smiley Invite! The team awoke to storms and uncertainty Saturday morning but they were prepared to bring their best no matter what the course or mother nature had prepared for them. The JV team took to the course for the Spartan's first race of the day and were led by Andy who ran terrific 18:43 for his first ever sub 19 5k! Smiley is a tough course to PR on but after running hard in the middle of the race and with cooler weather, many of our runners ran their lifetime bests with Abhi, Ephraim, Levi, Miguel, Ethan, Eli B, Owen, Oliver K, Henry M, Devon, Luke S, Jacob S, Elias K, Ryan S, and Walter S all setting new PRs. All of these fantastic races added up to a 9th place finish, an improvement over 14th place from last year. Our JV kids have been working hard and this middle of the season can be tough...keep working hard, take care of your body, and huge PRs are on the horizon in the final month of the season.

The Spartan varsity runners continue to make leaps and bounds each week and Smiley was no different. New lifetime PRs by Charlie, Patrick, and Max led the way but all seven runners ran great providing the team with a 4th place finish, up from 6th last year. Will L-S was solid up-front again helping the team with a low stick and running a great time of 15:59. Berndt had his best race of the season so far and ran well under 17 minutes continuing to show his improvement. Anthony had a really impressive showing just off his best time from last year and earning a top 100 finish. 

RESULTS
Smiley Invitational

NEXT COMPETITION
Saturday September 26th
Midwest Invite @ Blackhawk GC in Janesville, WI (Course)

Bus - 6:45am

8:00am - Community Race

9:00am - First High School Race

9:35am - Blue JV Race (sub 21:30 racers)

10:45am - Varsity Race

12:00pm - White JV Race

Awards - Varsity = top 40 individuals & 3 teams, JV (both Blue & White) - top 30 individuals

Estimated return to Memorial is 3:00pm

*** Janesville is charging an entry fee for spectators. Adults = $6 Kids/Senior Citizens = $4 Under 6 years old = free...NO CASH purchase online at Janesville Craig High School Hosts the Midwest Cross Country Invitational - Cross Country - Sep 26, 2026 or with debit/credit card at the gate

For anyone in the community including parents, alumni, or coaches, we will be hosting a community open race before the races for the high school athletes begin at 8am. The cost is $20 and can be paid through the link above.

Parking is available at the Blackhawk Golf Course lots. There are roughly 75 spaces available and the lots are expected to close early. No buses are allowed in these lots. Palmer Park (north of Racine St.) and Palmer Dr., west of Sharon Rd., has space as well. These areas require a walk to the course, so plan accordingly. Please note Palmer Dr., between Racine St. and Sharon Rd. will be closed to traffic as the event begins at 8:00 AM. Golf cart shuttles are available from Palmer Park area (Racine St. and Palmer Dr. intersection). Additional parking is available at Dawson Field (920 Beloit Avenue) and at Craig High School (401 S Randall Avenue). There is a free shuttle bus that runs from Dawson Field to the meet beginning at 8 am.

Plan time for parking, walking to course, & paying admission!!

NEWS & NOTES

Take care of your health...sleep, eat healthy, hydrate, stretch, ice, sleep ;) and wash your hands

- For all the photographers - Upload pictures here https://photos.app.goo.gl/XCx5pYMw4uhwsVht8

- Sign up for meet snacks - https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C0948AEA72CA3FB6-65337408-memorial?useFullSite=false

- Snap Raise... Thank you everyone who has donated! Try to get 20-emails uploaded! Fundraiser runs through 10/6