On October 31, the Campbellsport boys cross country team won the WIAA Division Two State Championship for the first time since 1972.
The Cougars' state championship team included seniors Garrett Pickering (1st place with 15:31), Caleb Siebauer (13th Place with 16:09), Aaron Engle (148th place with 19:50), Lincoln St. Louis (151th place with 20:54), Junior Mason Dirmeier (19th place with 16:25), plus Freshmen Porter Faust (26th place with 16:39) and Auden Walker (108th place with 18:05).
“It was a day filled with a lot of emotion, from being nervous to excited, to anticipation, and finally tears of joy,” said Campbellsport Head Coach Mike Kulibert. “We are so happy for our boys and what they have accomplished.”
“Coach McKenzie Garcia and I worked our way toward the finish line to check the team standings on the video board. We had to wait until our fifth runner finished the race to see where we stood compared to the teams that already had a score,” said Kulibert. “When Campbellsport popped up in first place, it was just amazing.”
“Coming up to the race, the team was eager to compete with the best in the state and make a statement. We knew a lot of it would come down to our number four and five runners, both only being freshmen,” said Campbellsport Senior Garrett Pickering. “A lot of the credit for the team being able to win goes to the freshmen Porter and Auden for stepping up with pressure on the line, especially on a course like Wisconsin Rapids.”
“Caleb and Mason have been driving and motivating factors for the team throughout the year, which contributed to the team title,” said Pickering. “I also believe we couldn't have accomplished what we did without excellent coaching and the support received from teammates, parents, alumni, and the community in general. It has been amazing to be a part of a team that has found success in the past and has passed down the culture to find success again.”
“This state title wasn't just won by my teammates who ran on the course today. This state was won by the people who supported us, from coaches, teachers, old alumni, parents, and the community,” said Campbellsport Senior Caleb Siebauer. “This couldn't have been done without the people who support us throughout our journey to state. One thing that makes this program stick out is how much the alumni support and follow us still, and it really attests to the culture of Campbellsport cross country.”
“It feels amazing to finally win a state title after being there for the past years and finally being able to break through and stand on top of the podium. Between the 1972 and the 2026 state titles, there is one connection who attended both meets as a coach, Mr.Vollmer,” said Seibauer. “One of the things the team really embraced was not only winning a title for ourselves but really our coaches, especially Vollmer, since he saw the one in 1972.”
Senior Garrett Pickering led Campbellsport, winning the Division Two Individual State Championship with a time of 15:31, the second-fastest performance in Division Two meet history.
Pickering is the first individual champion in the long and successful history of the Campbellsport cross country program.
“I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity to compete with the best in Division Two,” said Pickering. “Seasons prior, I have watched talented runners compete, and I'm glad I was able to step up and put the Division Two individual title under Campbellsport's name.”
“Garrett has been working toward competing for a State individual title for a long time. He has been fortunate to compete with his team all four years of high school,” said Kulibert. “ As a freshman, he was 61st, sophomore 23rd, and junior 7th. Based on times around the State this year, we felt Garrett had a good chance to compete for the title, and he was excited about the opportunity to see how he stacked up against the top runners in the state.”
“Garrett ran with the lead pack for just over a mile and said he felt really good at that point and decided to take over the lead, which he held for the rest of the race,” said Kulibert. “There have been many good runners in Campbellsport over the years, and to be the first to earn an individual title means so much to him.”
“Seeing Garrett stand on top of that podium is something special. Throughout my high school career, I have seen him put in the work more than anybody, and I believe he is more deserving than anybody to win a state title,” said Siebauer. “Coming into the state meet, Garrett was mellow and really didn't say he was going to win, but said he is in the mix, and when he is in the mix, he is a fierce competitor. Also, having him as a teammate is something amazing because he always pushes us all to be our best, and at state he showed his best and pulled us to first place in the team race.”
“For me, this title is extremely special because I know how hard the boys worked to even compete at this level. We had an interesting season with some highs and lows. There were a couple of injury scares, but fortunately nothing major,” said Kulibert. “Because of this, we ran several races short-handed and didn’t do very well team-wise. With only eight runners on the team, we did not have any depth to cover a major injury.”
“Coach Jim Vollmer, whose team won the State title back in 1972, was at the meet, and he was just as excited about the victory as the rest of us,” said Kulibert.
“Congratulations to my long-time friend and coach Mike Kulibert, as well as Mackenzie Garcia,
and the State Champion CHS boys cross country team,” said Former Campbellsport Coach Jim Vollmer. “This was a magic year, with ups and downs for the team, their parents, and the Cougar faithful.”
Meet Summary
Saturday, October 31
WIAA Division 2 State Meet
1, Garrett Pickering, 15:31
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