Joel Anderson
Lauren McCalla (7388) led the Menomonie girls cross country team to a season-opening first place win and finished in the second-best time in school history to take medalist honors.
MENOMONIE — Menomonie opened the 2025 cross country season with strong performances at the Husky Invitational on Saturday, Aug. 30, and the results were quickly reflected in the first statewide poll which came out days later.
The Mustang girls dominated the 14-team meet in Eau Claire, defeating all Big Rivers Conference opponents and Minnesota power Stillwater.
Senior Lauren McCalla set the tone, winning the 5,000-meter race in 17 minutes, 52 seconds — the second-fastest time in program history. Current University of Wisconsin cross country runner, Bella Jacobsen, holds the school record with a time of 17:32, set in 2021.
Teammate Bennett Schmitt finished second overall, while junior Bree Barfknecht placed fifth and sophomore Bella Drake ninth. Senior Lexi Thalacker added a 21st-place run to round out the scoring, giving Menomonie four runners in the top 10 and the overall team title.
The Mustang boys also impressed, placing third out of 15 teams. Senior Luke Ray led the way, with support from Logan Topper, Evan Olson, Noah Winder, Owen Pelzel and Karter Livingston. All six earned meet honors, helping Menomonie secure a top-three finish against a competitive field.
On Wednesday, Sept. 3, the Wisconsin Cross Country Coaches Association released its first poll of the season, placing the Mustang girls at No. 1 in Division 1. Menomonie holds the top spot ahead of Slinger, Whitefish Bay, Wauwatosa East and Wisconsin Lutheran.
The Mustang boys also earned recognition, landing ninth in Division 1. Stevens Point (SPASH) leads the boys’ rankings, followed by De Pere and Hudson.
The weekly coaches poll tracks momentum across the state as teams build toward the WIAA state championships in Wisconsin Rapids on Nov. 1. With both the girls and boys ranked, Menomonie enters September positioned among Wisconsin’s cross country elite.
Menomonie returns to action Saturday, Sept. 13 when they host the Menomonie Relays at the high school course beginning at 9:30 a.m. The event is in its 50th running.
Layne Pitt is the retired UW-Stout sports information director and also worked more than a decade at The Dunn County News.
Menomonie Girls Win Husky Invite… by Layne Pitt is licensed under a CC BY SA 4.0 International license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/