WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. — Two area high school athletes didn’t simply come home this weekend as state champions. They came back as two-time state champs, defending their cross country titles.
Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau’s Dana Feyen won the girls Division 2 race, while Onalaska Luther’s David Vannucchi won the D3 boys race (video below).
David Vannucchi of @LutherHigh defends his title as D3 Boys CC State Champ! ?? #wiaacc pic.twitter.com/snVfzkKLnB
— WIAA Tournaments (@wiaawistate) October 28, 2017
Both won it last year. Both could win it again, heading into their senior seasons next year.
Feyen won (video below) in 18 minutes, 39 seconds Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course. Vannucchi won in 15:53.83.
Dana Feyen of Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau claims the D2 Girls CC State Title for the second year in a row. Congrats, @FeyenDana! #wiaacc pic.twitter.com/YDSHoyccw7
— WIAA Tournaments (@wiaawistate) October 28, 2017
In the Division 2 boys race, Logan came in fifth overall, while G-E-T finished 10th as a team.
Arcadia senior Ramon Romero – a four-time state qualifier – finished fourth overall (16:05.9), while Westby senior Hayden Fredrickson finished sixth (16:27.8) and West Salem freshman Charlie McKinney was eighth (16:31.42).
In the D3 boys race, behind Vannucchi was junior teammate Sam Larson, finishing 10th (16:43.53), while Aquinas junior Ethan Gregg finished 14th (16:55.36).
As for the rest of the girls races, Onalaska freshman Kora Malaceck’s 11th-place finish (19:08.95) helped the Hilltoppers finish the D1 race third as a team – a team made up entirely of freshmen.
In D2, Westby finished fifth overall, while Prairie du Chien was 12th.
In D3, Aquinas came in eighth, while Cashton was 10th.