Veteran CG-Belgium teams win twice

Experience is a plus for the Cedar Grove-Belgium High School boys’ and girls’ cross country teams this season, and both are off to hot starts.

The boys return five of their top seven runners. The Rockets took fourth at the Kiel Sub-Sectional last season, 15 points out of second place and advancing to state as a team.

They are led by junior Mason Hoopman, who finished 33rd of 113 runners at the Division 2 state meet last season.

“He and I are expecting a similar drop in time that he experienced last year, which should put him in the top five at conference,” coach Brandon Langer said.

Senior Alex Nett “has put in quite a few miles over the summer and has looked solid during some summer road races and early season workouts,” Langer said.

Michael Kuerschner comes off a solid freshman season.

“I am expecting those three to lead the boys,” Langer said.

Senior Cole Ketterhagen battled cramping and breathing issues last fall, “which we believe we have a handle on, and he should be in our top five,” Langer said.

Freshman Will Huenink, he said, “has looked strong so far after a solid eighth-grade season, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him factor into our team scoring.”

Senior Logan Depies, one of last year’s top seven, is back and looking to make a jump up.

Langer would like to see all the boys travel in a group.

“Pack running will be key, which is something we have been stressing throughout the first week of practice,” he said.

Konzak, Heimerman to lead the girls

For the Rocket girls, junior Faith Konzak is back after barely missing the state meet last season, finishing sixth and six seconds behind the fifth-place runner at the sectional.

Sophmore Hadley Heimerman is back after leading the team in most meets last year. She developed a stitch in the sub-sectional, finished 15th and didn’t advance.

Other returners include senior Lyndsay Sass, junior Allie Jaworski and sophomores Elise Brill and Mallory Arroyo.

The Rockets lost Big East All-Conference runner Cheyenne Simonet to graduation.

Konzak, Sass, Brill and Heimerman come off successful running in spring.

“I believe that the success they had in track in the spring by advancing to the state meet in the 4x800 (relay) will serve them well this fall,” Langer said.

Like any cross country team, Langer said, the key is pack running “and getting our fifth runner as close to our fourth as possible.”

Team goals include a conference title and trip to the state meet, “and they seem extremely motivated after last season as they had to adjust to moving up a division due to Covid changes to the WIAA postseason,” Langer said.

Boys, girls win first meets of season

The Rocket girls won the five-team Kettle Moraine Invite last Thursday with 34 points, in humid conditions, topping Winnebago Lutheran Academy’s 47, Dedicated Athletes Schooled at Home (DASH)’s 73, the host’s 88 and Campbellsport’s 101.

The Rocket boys won with 44 points, edging Campbellsport’s 48. DASH had 59, KML had 80 and Winnebago Lutheran Academy had 120.

For the girls, Konzak finished the 5,000-meter course in fourth (second of those with full teams) in 23 minutes, 50.7 seconds, outkicking her teammate in the final 800 meters. Heimerman was fifth (third) in 23:55.66, and Sass was sixth (fourth) in 24:20.4.

Brill was ninth (seventh) in 25:04.94. Langer said the heat may have gotten to her but she still managed to finish in the top 10. Mallory Arroyo was 22nd (18th) in 27:41.85, dropping a minute from the meet last year.

For the boys, Hoopman led from start to finish and won the race in 18:43.82.

“The lead he had at the mile mark stayed fairly consistent the entire race, though there was a point before the two-mile mark that looked like the runner up was closing, but Mason never let him get too close and closed well to earn the victory,” Langer said.

Huenink was a pleasant surprise in finishing fifth (third) in 19:35.81, Langer said.

“Once he gets a couple of races under him, I know his confidence in his abilities will grow,” he said.

Nett was seventh (fifth) in 19:53.14. Kuerschner was 13th (10th) in 20:29.73, and Depies was 30th (25th) in 22:40.73.

“For both teams, pack running will be vital. However, the bigger key this year will be closing the gap between our No. 4 and our No. 5, which was over two minutes for both the boys and girls,” Langer said.

“ If they continue to work and improve each day, I know that gap will narrow as the season progresses. But in terms of starting the season, this is a nice confidence booster.”

The Rockets run at Kiel on Thursday, Sept. 2.