Numbers are not a problem this season for the Iola-Scandinavia track team.
Coach Bethany Gant has 28 athletes out for the sport, including a pair of state champions from 2014.
The roster includes seniors Tyler Ambacher, Claire Bestul, Michelle Ellie, Ariana Garton, Tanner Krusa, Nick Madson, Megan Mazemke, Bryce Pierce, Dylan Robbins, Justin Schumacher and Shelby Trzebiatowski; juniors Karl Boddy, Kali Finch, Hunter Frye, Sam Jarosh, McKenna Prahl, Amy Vanden Bush and Kristian Welch; sophomores Leighten Fischer, Giovani Fredheim, Brynn Rasmussen and Scott Van Gunten; and freshmen Jalen Block, MacKenzie Frye, Sierra Garton, Erika Kisting, Natalie Rustad and Kollin Staszak.
Welch wrapped up his first season of track last year with a Division 3 long jump state championship. He also joined Robbins on the Thunderbirds’ boys’ 1,600-meter relay team that also won a state title at the WIAA State Track and Field Championships in La Crosse. Robbins also competed at state in the 400-meter dash, while Welch was on the state-qualifying 800-meter relay team.
Besides Welch and Robbins, Fischer, Trzebiatowski and Hunter Frye also competed at state last year.
Welch, Robbins, Fischer and Trzebiatowski started the season off on the right foot March 17 with first-place finishes at an indoor meet in Seymour.
The T-Bird boys placed third behind Seymour and Bonduel with 44 points, while the girls placed second behind Seymour with 57 points.
Welch won the boys’ 55-meter dash in 7.13 seconds and the long jump event with a leap of 20 feet, 1 inch. Robbins turned in a time of 1:01.25 to win the boys’ 400-meter dash. He and Welch also joined Krusa and Staszak on the 1,600 relay team, which placed first with a time of 4:09.71.
Other firsts for the T-Birds went to Krusa in the boys’ 200-meter hurdles (30:04); Fischer in the girls’ 400 (1:09.45); Trzebiatowski in the girls’ 800-meter run (2:59.2); Kisting in the girls’ 1,600-meter run (6:19.03); the girls’ 1,600 relay team of Fischer, Prahl, Vanden Bush and Kisting (4:58.9); and the girls’ 3,200-meter relay team of Ariana Garton, Rasmussen, Rustad and Trzebiatowski (12:15.3).
Also placing for the T-Birds were Block, second, boys’ 800 and 1,600 runs and sixth, high jump; Krusa, second, boys’ 55-meter hurdles; Hunter Frye, third, girls’ 55-meter dash; Ellie, third, girls’ 55 hurdles and sixth, triple jump; Bestul, fourth, girls’ shot put; Mazemke, fourth, girls’ 55 hurdles and triple jump; Prahl, fourth, girls’ 400 dash; Ariana Garton, fourth, girls’ 1,600; Boddy, fifth, boys’ 55 dash; Madson, fifth, boys’ shot put; MacKenzie Frye, fifth, girls’ 55 hurdles; Rasmussen, fifth, girls’ 400 dash; Kisting, fifth, girls’ long jump; Sierra Garton, sixth, girls’ 55 dash; and Finch, sixth, girls’ high jump.