Coming to America: B-T exchange student finishes 39th at state meet

Running isn’t new to Blair-Taylor’s Kristoffer Sandal, but the experience of competing in cross country as an exchange student from Norway proved to be rewarding. The junior finished 39th in Division Three at the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association State Championships in Wisconsin Rapids on Saturday. 

Sandal competed in track in Norway, running the 800, but decided to try a new sport in a new country. He had immediate success, running at his team’s top runner in the first race and regularly finishing inside the top three at races throughout the season. At the state meet, the competition and the elements presented some challenge.

“Today was really hard. The first mile was very quick,” Sandal said. “It was also warm so I was beginning to get thirsty.”

Sandal was in 23rd place after the first mile, but dropped back to 34th by the second. He continued to drop before a strong finish.

“At the finish, I managed to pass some people,” Sandal said. “I’m happy with the results, even though the time was not that good.”

Sandal said he hoped to set a new personal record, but his time of 17:41 was short of his personal best, 16:54. 

While the country and sport were new to him, Sandal said he appreciates the support. 

“The racing, I’m kind of used to, but I feel like it’s more people,” Sandal said. “More people coming and watching, more people wishing me good luck. It’s really nice to have a lot of people who are supporting me and want to see how it’s going.”

Rotering Edges Michalak

In their final cross country race against each other, Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau’s Adrianna Rotering edged Arcadia’s Tegan Michalak.

Rotering, a junior who qualified for the state meet for the first time, finished 84th out of 152 runners with a time of 21:27, while Michalak, a senior competing in the meet for the second time, was 89th with a time of 21:31.

The G-E-T runner said her goal was to just have a strong race to finish her season. 

“Some parts were a bit of a struggle, those hills were a bit of a challenge at times,” Rotering said. “But I think being around so many people was really motivating to get through it and finish. Of course, seeing all my friends and teammates and coaches on the side was really encouraging.”

Rotering was in 61st place after the first mile, which she completed in 6:22, she dropped back to 82nd before the second mile before finishing 85th. 

Both Rotering and Michalak missed numerous races with injuries this season. 

“I think for everything I was overcoming, it was a good season,” Rotering said. “I had a strong conference race and qualifying for state is a great accomplishment. I think it was overall pretty good, there’s nothing I can be super upset about looking back.”

Michalak’s season was in doubt due to injuries after she finished 58th in the state meet as a junior in 2021.

“I’m proud of what I came back from,” Michalak said. “I didn’t even know if I was going to be able to run at all this year.”

Michalak’s time was 28 seconds slower than it was a year ago. She said she was disappointed that she got boxed in at the start of the race.

“I kept getting elbowed, I couldn’t get around people,” Michalak said. “So, at like two miles, I decided it is what it is, I’m just going to cruise it in.”

Michalak was in 107th place after the first mile and 100th at the marker for the second mile, but she made up ground in the final mile to take 89th.

C-FC Runners Win Gold

Runners from Cochrane-Fountain City topped both Division Three races as the C-FC girls team won the team title.

C-FC was led by Addy Duellman, who won the individual title with a time of 18:58 — about 10 seconds better than Nora Jillson of Boscobel. They had two other runners crack the top 20 as Reese Ehrat was 11th and Breilynn Halverson finished 17th. Ana Knecht finished 90ths; Emma Mann, 98th; Bailey Pronschinske, 99th and Ella Arneson, 142nd. The Pirates scored 132 team points, six better than Lourdes Academy while Valders was third with 151.

The C-FC boys only had one runner, but he made it count as Wesley Pronschinske cruised to the individual title with a time of 16:08, nine seconds better than JJ Williams of Glenwood City. 

Other area runners also had success. 

Claire Becker of Melrose-Mindoro finished 36th and Eau Claire Immanuel Luther’s Micah Rossom was 51st.

Representing the Coulee Conference in Division Two, the West Salem girls team finished eighth and the boys team was ninth. The West Salem girls were led by Mia Olson, who finished 38th. Brennan Garbers led the West Salem boys, taking 61st out of 152 runners.

Elizabeth Curtis finished 46th in Division Three for Westby.