Mascot Race big for Panther runners

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You can tell when it gets to be the “dog days” of the cross country season. The races are literally going to the dogs.

The most popular part of last Thursday’s Chippewa Falls Invitational at Wissota State Park was the Mascot Race. In this race, mascots in costume, ran in a 100-yard, no rules race. Alex McDonald was chosen to run for St. Croix Central in the Mascot Race. Central coach Bill Emery said the idea was so popular with his team that he’s planning on adding it to next year’s St. Croix Central Invitational.

Emery said he could tell on the bus ride to Chippewa Falls that the Panthers had hit the limit of their energy with a hard week of practice following the Roy Griak Invitational.

“I knew my kids’ legs would be wore out,” Emery said.

It showed in the performances of both Panther teams. Central senior Brett Johnson suffered a rare defeat, losing to a runner from Chippewa Falls.

The meet wasn’t large in terms of team numbers, but there was strong opposition from teams like Marshfield, Hudson, Menomonie, Chippewa Falls and Amery. Marshfield won the boys meet, with Menomonie earning the girls meet title.

Emery said he thought the best efforts for the boys team came from Stephen Brunshidle and Alex Halvorson, the Panthers’ number two and three runners. He said the performances of freshmen Courtney Kramer and Hope Hoolihan were the highlights of the girls race. Kamer placed 15th and Hoolihan took 36th.

The Panthers are now building toward the 2010 Dunn-St. Croix Conference Meet. This year’s D-SC meet will be run on Thursday, Oct. 14, at Boyceville.

Tags: cross country, sports, panthers, prep