VERONA — West Salem High School junior Evan Berra placed second among Division 2 runners in the boys race to lead his program at the Verona Invitational on Saturday.
Berra completed the Stewarts Woods Course in 16 minutes, 38.5 seconds and was 12 seconds behind Division 2 champion Vinny Sitkiewitz (16:26.6) to help the Panthers to a fifth-place finish and team score of 116. Berra’s time was seventh overall in a meet that placed teams in three divisions.
Aquinas senior Emily Bagniefski was the top local finisher in the Division 2 race with her third-place time of 20:13.9. Monroe’s Isla Odgers won the Division 2 race at 19:12, and Bagniefski’s time was good for 19th place overall.
West Salem’s girls finished fourth at 102 and clipped fifth-place Aquinas by a point.
Senior Michael Torrance (13th, 18:10.2), junior Owen McKinney (30th, 18:55.8), junior Landon Rieber (35th, 19:11.1) and freshman Mason Gronemus (36th, 19:14.4) also scored for the Panthers in a division that was won by Monroe (71).
Onalaska’s boys placed ninth (260) and were followed by 10th-place Aquinas (294).
Senior Carson Fink (33rd, 19:08.4), freshman Andrew Rutz (44th, 19:43.8), senior Sam Sulentic (56th, 20:36.6), sophomore Kody Herritz (61st, 20:55.2) and senior Myles Stapleton (6nd, 20:55.4) scored for the Hilltoppers, and sophomore Nolan Vandenlangenberg (40th, 19:34.9), freshman Dominic Sullivan (58th, 20:52.7), sophomore Alexander Boland (60th, 20:53.4), sophomore Spencer Buck (65th, (21:01.3) and freshman Mason Winiecki (66th, 22:25) scored for the Blugolds.
West Salem’s girls had four runners among the top 20 in a division that was won by Monroe (79).
Junior Anna Witte (12th, 21:12) led the Panthers, and freshman Ava Katona (17th, 22:01.1), sophomore Natalia Minard (18th, 22:01.2), sophomore Nora Johnson (19th, 22:04) and senior Anna Knudson (36th, 23:18) followed.
Junior Sanjana Musafir (10th, 21:10.4) was also among the top 10 for Aquinas, which also had scoring runs from freshman Emelia Lewis (27th, 22:35.9), senior Helen Onyeabor (31st, 22:52.7) and junior Anna Binsfeld (32nd, 22:52.9).
Onalaska’s girls were seventh with a score of 171.
Junior Sadie Peterson (13th, 21:27.8), freshman Sophia Orozco (26th, 22:35.8), senior Maya Hartman (34th, 23:03.3), junior Madison Heit (45th, 24:01.2) and junior Lorraine Marinier (53rd, 24:53.8) scored for the Hilltoppers.
