RHS girls 5th, boys 6th

STAR JOURNAL REPORT

Rhinelander High School senior girls cross country runner Alayna Franson recorded her sixth runner-up finish of the season at Saturday’s Great Northern Conference meet hosted by Northland Pines High School.

Franson placed second in 19 minutes, 31.6 seconds, with Lakeland Union High School sophomore Ashley Peterson winning the 5,000-meter race in 19:08.8. Medford sophomore Franny Seidel finished third in 19:35.9.

The Hodag girls’ other four runners whose finishes counted toward the team’s fifth-place score of 114 points included: senior Anna Sturzl, 16^th in 21:06.6; freshman Abigale Henrichs, 26^th in 22:11.8; sophomore Valarie Dalka, 31^st in 22:30.4; and junior Claire Bowman, 39^th in 23:42.

Medford won the girls conference team title with 39 points, followed by LUHS (46), Mosinee (101), Tomahawk (105), RHS (114), Antigo (155) and Northland Pines (158).

LUHS BOYS WIN GNC TITLE

The Hodags’ Markus Johnson (355) and Daniel Ritchie (357) compete among a group of runners in Saturday’s Great Northern Conference meet.

The top-two teams were reversed for the boys race with LUHS winning the conference title with 51 points, followed by Medford (57), Northland Pines (84), Tomahawk (101), Mosinee (111), RHS (119) and Antigo (168).

The Thunderbirds also had the top-two individual finishers with seniors Kav FitzPatrick finishing first in 15:56.4 and Darius Diver placing second in 16:15.5. Medford senior Trey Ulrich was third 16:23.4.

The Hodags’ top finishers placed 15-17th with sophomore Daniel Ritchie, senior Markus Johnson and junior Bridger Flory having respective times of 17:36, 17:49 and 17:51.8. RHS’s other two finishers who counted toward the team score included freshmen JC Adams and Jacob Weddle, who placed 35-36th, respectively, in times of 18:58.8 and 19:00.

Up next for the Hodags is the WIAA Division 2 Sectional being held this coming Saturday at Waupaca.