Janesville Midwest Invitational

September 25, 2023

This past Saturday, the Dodge-Point boys and girls cross country teams took part in the Janesville Midwest Invitational. This invitational features 50 teams from across Wisconsin and other bordering states. The meet is so large, in fact, that there are four JV races, each featuring between 300 and 500 runners. In total, 2,022 high school runners crossed the finish line. With more than 6,500 people present at the race, the line for the bathrooms was a confirmed 25 minutes long (longer than it took any of the Dodge-Point varsity boys or girls to cross the finish line).

The JV girls “blue race” was the first race of the day. To qualify for the girls blue race, runners had to have at least one sub-26 minute race recorded this season. Addison Christopher finished 19th, a great accomplishment in a very competitive 264-girl race. Next came Brienna Wasley in 40th. Faye Schuette and Chloe Eastman ran most of the race together per usual and finished in 64th and 73rd respectively. Next came Ava McDonald (91), Sierra Davenport (96), Emma Giddings (130), and Elodie Regnier (137). Breken Blackford-Hesselberg and Madi Bakken ran practically hand-in-hand once again, earning them 214th and 215th. Finishing out the “blue” JV was Brooke Paynter in 248th.

Next came the JV boys “blue race.” To qualify for this race, runners had to have at least one sub-24 minute race recorded this season. Johnny Robinson became victim to the stampede-like first mile of the race when he took a tumble and hit his head on the ground. However, he got back up quickly and ended with a PR (personal record). His comeback earned him 160th in a race with 483 boys competing. The rest of the team includes Rhet Spurley (210), Elliot Hesseling (475), and Carson Schroeder (476).

The girls varsity race began after the “blue” JV teams finished. Ellie and Annie Robinson finished close together with Ellie in 5th and Annie in 8th. Annie has been working hard this season to keep the gap between her sister and her to a minimum, and her work is paying off. Next came Payton Christopher, a first-time third runner on the team, in 63rd. Grace Wersal (70) kept Christopher in her sights, Regan Schuette (83) attempted to stick with Wersal as much as possible, and Lilly Houtakker (98) and Abbey Ludwig (99) kept an eye on Schuette for the duration of the race. This race produced the smallest gaps between the final five varsity girls, something that coaches Denny McGraw and Joe Hanson have been hoping for all season.

As the girls were finishing, the boys varsity was warming up to get limber for their race. Layne Aurit deserves a huge shoutout for breaking the 16-minute 5k for the first time in his cross-country career. This is a feat that most high school runners can barely even dream of achieving. Aurit’s spectacular run earned him 12th in a 325-man race. Contrary to the usual lineup of Dodge-Point scorers, Gabe Engel finished second on the team and 86th overall. Next came the team’s usual third runner, Cody Yoder of Dodgeville, in 109th. Rounding out the boys varsity were Ethan Hook (128), Parker Owens (153), Alex LaMere (200), and Jesse Yoder (211).
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The last race for the Dodge-Point team was the “white” JV girls. Olivia Wilson led the JV “white” team in 106th place. Hayden Bakken finished close behind in 112th place only 6 seconds behind Wilson. Jerrie Jo Johnson (120) and Madelyn McWilliams (127) also worked together and were exactly 10 seconds apart. The final finishers on the Dodge-Point team for the day were Jadyn Swinehart (142), veteran runner Katie Kramer (163), and Reese Meudt (184). Alyson Melssen had an impeccable finish in 229th place. Finishing off the Dodge-Point athletes that day was Brynnlin Cartwright in 251st place.