Five Ambulances Needed at Arrowhead XC Invite

According to Lake Country Now, 1,272 people attended the 31st Arrowhead High School Cross Country Invite on September 8th. The Arrowhead Invite is considered the biggest regular-season meet in Wisconsin. This year, the meet took an unexpected turn when five ambulances were called on the sweltering 85 degree afternoon and four runners were hospitalized.

“The weather conditions needed to be considered and the (runners) race plan adjusted in order to stay cool and run within their limits. Their hydration was probably low. It takes days to re-hydrate and replenish the nutrients of the body. That week leading up to that race was a hot one and thus the need to hydrate should have started several days before the race,” says girls cross country coach, Jill Bradley.

The temperature was balmy with no wind or clouds providing any relief for the runners during the 5,000 meter race.

An additional 21 runners were treated with many forms of dehydration and other physical illnesses at the end of the race.

“The heat affected me by making my legs go numb from my knees down. I got really dizzy and was having a hard time seeing,” says junior runner Kenzie Jensen.

According to the timing results, the JV race consisted of 536 girl participants. At the conclusion of the JV girls race, the JV boys race, varsity girls, and finally the varsity boys race was delayed until more water was retrieved from inside the high school after, according to JV runner Molly Leyden. Leyden said by the time the JV girls race ended, the four water jugs were empty.

One of the four runners taken to the Waukesha hospital competed in the boys varsity race.

“The heat affected us more mentally than it did physically. In our warm ups, feeling the heat caused us to think that our race would go bad even though we were physically prepared for the weather,” says sophomore runner Adam Klauck.

Although 25 runners needed medical attention, Bradley is says that Arrowhead High School was well prepared for the meet.

“AHS was well equipped to handle the injuries sustained by some of the athletes. There were no heat index warnings or cautions communicated from the school, the WIAA, the National Weather service or any other pertinent authority that mentioned extra measures would need to be taken. The best cure for most of the athletes was to have them sit in the shade with water or ice or a blanket to recover. The trainer could keep an eye on the athletes recovering while volunteers handed out water,” says Bradley.

There are ways to avoid dehydration and loss of consciousness. According to Mayo Clinic, drinking plenty of water and eating fruits and vegetables high in water can prevent dehydration. Mayo Clinic also states that drinking water even when you’re not thirsty is an important thing to do to prevent dehydration, especially when exercising.

Varsity runner Megan Olshanski ran the 5K in 18:59 placing second overall. In this heat, Olshanski says she tries not to think about the weather in order to keep herself motivated.

“To be honest, I’m fairly new to 5Ks, so mentally preparing isn’t something I’m totally used to yet. My coach (Curt Kaczor) helps me so much mentally. He mainly tells me to trust in the training, and to have confidence to race against girls like Cami Davre. Heat wise, it was hard to mentally prepare because all of the JV girls said how hot and terrible it was. That made me really nervous, so I just tried not to think about it,” says Olshanski.

The four runners taken to the hospital were released before 9pm that same night.

According to Lake Country Now, Fire Chief Dave Dean says Arrowhead was well equipped with water, ambulances and EMT’s.

“AHS prepared for the condition of the race by having water, ice, and a trainer at the finish line, as well as a trailing cart to follow the last of the runners. That cart is available to assist any runners during the race. The concessions stand was also set up and available to provide electrolytes through Gatorade and more water and ice if need be. Shade is readily available on the course with over third of the course running amongst the trees. The air conditioned school was only a short distance away from the course. Numerous school volunteers, team coaches and officials were present along the course with phones available to assist,” says Bradley.