WISCONSIN RAPIDS — Taylor Wardall of Appleton East had designs on taking the top spot on the awards podium following the WIAA Division 1 state cross country boys' race at The Ridges Golf Course on Saturday.

For the first two miles of the race, Wardall went stride-for-stride with five other runners and in front at the two-mile mark. If only the race had ended then.

"I ran as hard as I could, as gutsy as I could," Wardall said after finishing sixth with a time of 16:08, 27 seconds behind champion Marcus Paulson of Hamilton. "I could barely get going at the end. I tried as best I could."

Wardall hoped he had a strong finishing kick.

"I just wanted to stick with them on the back stretch and then out kick them at the end but it didn't work out," he said. "I've got the track season now and I'll do better in the track season because that's the type of runner I am."

Wardall found some solace in finishing higher this year than in 2008, when he placed 16th.

"I did better here than last year, at least," Wardall said. "I had a tough year battling injuries. I missed a few meets and I think that caught up with me today. I'll get it back in the track season."

They're all fast: Kaukauna's Megan Stenz is used to being a lead runner but it's different at the state meet, with No. 1 runners often having to fight their way through the pack.

"Being able to come here and experience this for every year of high school helped me to see that," said Stenz, who finished 12th in the Division 1 race. "I kind of knew that coming into it. You have to know coming into the race that you're not going to be able to run away from everyone else.

"It was a good race to finish with."

Let's get physical: Cody Kurscheidt of Chilton had hoped for a top-10 finish in the Division 2 race. He had to settle for 17th place, with a time of 16:54.

"I ran my hardest and that's all I can ask for," said the three-time state meet competitor.

Kurscheidt got knocked into to a tree during the race.

"I didn't get out as quick as I wanted to," he said. "I got boxed in and I went for a pass. Someone threw an elbow and I got pushed into a tree. It's just a battle out there and you have to deal with it."

Wait till next year: Three freshmen girls should be served well by their state meet experience.

Chilton freshmen Kristin Linzmeier and Amber Schmitz finished 14th and 32nd, with times of 15:42 and 15:58, respectively, while Fox Valley Lutheran's Mikayla Burnett also turned in a time of 15:58.

Luck of the Irish: At the Eastern Valley Conference meet on Oct. 17, the observation was made that the state cross country meet could turn out to be a battle of the healthiest.

The Irish, who finished sixth with 184 points, got Kylee Verhasselt back from injury in time for the sectional meet, but for the state meet, the various bugs going around landed in Freedom, according to Irish runner Alison Bos.

"Considering that some of us have been sick and hurt, that didn't help much," Bos said. "We still did the best we could. This time the best wasn't good enough but next time I'm sure we'll do better."

Bos said her initial experience of running in a state meet was not much different that any other meets.

"It was just a little bit more challenging than some," she said. "Next year, we will have more experience."

Last hurrah: The final cross country race in the prep careers of Clintonville's April Hanson and Seymour's Alaina Murphy didn't go as planned.

"It was horrible," Hanson, the Eastern Valley Conference meet champion said. "Kind of sick so I just couldn't pull it off."

It became a matter of fighting through it.

"I felt like I wanted to give up in the beginning," Hanson said about her 17th-place finish.

Murphy, who dealt with bronchitis during the week, finished 39th.

"I think I was stressed out about that (bronchitis), worrying about that," she said. "In the race, I just felt tired. It wasn't a great day for me."

Looking ahead: Hilbert's Mitch Lacy finished 15th in the Division 3 boys' race, with a time of 17:05.

Not bad for a person who prefers track.

"It went a little faster than I would like," Lacy said. "I'm more of a track guy so I can't hold that pace for very long. It was a fun race. Ridges is a perfect course so it was just fun, I guess."

His strategy for the race was simple.

"Well, it's my last race so I might just as well go all out," he said. "I'm looking forward to track."

DIVISION 2

SHOREWOOD 81, NEKOOSA/PORT EDWARDS 92, WISCONSIN LUTHERAN 117, OCONTO FALLS 152, PEWAUKEE 154, McFARLAND 179, NEW GLARUSMONTICELLO 180, LUXEMBURG-CASCO 240, WESTBY 244, LITTLE CHUTE 248, KIEL 251, TOMAHAWK 267, ASHLAND 275, NORTHWESTERN 284, RIPON 291, CLINTON 357

Top ten runners: 1, John Luterbach CATHOLIC MEMORIAL 15:46; 2, Peter Drews SHO 15:55; 3, Alec Holguin CUDAHY 16:07; 4, Jacob Peterson N/PE 16:15; 5, Matt McKenna MADISON EDGEWOOD 16:17; 7, Andrew Rohlman OSCEOLA 16:19; 8, Ryan McCoy NG/M 16:25; 9, Travis Beutler NG/M 16:30; 10, Ben Tyler SHO 16:35.

Area finishers

Brillion: 54, Tyler Behnke 17:35.

Chilton: 17, Cody Kurscheidt 16:54.

Clintonville: 53, Jason Wilson 17:35; 103, Tyler Sawall 18:15.

Little Chute: 23, Paul Grinsven 17:02; 68, Willy Reybrock 17:44; 86, Scott Van Dyn Hoven 17:59; 113, Alex Bons 18:22; 119, Spencer Grundy 18:26.

Waupaca: 38, Zach Wheeler 17:19.

Xavier: 20, Andrew Heinritz 17:00; 27, Tyler Willenbrink 17:07.

DIVISION 3

CEDAR GROVE-BELGIUM 68, THE PRAIRIE SCHOOL 76, SEVASTOPOL 112, WEBSTER 123, AQUINAS 161, ROSHOLT 175, BROOKFIELD ACADEMY 197, ALBANY 230, OSHKOSH LOURDES 232, SHEBOYGAN AREA UTHERAN 237, CHEQUAMEGON 247, DARLINGTON 295, DRUMMOND298, McDONNELL CENTRAL 301, BLAIR-TAYLOR 312, MARATHON 390

Top ten runners: 1, Josh Mulloy CG-B 16:15; 2, Sam Simones AQU 16:30; 3, Jack Taylor WEB 16:33; 4, Derek Johnsrud RIO/FALL RIVER 16:34; 5, James Heroux SEV 16:37; 6, Nathan Heppe BROOKEFIELD ACADEMY 16:38; 7, Cole Vanderleest SEV 16:40; 8, Joel Merritt CG-B 16:45; 9, Alex Faber EDGAR 16:53; 10, Carl Holborn TPS 16:56.

Area runners

Hilbert: 15, Mitch Lacy 17:05; 69, Josh Morrison 17:59.

DIVISION 2

PEWAUKEE 62, WISCONSIN LUTHERAN 134, LUXEMBURG-CASCO 143, SHOREWOOD 147, CATHOLIC MEMORIAL 180, FREEDOM 184, DODGEVILLE/MINERAL POINT 189, NORTHWESTERN 197, WESTBY 207, NOTRE DAME 224, TOMAHAWK 262, KIEL 279, NEW GLARUS/MONTICELLO 295, MAYVILLE 306, WEST SALEM 246, RICE LAKE 360

Top ten runners: 1, Marya Haegler WINNEBAGO LUTHERAN 14:33; 2, Hannah Frett PEW 15:04; 3, Morgan Sickels CM 15:05; 4, Shannon Nemetz DENMARK 15:07; 5, Allyson Daines WeSTBY 15:10; 6, Tricia Serres PLATTEVILLE 15:12; 7, Rachel Sudbury TOM 15:24; 8, Emily Bacchhuber SHO 15:26; 9, Taylor Hickey WISCONSIN DELLS 15:33; 10, Jaden Roddick SPARTA 15:33.

Area runners

Chilton: 14, Kristin Linzmeier 15:42; 32, Amber Schmitz 15:58.

Clintonville: 17, April Hanson 15:47

Fox Valley Lutheran: 31, Mikayla Burnett 15:58.

Freedom: 20, Kaitlynn McCluskey 15:50; 47, Liz Bloy 16:09; 58, Alison Bos 16:24; 87, Taylor Woelz 16:48; 92, Jamie Schuh 16:51.

Seymour: 39, Alaina Murphy 16:01.

Winneconne: 114, Katie Brooks 17:15.

DIVISION 3

EDGAR 107, CEDAR GROVE-BELGIUM 108, SHEBOYGAN AREA LUTHERAN 133, COLFAX 134, OSHKOSH LOURDES 146, BOSCOBEL 184, FREDERIC 227, PITTSVILLE 228, THREE LAKES 236, LAONA/WABENO 237, THE PRAIRIE SCHOOL 240, AQUINAS 246, DARLINGTON 258, LAKE COUNTRY LUTHERAN 317, FLAMBEAU 330, BRUCE 351

Top ten runners: 1, Molly Seidel UNIVERSITY LAKE SCHOOL 14:33; 2, Sarah McMahon COL 15:02; 3, Maddy Haupert AQU 15:03; 4, Danica Harrison AUBURNDALE 15:26; 5, Elisa Caminiti WISCONSIN HEIGHTS 15:28; 6, Breanna Colbenson SPRING VALLEY 15:28; 7, Marina Paul CG-B 15:37; 8, Elizabeth Pospyhalla EDG 15:46; 9, Katie Dubiak SHORELAND LUTHERAN 15:47; 10, Sara Hasenjager SEVASTOPOL 15:51.

No area runners

Jim Oskola: joskola@postcrescent.com or 920-993-1000, ext. 1-230.