Improvement crucial to Panthers’ CC hopes

PLYMOUTH – If the Nos. 3-7 runners step up and make key contributions, the Plymouth Panthers’ boys and girls cross country teams could be looking at another successful season.

The PHS program has one of its best turnouts ever with a total of 58 runners – 29 on each squad – that provides important in-team competition. The boys and girls are coming off an outstanding 2009 season as they swept the Eastern Wisconsin Conference championships and combined for five first-place finishes in other meets.

GIRLS PREVIEW

The Panthers, who are the three-time defending EWC champions, are led by junior standouts Niki Rhyan and Haley Johnson. Rhyan won EWC and Division 1 sectional titles and earned all-state second-team honors with a career-best 15 minutes, 11.3 seconds at state which gave her 13th place.

Johnson placed third in the EWC meet and also qualified for state for the second straight year along with Rhyan.

“We have another very large turnout with 29 runners. We hope to have a quality top seven by October,” said Jay Grosshuesch who’s in his 21st season as the Panthers’ head coach.

“We only graduated five girls from last year’s team, and only one (Jo Jo Prahl) that was in our top five, so we do have plenty of quality runners back from last year.

“Haley and Niki will give us some real strength at the top of each race. We look for them to be our leaders again this fall.”

Grosshuesch is counting on other varsity returnees – Hannah Klecka, Johanna Schmidt, Emma Roy, Hannah Ruetten and Christina Schicker – to make key contributions to the squad along with others.

He said the top prospects among the newcomers are juniors Jenni Rathsack and Taylor Konz, and freshman Mikaela Holdridge.

“We are fortunate to have a team of quality young ladies who are working hard and have a positive attitude. Our key season goal is to have each girl improve and if that happens our season will be successful,” Grosshuesch said.

“An area we would like to improve is the quality of our second tier of runners. We expect Niki and Haley to place real well. If we can give them strong support, we could be a nice team.”

The coach thinks Kiel will be very tough in the EWC and Two Rivers will be good. Kiel and Two Rivers finished second and third, respectively, in the 2009 conference meet.

BOYS PREVIEW

Leading the way for the Panthers are senior Luke Schmidt and junior Parker Kastelic who earned All- EWC first-team honors after placing sixth and third, respectively, in last year’s league meet.

“We lost four of our top seven runners from last year, so we definitely have some holes to fill,” Grosshuesch said.

“Our top two boys are very solid. Parker and Luke look good early on and should provide us with some great individual races. Our number 3-7 spots are wide open but we have plenty of kids who could fill those slots and we expect the competition for those positions to be fierce.

“Returners Sloan Pfeifer, Taylor Ludvik, Jack Brody, Cormick Hnilicka and Mitch Tournour ran varsity at times last year and they should be among those battling for our top seven spots,” Grosshuesch noted.

The coach said he has a nice group of freshmen, led by Chandler Haun, Thomas Jankowski and Andrew Staehling.

“I believe the degree of success of our team will be dependent upon these last five spots. I am certain of one thing: our team works hard and with their work ethic and a positive attitude that anything is possible,” Grosshuesch said.

“Our strength is our numbers and our depth. Our weakness is that we lack quality depth but I am confident that our runners will step up to the challenge and work to fill our lineup with seven strong runners.

“As every year our team goal is to have every runner improve. If that happens, our team will get better and our season will have been a success,” he said.

Grosshuesch looks at Kiel as the EWC title favorite and Two Rivers, Waupun and Sheboygan Falls being strong. Kiel placed second last year.
PLYMOUTH BOYS & GIRLS
CROSS COUNTRY SCHEDULE
Aug. 26 – Quad., @ New Holstein
Aug. 28 – @ West Bend Invite
Sept. 2 – @ Kiel Invitational
Sept. 9 – @ Green Bay SW Invite
Sept. 21 – Panther Relays, here

Sept. 25 – @ Manitowoc Invite
Sept. 28 – County Meet, @ Sheb. Luth.
Oct. 7 – @ Port Washington Invite
Oct. 16 – EWC Meet, @ UW-Sheb.
Oct. 23 – Sectional, @ Mayville

PHS CROSS COUNTRY ROSTERS

Boys

Seniors – *Jack Brody, Valentin Jacquat, *Taylor Ludvik, Willie Miley, *Sloan Pfeifer, *Luke Schmidt and Arun Sharma.

Juniors – Sam Ahrens, Dakota Barnette, Nick Chin, *Parker Kastelic and Jake Klemme.

Sophomores – Alex Dykstra, Cormick Hnilicka, Tanner Neils, Nick Pearce, Sam Salibi, Tyler Seich and *Mitch Tournour.

Freshmen – Jeff Bartz, Daniel Chin, Chandler Haun, Thomas Jankowski, Brady Ludvik, Ben Morris, Dayton Pfeifer, Jon Schroeder, Andrew Staehling and Andrew Ziegler.

Girls

Seniors – Holly Henriksen, Lindy Klawonn, Lauren Reil, *Emma Roy and *Hannah Ruetten.

Juniors – Ashley Birenbaum, Josephine Boeckman, Kelly Grosshuesch, *Haley Johnson, *Hannah Klecka, Anna Kleinhans, Taylor Konz, Liz Poser, Maddie Poullette, Jenni Rathsack, *Niki Rhyan, *Christina Schicker, *Johanna Schmidt and Kiley Timler.

Sophomores – Nicole Comerford, Somer Flaig, Emily Geiger, Emilie Harvey, Janessa Klahn, Emma Marcom, Keston Murphy and Isabel Roy.

Freshmen – Sara Darr, Maria Grimm and Mikaela Holdridge. * = Returning letter winner.