Eagles’ girls win Oregon Grade Level Challenge

Sauk Prairie’s girls cross country team opened the season in style at the Oregon Grade Level Challenge last Saturday. The Eagles’ girls won both the junior/senior race and the freshman/sophomore race. In the junior/senior event, Sauk Prairie junior Charlotte Gregg won the race, completing the 5,000-meter course in 22 minutes, 14.23 seconds. Senior Lainey Dillon was third (23:07.91), junior Clarissa Brickl was fourth (23:12.13), junior Kylie Hutchins was fifth (24:13.21) and senior Katelyn Ullman was 13th (29:35.43). The Eagles finished with 22 points to outdistance runner-up Stoughton (33). “The group maintained a cohesive front-running pack,” Eagles’ coach Andy Sherman said. In the freshman/sophomore race, Eagles’ sophomore Aaliyah Bermudo was first in 23:07.78. Sophomore Savannah Liegel was second (23:08.96), sophomore Evelyn Bahe was third (23:09.48), freshman Maya Dischler was fifth (24:02.79) and sophomore Sophia Hanson was seventh (24:47.22). Sauk Prairie finished with just 18 points, well ahead of second place Oregon (56). “The girls’ team exhibited remarkable prowess, clinching both the varsity and junior varsity championships,” Sherman said. “Their pre-race strategy — emphasizing controlled pacing within individual capabilities — was executed with precision. Despite the team’s relative youth, their wealth of experience in executing race plans effectively was evident.” The Eagles’ boys were third in the junior/senior race. Oregon was first with 29 points, followed by Stoughton (50), Sauk Prairie (54) and Janesville Parker (108). Sauk Prairie junior Austin Smith was sixth (19:22.89), junior Jacob Wiegmann was seventh (19:25.42), senior John Fabian was 12th (19:57.23), junior Hunter Brensike was 15th (20:20.34) and senior Charlie Endres was 16th (20:33.54). In the freshman/sophomore race, Eagles’ sophomore Alex Sibila-Ott was 14th (22:33.99), while sophomore Aaron Clement was 19th (23:33.82). Sophomore Logan Sorg was 20th (23:40.15) and sophomore Drake Brensike was 22nd (23:44.59). “The boys’ team demonstrated promising potential,” Sherman said. “While numerically small, the team is poised to gain invaluable experience in high-caliber meets throughout the season. The coaching staff anticipates significant cohesion and improvement over the coming months, setting the stage for a potentially landmark season for the program.”