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Beck brothers lead Iola-Scandinavia at Warhawk Invitational

Left to right: Daniel, Jack, Ben, Parker, and Nola Mae all medaled at the Weyauwega-Fremont meet. Photo courtesy Iola-Scandinavia Cross Country

The Iola-Scandinavia cross-country teams turned in solid performances Thursday, Oct. 9, at the Warhawk Invitational hosted by Weyauwega-Fremont High School, highlighted by a pair of top-12 varsity finishes from the Beck brothers.

In the varsity boys’ 5,000-meter race, Amherst captured the team title with 47 points, while Iola-Scandinavia placed fourth out of 11 teams with a total of 129 points. Berlin’s Thomas McCarthy won the individual race in 15 minutes, 54.7 seconds.

Leading the way for the Thunderbirds, senior Ben Beck earned a strong second-place finish with a time of 16:48.3. His brother, Jack Beck, followed with a 12th-place effort, clocking in at 18:24.0. Evan Linjer also contributed to the team’s top-four finish, placing 21st in 19:00.6.

The Iola-Scandinavia junior varsity boys also competed in the 5,000-meter division, where Zach Czajka of Wausau East took first with a time of 19:54.5. For the Thunderbirds, Nikkoli Dominguez finished 28th in 24:35.3, Brody Klemp placed 34th in 25:36.2, and Ethan Brown came in 38th at 29:49.4.

In the middle school boys’ two-mile race, Pacelli’s Ben Roltgen claimed the top spot in 11:59.6. Iola-Scandinavia placed six runners in the top 50. Parker Poehlman led the group with a 10th-place finish in 13:06.3, followed by Daniel Burns (15th, 13:12.2) and John Mork (17th, 13:17.3). Andy Holter (28th, 13:44.1), Jayden Perales (34th, 13:52.1), and Grayson Linjer (35th, 13:52.8) rounded out the team’s balanced showing.

On the girls’ side, Berlin took home the varsity team title with 34 points, while Iola-Scandinavia placed ninth out of 12 teams. Berlin’s Mariah Wondra was the individual champion with a winning time of 18:51.5.

For the Thunderbirds, Revyn Schrank finished 20th in 22:02.7, followed by Cedarlyn Otremba in 27th (22:35.4) and Paige Timdal in 43rd (23:37.4), all placing inside the top 50.

In the junior varsity girls’ race, Autumn Johnson of Berlin led the field with a time of 24:26.4. Iola-Scandinavia’s Hannah Olson placed 14th in 28:18.9, while Lydia Jones took 17th in 28:52.0.

The Thunderbirds’ middle school girls also made an impact. Misty Water Fish of Menominee Indian claimed first in 12:35.4, but Iola-Scandinavia’s Nola Mae Vater impressed with a 6th-place finish in 13:34.8. Lola Jones added a 24th-place effort in 14:54.0 to close out a strong day for the program across all divisions.