WISCONSIN RAPIDS — Mackenzie Babcock had a slow start to her final high school cross country season.
Still recovering from a stress fracture in her femur that kept her out track and field, the Monona Grove senior didn’t reach her usual weekly total of 25 miles until the opening week of practice.
It made Babcock’s fourth successive podium trip at the WIAA state cross country championships all the sweeter, winning a second straight Division 1 bronze medal at The Ridges Golf Course.
“It’s really special to be here, and doing it with my team is awesome, too,” Babcock said.
Babcock finished third 18 minutes, 33.4 seconds, surging down the homestretch to finish third for the third time in her career. She also won bronze as a freshman before taking fourth as a sophomore.
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Babcock, who committed to run collegiately at Liberty on Friday afternoon, got bottled up in a tight field of competitors through the opening two miles. Not her typical strategy per se, Babcock felt the lead pack would be very tight.
Monona Grove's Mackenzie Babcock races to the finish line of the Division 1 girls race of the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
“I knew someone was going to take it out pretty hard, and as long as I stayed in that pack, I’d be in a good position,” she said.
Babcock made the most of biding her time, and of her final cross country race with her teammates by helping lead the Silver Eagles to a second straight team state appearance after program’s first last fall.
“It’s so awesome. With this being my last season in this jersey, being able to come back here with this team and run one more time with my sister (Logan), it’s really special,” Mackenzie Babcock said.
The Silver Eagles finished 15th out of 20 teams with 383 points, while Neenah (57) claimed the Division 1 team title ahead of Wauwatosa East (123) and Slinger (136).
Monona Grove's Allie Hrodey heads into the second mile of the Division 1 girls race of the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Sophomore Allie Hrodey finished 101st (20:24.0) while sophomore Natalie Campbell (21:06.4) took 135th.
Madison West, Sun Prairie West and Waunakee also competed in the team competition. The Regents placed fourth with 150 points while the debuting Wolves were sixth (171). The Warriors finished 12th with 286 points.
Madison West sophomore Violet Wickizer finished just off the podium in 12th place with a time of 18:53.4, while Sun Prairie West freshman Emma Lagerwall was 14th in 19:00.6. Senior Cianna Wipperfurth led the Warriors, finishing 17th with a time of 19:07.3.
Individually, Sun Prairie East’s Shaela Elert also cracked the top-30 as the Cardinals senior was 29th with a time of 19:19.1.
The scene from the 112th WIAA state cross country championships
Verona's Izzy DeCabooter heads into the final mile with a lead during the Division 1 girls race of the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Monona Grove's Mackenzie Babcock races to the finish line of the Division 1 girls race of the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Madison West's Nathan Schwoerer drives to the finish line during the Division 1 boys race during the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Deerfield/Cambridge's Emmerson Drobac heads into the second mile during the Division 2 girls race of the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
DeForest's Elijah Pabon, right, and Lucas Tanner head into the final mile of the Division 1 boys race during the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Verona's Izzy DeCabooter takes an early lead after the opening mile of the Division 1 girls race of the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Dodgeland's Mallory Kohn heads into the final mile of the Division 3 girls race of the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Mount Horeb's Julia Straka heads into the final mile of the Division 2 girls race of the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Deerfield/Cambridge's Emmerson Drobac holds her lead going into the final mile of the Division 2 girls race of the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Monona Grove's Allie Hrodey heads into the second mile of the Division 1 girls race of the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Mount Horeb's Willa Vigliotta (399) and Mia Caygill (400) head into the second mile of the Division 2 girls race of the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Dodgeland's Mallory Kohn creates a sizeable gap heading into the second mile of the Division 3 girls race of the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Waunakee's Emily Berger tries to keep pace with Sun Prairie East's Shaela Elert during the Division 1 girls race during the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Madison East's Mason Bieri heads into the final leg of the Division 1 boys race during the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Madison Memorial's Will Lisowski races tot eh finishe race dThe during the Division 1 euring the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Pardeeville's Trenton Hendrickson speeds into the finish line during the Division 3 boys boys race during the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Stoughton's Elijah Judd sprints to the finish line during the Division 2 boys race during the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Sun Prairie West's Emma Lagerwall tries to keep pace with Sun Prairie East's Shaela Elert during the Division 1 girls race during the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Reedsburg's Victor Martinez races to the finish line race during the Division 1 boys race during the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
McFarland's Isaac Ewing (196) and Spencer Alf (197) look to stay with the lead runners during the Division 2 boys race during the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Sun Prairie East's Pat McRoberts hangs with the lead grop of a tight runners during the Divisio 1 boys race during the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Pardeeville's Bree Motsenbocker heads into the final mile of the Division 3 girls race during the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Mauston's Brekk Peterson hangs with a tight group of runners into the final mile during the Division 2 boys race during the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Madison St. Ambrose/Abundant Life's Rebecca Sanders races to the finish line during the Division 3 girls race during the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Madison Edgewood's Erin Schauer heads into the final mile of the Division 2 girls race during the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Mauston's Alexys Smith heads into the second mile of the Division 2 girls race during the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Madison West's Violet Wickizer looks at the video board as she approaches the finish line race during the Division 1 girls race during the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Dodgeland's Nolan Wieneke hangs with a group of runners during the Division 3 boys race during the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Verona's Aaron Yarbro heads into the final final mile during the Divison 1 boys race during the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Pardeeville's Will Becker races to the finish line during the Division 3 boys race during the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Mauston's Josh Ellerman heads into the second mile of the Division 2 boys race during the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Poynette's Wyatt See charges to the finish line during the Division 3 boys race during the WIAA state cross country championships on Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
