Experts say that the most successful people can adapt well to change and adverse conditions.

Then look out for the Hatchet runners.

They jumped into Thursday’s 8-team Three Lakes Invitational at the last minute after the Colby Invite was cancelled, and ran as if the inclement weather was no hindrance.

The girls undercut state-ranked Laona for the title, while the boys trailed Rhinelander by a mere two points.

Junior Rachel Sudbury and freshman Bryan Tomek also locked down both individual titles.

“The Hatchets rose to the challenges that the weather presented as they topped the field in the girls race and placed a close second to Rhinelander on the boys side,” THS coach John Zuelsdorf said. “Rachel and Bryan won their races by comfortable margins.”

Sudbury raced ahead in 15:42, while Stephanie Welke (7th, 17:41), Kelsey Renn (9th, 17:56), Jessie Harmon (10th, 18:02) and Emily Miller (13th, 18:26) scored, and Rachael Miller (14th, 18:39) and Taylor Laack (15th, 18:41) inflated opponents’ scores.

Tomahawk under-scored #9 Laona (D3) by a 40-52 tally. Three Lakes (64), Northland Pines (103), Rhinelander (110), Lakeland (151), Crandon (189) and Goodman (inc.) all competed.

Tomek captured the boys race in 18:18. Dylan Dahl (3rd, 18:45), Connor Ahrens (9th, 19:30), Troy Salewske (11th, 19:36) and Garrett Daigle (12th, 19:40) scored, and Brogan Lemke (14th, 20:11), Ryan Kuehn (16th, 20:14), Evan Russo (22nd, 20:50) and Thomas Miller (24th, 20:58) led the rest of the pack of 19 Hatchet runners.

Rhinelander pulled out a 34-36 win over the 16th-rated THS boys, while Laona, (87), Northland Pines (113), Lakeland (119), Crandon (154) and Goodman (inc.) followed.

The runners received a “little rest” the next night when they ran a relay marathon with the game ball for Friday’s Homecoming football game. The team took the ball from the pre-game assembly, ran a 26.2-mile route to the north, and delivered the ball to Hatchet Field in time for the game.