The DeForest Sectional was competed at Linde Soccer Complex to determine which 2 teams and 5 individuals would qualify for the WIAA State Championships. This sectional is annually the toughest sectional in the state and that included this season again. Our team looked to improve upon our performance from Conference and we hoped to keep our streak of individual qualifiers going to make the state meet. The runners were greeted by some late fall heat with temperatures approaching 70 and gusty winds ripping across the wide open fields. The course is a looped course that you do twice and provided many opportunities to see your competition. The standard for a qualifying team to state at this meet has been putting 5 runners under 17:30 and again that is what it took as West qualified with their 5th running 16:44 Middleton having 5 under 17:27. Verona just missed making it as a team by 2 points and their 5th crossed at 17:42. These 3 teams are probably 5 of the best teams in the state it will be exciting to see what they can do at state. Our team was looking to earn a 6th place finish, to accomplish this we would have to beat some teams who had beaten us earlier in the season. The second loop was tough for our guys but we pushed really hard to get to the finish. Jack G stepped up to be our #2 runner, followed by Tommy S and Alvaro S coming in within 25 seconds. Aatman ran a solid finish to be our 5th and final scorer. Finn & Alex came in before 5 teams other #5 runners helping us to beat those teams. Together our team scored 181 points earning a 6th place finish and accomplishing our goal for the day of finishing in the top half of the field. The other goal on the day landed on our #1 runner AJ who looked to earn a return trip to the State Meet. In our sectional this has required on average a 16:45 but is up in the air every year as you don't know the qualifying teams until the race is complete. Our sectional returned 4 individual qualifiers and had multiple new faces running fast times. AJ ran a smart first lap and started to pull away with the front group on the second lap. As we neared the finish he was locked in a battle for 7th place. Not knowing which teams were making it through, we wanted that 7th place (as each potential team had at least 1 runner ahead of AJ...2 would qualify as team runners...leaving AJ in the top 5 of individuals). AJ won that battle to the finish running 16:38 for 7th place. When the final results came in, we learned AJ was the 4th qualifying individual and continued the Madison Memorial streak of qualifying athletes to the state meet going.
RESULTS
DeForest Sectional
All WIAA Sectionals
NEXT COMPETITION
Saturday October 29th
WIAA State Championships @ Ridges GC in Wisconsin Rapids
Van - 10:30am
12:00pm - 1st Race
1:20pm - D1 Girls Race
3:10pm - D1 Boys Race (2021 Results) (AJ is in lane 27)
4:15pm - Awards - top 2 teams & 10 individuals
SPECTATOR INFORMATION
Come watch some great cross country & cheer on AJ at the WIAA State Meet
Tickets = $9 (+ processing fee)...must be purchased in advanced & on a mobile device
Parking & Shuttles = $5 per car --> Arrive early to park & ride shuttle to the course (come watch all the races too)
Course Map - HERE
Live Results - HERE (available the day of the meet)
NEWS & NOTES
Sectional runners...Monday practice = turn in uniforms, last chance mile, & run with AJ
All runners...get your $$ to captains for 2022 team shirts and coaches gifts
End of year awards ceremony will be Wed Nov 9th...more info to come soon via email
