Kewaskum Cross Country Teams Dominate at Back-to-Back Meets

The Kewaskum High School cross country teams continued their strong, fall season with impressive performances at the Dave Drexler Invitational and the Campbellsport Invitational, where the boys’ team captured first place at both meets and the girls posted multiple standout finishes and personal bests.
Dave Drexler Invitational – Hon-E-Kor Golf Course (Sept. 30)
Running on a familiar but challenging course, the Kewaskum boys’ team put together an outstanding effort to secure the team championship.
Sophomore Wyatt Luedtke led the way with a personal record time of 17:30, finishing fifth overall. Close behind were Zachary Hein (17:47 PR), Carter Heimerman (18:00), Layton Dexter (18:00), and Aaron Schmidt (18:05 PR), all finishing within 35 seconds of each other to seal the team title.
Rounding out the varsity lineup were Leo Kohlwey (18:37) and Elliott Schulz (18:50), both contributing key depth to the team’s dominant showing.

The girls’ team also had a strong performance, led by Olivia Gerhartz with a time of 19:57 to finish sixth overall. Freshman Maya Weissenrieder and senior Ruby Gerhartz continued their steady seasons, both earning top-20 finishes with 21:43 (PR) and 21:51, respectively. Other varsity contributors included Cailyn Beres (21:55, PR), Cedar Racer (22:06, PR), Olivia Dourn (22:28), and Makenna Poole (24:03).
The girls’ depth and personal records highlight the progress of the team as they head into the championship stretch of the season.
Campbellsport Invitational – Campbellsport Elementary (Oct. 9)
Less than two weeks later, the Kewaskum boys once again claimed the top team honors, backed by another outstanding performance. Wyatt Luedtke paced the team with a 10th-place finish in 18:06, followed closely by Aaron Schmidt (18:14), Leo Kohlwey (18:17 PR), Zachary Hein (18:21), and Carter Heimerman (18:22) — all within 16 seconds of one another.
Layton Dexter (18:34) and Elliott Schulz (19:41) rounded out a varsity pack that demonstrated consistency and teamwork, sealing another commanding win.
On the girls’ side, Olivia Gerhartz once again led the charge, placing third overall with a season-best 19:47. Taylor Kulick (21:35), Maya Weissenrieder (22:16), Cedar Racer (22:46), Olivia Dourn (23:31), and Autumn Giese (23:32) followed with solid races and completed the varsity lineup.
The Lady Indians’ continued improvement across the board was evident, with several runners showing season-best pacing and strong mid-race surges. Coach Bicknell noted, “Each runner focused on pacing with the teammate just ahead, creating tight groups that push one another throughout the race. This strategy has helped the team maintain strong, consistent pacing and finish with impressive overall times at recent meets.”
With the Glacier Hills Conference meet on Oct. 18 at Kettle Moraine Lutheran and the Sectional competition on Oct. 24 in Portage approaching, both Kewaskum squads are to be peaking at the right time. The boys’ depth and pack running have made them one of the most consistent teams in the area, while the girls’ team continues to build momentum with every meet.
“We’ve had two really strong weeks of racing,” Bicknell said. “The kids are supporting each other and learning how to compete together and that’s what makes this group special.”