MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U.COM GAME OF THE WEEK (Oct. 27–Nov. 2)
CROSS COUNTRY: WIAA Division 3 State Championships
By A.J. Gates, Herald Independent
Southwestern/Benton girls win Division 3 Cross Country team title
WISCONSIN RAPIDS – All season long, the Southwestern/Benton girls’ cross country team has shown that they are one of the top teams in southwest Wisconsin.
Last Saturday, with a first-place finish at the Division 3 State Cross Country Championships in Wisconsin Rapids, coach Paul Reynolds’ squad has now shown that they are the top D3 team in the entire state.
“This year has ben nothing short of spectacular,” said coach Reynolds. “Each girl ran a great race, not giving up.”
“The race was close the whole way, but our team kept moving towards the front, and that’s what helped us win,” added Reynolds.
With a team score of 112, the Southwestern/Benton girls finished eight points ahead of second-place Phillips and 14 points ahead of third-place Lomira.
It is the second girls’ state cross country title for Southwestern, who combined with Cuba City in 1997 to win the division 2 girls’ state title.
Leading the pack last Saturday in Wisconsin Rapids was Southwestern sophomore Mackenzie Knuckey, who finished as the individual D3 state champion with a time of 18:49.4.
While she is not the first individual state champion in program history, Knuckey became Southwestern’s first-ever female individual state champion.
Kayci Martensen, who was from Benton, and ran for the Southwestern/Benton/Cuba City co-op, claimed the D2 state individual championship in 2021.
Close behind Knuckey in Saturday’s race was junior teammate Maci Reichmann, who finished fourth of 145 competing runners with a time of 18:57.4.
“It was so good watching her run that race and fighting for her place, and to have her teammate up there pushing her meant a lot for both of them,” Reynolds said of Mackenzie and Maci.
“With Mackenzie and Maci leading the way, both of these girls set the pace for the rest of the team to follow and that was what they did,” Reynolds added.
Coming in at 29th place was senior Paisley Williams with a time of 20:10.7, and was followed by freshman Avery Knuckey in 62nd (21:03.9), freshman Lilly Kaiser in 96th (22:24.1) and junior Avery Hahn in 120th (23:20.2).
“Paisley ran one of her best races for the year, and Avery Knuckey followed her lead and did not give up,” said coach Reynolds. “Lilly and Avery Hahn also ran great races.”
“Winning this title with a young team is hard to believe. We are going to miss Paisley next year, but the rest will be back,” added coach Reynolds.
Also competing at last Saturday’s state meet as the lone representative of the Southwestern/Benton boys’ team was junior Josh Richardson, who finished 24th overall with a time of 17:02.1.
For Richardson, it is his third trip to the state meet, where he finished 43rd (17:25.1) as a freshman and 21st (17:01.1) as a sophomore.
“He kept his race quiet and ran a good race,” said coach Reynolds of Richardson. “It was hard when the first 10 got out and pulled away a little, and for Josh it was hard to stay with them. He ran a good race and should be proud to finish his junior year at state, where he was able to be there for three years in a row.”
WIAA Division 3 State Cross Country Championship
(from Saturday, Oct. 31 at the Ridges Golf Course, Wisconsin Rapids)
Girls
Team scores - 1.Southwestern/Benton 112; 2.Phillips 120; 3.Lomira 126; 4.Dodgeland 149; 5.Fennimore 153; 6.Valders 158; 7.Brillion 162; 8.Cameron 176; 9. Lena 230; 10.Stanley-Boyd 278; 11.Brookfield Academy 278; 12.Boyceville 282; 13.Solon Springs 293; 14.Auburndale 296; 15.The Prairie School 329; 16.Rosholt 353.
Top finishers from Southwestern/Benton
- Mackenzie Knuckey 18:49.4; 4. Maci Reichmann 18:57.4; 29. Paisley Williams 20:10.7; 62. Avery Knuckey 21:03.9; 96. Lilly Kaiser 22:24.1; 120. Avery Hahn 23:20.2.
Boys
Team scores - 1.Marathon 102; 2.Brookwood 108; 3.Phillips 150; 4.Cadott 151; 5. Fennimore 179; 6.Madison Country Day 170; 7. Ozaukee 187; 8.Assumption 190; 9. Sheboygan Lutheran 195; 10.Weyauwega-Fremont 233; 11.Stratford 248; 12.Albany 270; 13.Mondovi 272; 14.Grantsburg 286; 15.Amherst 334; 16.Bonduel 356.
Top finishers from Southwestern/Benton
24. Josh Richardson 17:02.1.
