On November 2, Madeline Egan, a junior, and Sarah Meleski, a sophomore, lined up at the start line for their first state appearance of their high school career. Held at Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids, 150 of the top runners from each division competed.

The girls came out strong off the gun and got into a good position. They passed various runners on the inside and stuck together for most of the race.

“The fact that I got to go with my running partner, Sarah Meleski, made the experience that much sweeter.” Egan stated afterwards.

Finishing at 16:06.90, Egan placed 53^rd overall. Not far behind her, Meleski clocked in at 16:14.58 and 60^th overall.

Not only was this the first state appearance for both runners, but also both coaches. Coach James Braun and Coach Megan O’Grady also saw their first state meet as coaches.

“It’s such a great experience to have them go in my first year.” Braun said the Thursday before the meet.

New Berlin West teammates travelled by the car load to watch the girls run. The fans made various signs to encourage their runners saying things such as “Don’t pace ‘em, pass ‘em!”

“It was probably the most memorable event I have ever experienced because of all the people there.” Meleski stated after her run.

“They’re both amazing runners that have improved tremendously. It was great to be able to run with them and they’ll only get better from here.” Teammate Ross Wick, a senior, said.

Meleski and Egan are both 3 sport athletes who also compete in basketball and track together. The day after the meet, they got right into their next sport, basketball, with two fall league games.