Tomahawk opened their Cross-Country season on Thursday at the 12-team Ashland Invitational, held at the Chequamegon Bay Golf Course on the West side of Ashland. The boys placed two scorers in the top six, and all five scorers in the top 30, but couldn’t upend the host Oredockers as Tomahawk filled the runner-up position. The youthful lady Hatchets placed 5th, behind Hayward, Ashland, Superior and Chequamegon.
Freshman Drew Bolder and Junior Evan Ploeckelman paced the Hatchets with their top finishes. Drew went out with the Miller twins from Ashland (two All-State senior athletes) and distanced himself from the field early in the race and Evan set himself in the chase pack close behind. Drew was the lone medalist for Tomahawk as he finished 3rd in 18:11 over the hilly and challenging course. Evan Ploeckelman (6th-18:31), Parker Johnson (19th-20:15), Luke Olson (21st-20:29), Keaton Jed (29th-20:55), Sam VonSchrader (43rd-21:37) and freshman Trey Baalke (44th-21:38) completed the varsity level finishers. Others finishing for the boys included: Matt Johnson (54th), Shawn Dirkx (65th), Anthony Ierulli (67th), Matt Bartz (70th), Jacob Miller (74th), Hunter VanRyen (78th), Jared Leverance (89th), Hunter Borchardt (93rd), Adam Hall (94th), Jerett Flynn (98th), Kole Svacina (99th), Garret Hurst (105th) and Brandon Pankow (124
th) in the 125 runner field.
Boys Team Scores: Ashland-53, Tomahawk-72, Solon Springs-88, Barron-88, Superior-119, Chequamegon-137, Hayward-153, Ironwood-202, Drummond-225, Hurley-246, Mellen-Inc, WashburnInc.
Freshman Haley-Voermans-Dean led the Hatchet women with her runner-up championship effort knocking nearly a minute off her performance from last year with a 22:13 clocking over the 5K course.
Teammates Gillian Buckwalter (21st-25:10), Morgan Waye (22nd-25:13), Arianna Schreiner (28th-25:32), and Meagan Berg (33rd-25:52) packed tightly together to complete the Hatchet scoring. Lauren Bauman (43rd), freshman Autumn Peissig (44th), Jackie Wick (69th), Brittany Jashinsky (72nd), Corinn Genelin (81st) completed the Hatchet attack.
Girls Team Scores: Hayward-37, Ashland-55, Superior-80, Chequamegon-84, Tomahawk-106, Hurley-141, Barron-157, Washburn-Inc, Solon Springs-Inc, Ironwood-Inc, Drummond-Inc, and Mellen-Inc.
Next week the Hatchets travel to the Marathon Invitational on Thursday for a 4:30 outing at 9-mile forest.