Boerger sprints to state

Hard work. Determination. Talent. Jack Boerger has them all. And now, Sauk Prairie’s cross country standout is headed to the WIAA Division 1 state meet. Boerger finished second at the Portage Sectional last Saturday and earned a trip to the state meet, which will be held at Arrowhead High School this Saturday. “Jack knew exactly what he wanted and needed to do in the race to make sure that he qualified,” Eagles coach Andy Sherman said. “I really liked the confidence that Jack raced with. He set his sights on qualifying and decided very early in the race that he wasn’t going to wait back in the pack.” So he didn’t. On a wet and muddy course, Boerger jumped out to the front of the pack. Boerger led for most of the race, before Onalaska’s Tyler Lee rallied down the stretch. Lee finished in 16 minutes, 27.88 seconds, while Boerger ran the 5,000-meter course in 16:32.99. “Jack stayed relaxed and he made sure that getting to the state meet was going to be in his hands and not have to hope and wait to see if he was one of the five to qualify,” Sherman said. “I am very happy for Jack in his first qualification for the state meet.  “He has the combination of hard work and determination and a lot of talent. When you put those both together, you have someone very special. I am excited to see what he can do on a very fast course with the best runners in our state this weekend.” Sauk Prairie junior Ritchie Wolff also had a strong day and finished 18th in 17:33.57. “I was pleased with how Ritchie put himself out there and competed,” Sherman said. “His 18th place finish was solid and also gives him a great deal of experience and confidence as he looks to the next season.” On the girls’ side, Eagles’ freshman Catherine Gregg finished 14th (20:52.60) and freshman Lexi Been was 32nd (21:52.40). Gregg qualified for sectionals thanks to a terrific showing at subsectionals, while Been was added to the sectional last week after another athlete dropped out. While neither girl qualified for state, the experience of competing at sectionals should prove valuable. “Both ran extremely well in the biggest meet either of these two freshmen have seen,” Sherman said. “Both girls should be able to learn from this experience and help them in the future.” No matter what happens from here, Sherman is thrilled how the season has gone. “First of all, we are just so fortunate to have been able to compete this long,” he said. “At the beginning of August, I didn’t think we would even have a season. So I have been extremely grateful for this time with our teams and the opportunities they have been granted.”