DeForest cross country teams begin new season

DeForest's boys and girls cross country programs opened their new season with early competition.

DeForest boys’ and girls’ cross country teams officially opened their fall campaign at the Milwaukee River Cross Country Invite on Thursday, Aug. 27 at Veterans Park in Milwaukee.

The previous season, DeForest enjoyed no shortage of success on the cross country course.

The boys’ team won the 2025 Badger-Large crown, while the girls’ team finished fourth at their conference championship race. Postseason success followed when the boys’ team won sectionals before placing fifth overall at the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) Division 1 state tournament.

The boys’ team lost three key seniors from the previous season’s roster — all of whom are running at the college level this year.

Early meets

This includes the 2025-26 Wisconsin Cross Country Gatorade Player of the Year Lucas Tanner, who now runs at NCAA Division I Furman University, Blake Rauber (UW-Whitewater) and Wyatt Parker (UW-Eau Claire).

Meanwhile, the girls’ team also lost three key seniors, including sectional runners such as Emma Hermansen, Mary June Nelson and Delaney Aulik.

But the cupboard is far from bare.

Returning for DeForest this year include many names, starting with junior Lillian Schulz. As a sophomore the previous season, Schulz won the Badger-Large meet before placing fifth at sectionals, which qualified her for the state meet.

She scored a personal-best time (three seconds under 19 minutes) at state, placing 22nd in the Division 1 field.

Schulz didn’t participate in the season-opening invite in Milwaukee. According to coach Joe Parker, the team is being cautious with her return after suffering an injury last spring during the track and field season.

DeForest’s Lillian Schulz, a junior, returns to the mix after a 22nd-place finish at the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) Division 1 state meet the previous season.

Along with Schulz, Brinly Schwanke, a junior, and Gretchen Hayden return. Both Schwanke and Hayden placed inside the top 40 at the Badger-Large Championship race.

As for the boys’ team, DeForest return a strong core, headlined by senior Logan Davison, senior Jacob Lafever, junior Chandler Pabon and senior Parker Stanosz, among others.

Of note, Davison and Lafever each placed inside the top 10 at sectionals the previous season, with Davison securing a fourth-place finish and Lafever racing to a seventh-place finish. Davison also finished 29th at state.

Locked and loaded heading into Milwaukee on Thursday, DeForest continued that form.

The boys finished second in team scoring with 108 team points, while the girls’ team finished 15th with 409 team points.

Additional details

On the girls’ side, DeForest welcomed plenty of new names into the mix.

Those new names contributed right away.

Sophomore Brecklyn Drobac led the effort for the girls’ team with a ninth-place finish, clocking 19:35. Drobac, a transfer from Deerfield, finished 26th at the WIAA Division 2 state tournament race as a freshman the previous season.

Meanwhile, freshman Avery Frye finished 73rd at 22:17.3, while freshman Hailey Austin wasn’t too far behind at 22:31.0, placing 80th.

Brinly Schwanke placed 150th at 24:09.1, while senior Shea Spahn rounded out the scoring with a 162nd-place finish at 24:22.9.

On the boys’ side, DeForest was paced by two top 10 finishes. Jacob Lafever led all Norskies with a sixth-place finish, finishing his race at 16:20.5. Chandler Pabon placed 10th, racing to a time of 16:37.1

DeForest senior Jacob Lafever, pictured the previous season, led all Norskies with a sixth-place finish at 16:20.5 during DeForest’s season debut at the Milwaukee River Cross Country Invite on Thursday, Aug. 27 at Veterans Park in Milwaukee.

More strong times continued, Because of a 23rd-place finish from Parker Stanosz at 17:22.0. Jadon Lafever, a junior, finished 30th at 17:29.8. Sophomore Kian Kelroy placed 42nd at 17:46.7. Henry Raether, a junior, rounded out the top-five Norski scorers with a 62nd-place finish at 18:08.8.

Up next for DeForest, DeForest will return home to the friendly confines of Linde Fields, hosting the 40th annual Norski Invitational on Wednesday, Sept. 2, before traveling to the Verona Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 5.