GREEN BAY – The Green Bay Notre Dame girls cross-country runners had nothing to do with making the T-shirts they wore after competing in a WIAA Division 1 sectional Saturday at Manitowoc.
But the words printed on the shirt, and the message it delivered, were clear: They tried to stop us.
It was in reference to the WIAA’s tournament performance factor initiative , a system that promotes athletic programs that reach a level of tournament success based on a point system over a three-year period to a higher division.
Longtime Notre Dame cross-country coach John Gard perhaps has been the most outspoken critic of the new system, at least when it comes to his sport.
Both the Tritons’ girls and boys cross-country teams were moved to D1 this season after previously enjoying a great deal of success at the D2 level.
The boys didn’t make the state meet while competing in the highest division, but the girls earned a spot by finishing runner-up to Green Bay Preble at sectionals.
The group likely won’t come close to winning a state title for the first time since 2015, but reaching this point was a huge win after finishing third in D2 each of the last two years.