Local runners deliver strong performances at Jim Newman Invitational

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – With teams from across Wisconsin converging on Wisconsin Rapids for the Jim Newman Invitational, area cross-country runners turned in a series of strong performances Saturday at the meet hosted by Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High School.
Assumption led the local teams in the boys varsity standings, placing fourth with 141 points. Lincoln finished eighth with 183 points, while Port Edwards was represented by several individual finishers. On the girls side, Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln placed seventh with 193 points, highlighted by Mackenzie Keip’s top-25 finish.
The invitational featured a deep field, with Stevens Point capturing the boys varsity team title and Manitowoc Lincoln taking the girls championship.
Assumption boys take fourth behind strong front runners
Assumption put together one of the day’s strongest local team performances, finishing fourth among 12 scoring teams with 141 points.

Sophomore Michael Dolan led the Royals, crossing the finish line fifth overall in 16 minutes, 19.3 seconds. Junior Reed Hartjes followed closely in eighth at 16:37.0, giving Assumption two runners in the top 10.
Freshman Dominic Schoenick placed 30th in 18:04.4, while senior Aiden Daliege finished 38th in 18:30.2. Freshman Logan Breu rounded out the Royals’ top five, placing 67th in 19:45.3.
Assumption’s five scoring runners finished within a span of just over three minutes, helping the Royals secure a fourth-place team finish behind Stevens Point, Marshfield and Wausau West.
Michael Peters added a 77th-place finish in 21:00.0, while Harrison Zacher placed 79th in 21:39.8.
Lincoln boys show depth on their home course
Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln finished eighth in the boys varsity standings with 183 points, led by junior Brendan Overturf’s 32nd-place finish in 18:05.4.
Junior Jacob Hilgers was close behind, finishing 34th in 18:15.0. The Red Raiders continued to pack their scoring runners together, with Eli Hoffman placing 40th in 18:37.0 and Carter Braund 41st in 18:38.2.
Isaiah Strehlau finished 46th in 18:47.9, followed by Jonathan Duerr in 56th at 19:02.3. Oliver Hoffman placed 64th in 19:37.2, and Nolan Braund finished 68th in 19:48.0.
Lincoln’s five scoring runners finished within 43 seconds of one another, providing a consistent team effort against a competitive field.
Keip leads Lincoln girls
The Lincoln girls varsity team placed seventh with 193 points, led by senior Mackenzie Keip, who finished 23rd overall in 21:00.2.
Freshman Eisley Borek was the next Red Raider across the line, placing 43rd in 22:52.1. Senior Amaya Lee followed in 49th at 23:16.3, with freshman Abigail Barker finishing 52nd in 23:37.5.
Junior Charlie Michalsen placed 53rd in 23:40.3, giving Lincoln five scoring runners within 2 minutes, 41 seconds of Keip’s time.
Emma Hilgers finished 58th in 24:04.1, while Grace Sydorowicz placed 59th in 25:15.3 and Cortlyn Young finished 62nd in 25:32.2.
Assumption girls gain valuable experience
Assumption’s girls were led by sophomore Ellie Graumann, who finished 35th in 22:16.6. Senior Callie Schoenick followed in 37th with a time of 22:23.3, putting the two Royals within seven seconds of one another.
Junior Emmercyn Breu placed 64th in 26:19.1, while senior Emily Mrozek finished 67th in 28:01.3.
With four runners completing the varsity race, Assumption did not appear in the published girls varsity team standings, which listed eight scoring teams. Nevertheless, Graumann and Schoenick provided the Royals with two finishers in the top 40.
Port Edwards represented by a determined group
Port Edwards runners also made their mark in the boys varsity race.
Senior Kaden Dassow led the Blackhawks, finishing 28th overall in 17:59.0. Brody Krueger followed in 83rd in 22:23.3, with freshman Campbell O’Connor close behind in 85th at 22:33.0. Wesley Detlefsen rounded out the Port Edwards varsity finishers in 91st place in 24:16.8.
Port Edwards also had three runners complete the boys junior varsity race. Senior Griffin Tranel finished 121st in 26:29.9, followed by Carter Doran in 127th at 28:01.5 and Caden Isaacson in 131st at 29:23.9.
The Blackhawks did not have enough varsity finishers to appear in the published team standings, but Dassow’s sub-18-minute performance provided a strong individual result against the large field.