gaylordhub.com

The season is off and running for Sibley East’s cross country teams. After a week of training, Mike Vrklan’s Wolverine harriers competed in an eight team scrimmage Monday at the Ney Center near Henderson.

BOYS

Andrew Thies highlighted action for Sibley East by finishing first in the 98-runner boys’ competition. Thies, a freshman, completed the hilly 5,000 meter course in 19:41.

Sibley East sophomore Eric Schultz placed 13th (21:13) while freshman Mitch Setterman (23:14) and senior Sam Kluver (25:50) finished 34th and 58th respectively.

Todd Pioske and Noah Tackmann led the Wolverine boys in Junior Varsity action placing 47th and 94th respectively. Sibley East’s Nick Bruss, a seventh-grader, placed 11th in the 70-runner Junior High race.

Although it lost its standout runner Eric Thies to graduation, Sibley East’s boys’ cross country team has plenty of veterans returning.

Letterwinners returning include senior captain Sam Kluver, sophomores Joram Boehning and Eric Schultz, and freshman Andrew Thies. Ninth-grader Mitch Setterman will round out the Sibley East varsity team, according to coach Vrklan. Setterman, Todd Pioske, Han Kim and Nick Bruss are first year runners for the Wolverines.

“We have a great group of rookies to complement our returning veterans,” Vrklan said. “I’m looking forward to a successful season. This is a hard working group.”

GIRLS

All five Sibley East Lady Wolverines finished in the top half of the standings at Monday’s scrimmage.

Eighth-grader Hannah Miner led the charge for Sibley East. She finished the 4,000 meter course in 19:10 and finished fifth overall.

Sophomore Katie Anderson also broke the 20-minute mark. She placed 14th with a time of 19:46.

It was a pack of Wolverines finishing 34th, 35th and 36th. This group included Becky Eustis (21:22), Sarah Hendrycks (21:28) and Rachel Ling (21:32).

Seventh-grader Marissa Hendrycks led Sibley East in the 1600 meter Junior High race. She placed 9th with a time of 9:37. Hannah Hendrycks and Sonja Sprandel finished 10th and 11th respectively in the Junior High competition.

Letterwinners returning for the Lady Wolverines this season include captains Eustis and Anderson and ninth-graders Ling and Sarah Hendrycks. Vrklan said “strong rookie runner” Hannah Miner will complete the varsity roster.

Sibley East’s cross country teams have logged more than 65 training miles and are “off to a great start,” Vrklan said.

The Wolverine harriers will officially kick off its 2007 campaign with a meet at Montgomery on Thursday, September 6th.