Cross Country: Combined Rebels team aims to compete hard

Willow River/Barnum can expect to have a big season in boys and girls cross country this fall.

The Rebels have 45 athletes out this fall as they hope to improve on a seventh-place finish for the boys and a fifth-place finish for the girls in last year’s Section 7A cross country meet.

“We lost two great seniors from our section team from last year,” said Rebels coach Adam Whelan. “On the girls team we lost Coriella Sheetz, our top girl runner last year, and Tan Dipman, who was a top-five boy runner.”

Whelan will look to Kelli Granquist to be a strong leader for the girls team and Maverick Koecher for the boys team this season.

“Practice has been an adjustment with the separated pods,” said Whelan, now in his ninth season as head coach. “The kids have done great adjusting to the requirements and my assistant coaches are really great to work with.”

Whelan said he’s had a couple kids do some strong off-season training. He thinks they will have break-out years.

“With all of the changes to the season and all of the unknowns, we've been focusing as a team on getting better every week,” Whelan said. “So far the kids have been putting in hard work and showing that improvement.”