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MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U GAME OF THE WEEK (Cross Country): SWC Championship Meet
Lancaster girls win second straight SWC cross country title
Lancaster XC girls team
Lancaster sophomore Maddie Driscoll (middle) led the Flying Arrows to a second-straight SWC title last Thursday while winning the individual conference title. (From left) Katie Murphy (7467), Aubrie Stader (7471), Jenna Muench (7466) and Lexi Olmstead (7469), and not pictured Lexi Olmstead and Sara McWilliams were part of the Lancaster championship team. - photo by A.J. Gates

MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U.COM GAME OF THE WEEK (Oct. 14–21)
CROSS COUNTRY: SWAL CHAMPIONSHIP MEET

By A.J. Gates, Herald Independent / Tri-Country Press

Lancaster girls win second straight SWC cross country title
PLATTEVILLE — When Lancaster sophomore Maddie Driscoll crossed the finish line at last Thursday’s Southwest Wisconsin Conference Championship, she looked as if she had concluded just another run through the park.

In reality, Driscoll cruised to capturing the individual SWC title with a time of 19:19.5, which was a full 30 seconds faster than the second-place finisher and senior teammate Kylie Olmstead, who had a time of 19:49.4.

With Driscoll finishing first and Olmstead second, the Lancaster girls’ cross country team also got a fifth-place finish from junior Katie Murphy (20:30.2), an eighth-place finish from senior Sara McWilliams (21:02.9) and a 12th-place finish from freshman Lexi Olmstead (21:20.0), to capture the SWC team title with a score of 28.

Lancaster’s domination was evident by the 26 points that separated them and the second-place team from Dodgeville/Mineral Point.

For the Lady Arrows, it was the program’s seventh conference title in the past 11 seasons, and the second in a row.

On the boys’ side, Lancaster junior Marshall Harris finished seventh of 42 total competitors with a time of 16:56.0. He was followed by senior teammate Nathan Koeller in 25th (19:05.9), junior Jon Lindholm in 27th (19:20.1), junior Seaver Sperle in 29th (19:21.4) and freshman Cooper Graney in 32nd (19:53.5).

The boys’ team title was won by Richland Center/Ithaca with a score of 32, while the Flying Arrows finished fifth at 120. Richland Center/Ithaca freshman Owen Drier wont he individual boys’ title with a time of 15:53.6.

While the Lancaster boys will next compete at the D3 Prairie du Chien Sectional on Saturday, the Lancaster girls will compete at the D2 Deerfield/Cambridge Sectional on Friday.

In both cases, the top two teams will advance to the WIAA State Meet, along with the first five individuals who are not members of a qualifying team.

The WIAA State Meet will be held on Saturday, Nov. 1, in Wisconsin Rapids.

SWC Championship Meet
(from Thursday, Oct. 16, at Platteville)
Boys
Team scores - 1. Richland Center/Ithaca 32; 2. Dodgeville/Mineral Point 45; 3. Platteville 83; 4. Prairie du Chien 109; 5. Lancaster 120; 6. River Valley 146.
Top finishers from Lancaster
7. Marshall Harris 16:56.0; 25. Nathan Koeller 19:05.9; 27. Jon Lindholm 19:20.1; 29. Seaver Sperle 19:21.4; 32. Cooper Graney 19:53.5; 36. Max Baudhuin 20:40.5; 39. Brody Moore 21:43.6.
Girls
Team scores - 1. Lancaster 28; 2. Dodgeville/Mineral Point 54; 3. Platteville 69; 4. River Valley 97; 5. Richland Center/Ithaca 137; 6. Prairie du Chien 138.
Top finishers from Lancaster
1. Maddie Driscoll 19:19.5; 2. Kylie Olmstead 19:49.4; 5. Katie Murphy 20:30.2; 8. Sara McWilliams 21:02.9; 12. Lexie Olmstead 21:20.0; 17. Aubrie Stader 22:09.3; 20. Jenna Muench 22:32.5.