STAR JOURNAL REPORT

An incident involving a member of the Rhinelander High School cross country team last week has led to changes in the way the team practices.

According to a letter to parents written by district activities director Brian Paulson, while the team was running their four and six mile runs, a man driving a truck with a camper stopped at a stop sign going the opposite direction and asked one of the runners if they would like a ride. The runner reportedly said no and continued running. Paulson stated that another team member and a coach were not far behind, and neither saw the incident, which was reported to the coaches after practice.

Coaches then notified the student’s parents; the Rhinelander Police Department, activities director, superintendent and cross country families were also informed of what took place.

“This incident brought to our attention the need to take safety precautions for our athletes when they are running and are off school grounds,” Paulson wrote in the letter.

Members of the cross country teams are now required to run in groups of two to three at all times. The middle school runners will continue to run as a large group. The students have also been encouraged to carry their cell phones and have been provided personal protection devices, which are handheld alarms.

“We understand cross country is a very dynamic sport, and represents a different set of safety concerns and we have worked to address these concerns,” Paulson concluded.