West Salem High School cross country runners Courtney Oldenburg, Lauren Unser and Lucas Wolfe all finished in the top 25 percent of their respective fields at Saturday’s Division 2 state run at The Ridges in Wisconsin Rapids.

Oldenburg keyed the girls, taking sixth among 106 team runners with a 4,000-meter time of 15 minutes, 25 seconds. Oldenburg, Unser and Kristin Stockheimer were competing in their fourth consecutive state run, part of run of six straight trips to state.

“You want to improve all four years you’re here, and it isn’t easy,” Oldenburg said. “(But) I’m pretty happy with the results.

“I told myself I was going to run as hard as I could and that’s all I could do.”

Unser finished 18th among team runners in 15:49. Stockheimer finished 85th among team runners in 17:20, with a summer ankle injury severely hampering her preseason training.

“Four trips to state is quite an accomplishment,” Panthers coach LeRoy Krall said. “Courtney has been a great leader physically and off the course. I’ve never coached one quite like her.”

Krall, who returned to the cross country program this fall after an 18-year stint from 1983 to 2000, will coach track at West Salem for the 32nd time next spring. He said this year’s senior trio of Oldenburg, Unser and Stockheimer could be the best since the 1994 boys crew that included Mason Quackenbush and Mike Premo. Quackenbush finished fourth at state, leading the Panthers to a second-place team finish.

“I’ve never had a trio like those three,” Krall said. “It’s the best girls group I’ve had. Having a group like that is definitely a little bit unusual.”

While the boys were keyed by Lucas Wolfe, who took 17th among team finishers with a 5,000-meter time of 16:59, the boys will graduate a similar senior with oodles of state experience in Jared Haldeman. Haldeman was West Salem’s second boys finisher Saturday, taking 74th among team finishers in 18:09. Haldeman will continue in the sport at Winona State.

“The leadership he supplied this summer was a big part of why our boys team was so successful,” Krall said. “A lot of our success is a tribute to Jared.”

After Oldenburg and Unser, Kelsey Novak was third for the Panthers girls, taking 28th among team finishers in 16:08. Novak competed at sectionals and state despite using crutches for the vast majority of the non-racing time in that period. Christian Koepnick was third for the boys, taking 80th among team finishers in 18:18.

“Our inexperience caught up with us a little bit,” Krall said of the boys 15th-place finish among 16 teams. “I think we caught up in the early hype of the race and a time where you’re just trying to get them to relax.

“Lucas ran really well, and Christian ran well, too. We were too young after that, so our finish wasn’t a surprise, but I did think we’d do a little better. That being said, the boys were a tremendous group of overachievers to get to where they go to this year.”

Krall said Oldenburg may continue with running in college, though her strength may lie in an event like the open half-mile in track as compared to cross country. Krall said Haldeman’s strength at the next level could lie in the 10,000-meter run in track.

“I think Courtney has more upside left,” Krall said. “And Jared really has a passion for running.”

CROSS COUNTRY

DIVISION 2 STATE MEET

At The Ridges, Wisconsin Rapids

Saturday

WEST SALEM FINISHERS (PLACE AMONG TEAM FINISHERS)

GIRLS

6. Courtney Oldenburg, 15:25; 18. Lauren Unser, 15:49; 28. Kelsey Novak, 16:08; 85. Kristin Stockheimer, 17:20; 90. Kathleen Thorn, 17:35; 96. Kasey Freitag, 17:43; 103. Brynn Sundberg, 17:58

BOYS

17. Lucas Wolfe, 16:59; 74. Jared Haldeman, 18:09; 80. Christian Koepnick, 18:18; 93. Alex Pederson, 18:35; 94. Coey Oliver, 18:37; 105. Chris Hutson, 19:06; 111. Brandon Gaethke, 19:37