State meet to be held in La Crosse
By Greg Seubert
Several area track athletes will wrap up their 2021 track season with a trip to the WIAA State Track and Field Championships in La Crosse.
The state meet, which will be held Thursday to Saturday, June 24-26, at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, will feature one division on each day of the meet. The Division 3 meet, which will include athletes from Iola-Scandinavia, Manawa and Weyauwega-Fremont, is set for June 24; the Division 2 competition, which will include athletes from Waupaca, New London and Clintonville, will be held June 25; and the Division 1 meet, which will include athletes from Hortonville, will wrap up the competition on June 26.
Athletes in all three divisions competed June 17-18 at sectionals across the state. Division 1 athletes needed to place in the top three to move on, while athletes in divisions 2 and 3 needed a top-four finish.
Division 3
Rosholt Sectional
Several individuals and relay teams from Iola-Scandinavia, Manawa and Weyauwega-Fremont are moving on after placing in the top four in Rosholt.
Advancing from Iola-Scandinavia are Brye Hardel (first, boys’ shot put); and Parker Prahl (second, boys’ triple jump, and fourth, long jump).
Manawa’s qualifiers are Aspen Linjer (first, girls’ 100-meter dash); Lexi Hedtke (third, girls’ high jump); the boys’ 800-meter relay team of Justin Buschke, Grant Bristol, Conner Scheid and Tanner Nienhaus (second); and the boys’ 400-meter relay team of Buschke, Scheid, Nicholas Gorman and Nienhaus (third).
Weyauwega-Fremont is sending Abby Bartel (first, girls’ 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs); Muluken Rucks (third, boys’ pole vault); Sam Mason (fourth, boys’ high jump); and the girls’ 3,200-meter relay team of Emma Ziepke, Madison Hansen, Melanie Jentsch and Bartel (fourth).
Division 2
Fox Valley Lutheran Sectional
New London’s Kyle Wisniewski qualified in three events for the Bulldogs after winning the boys’ high jump event, placing second in the long jump and taking third in the triple jump.
Waupaca’s James Sternweis won the boys’ shot put event.
New London is also sending Macy Reybrock and Owen Schlueter. Reybrock placed third in the girls’ 400-meter dash and fourth in the 800-meter run, while Schlueter placed fourth in the boys’ discus event.
Clintonville is sending three athletes to state. Lauren Zwirschitz and Casey Ploederl placed third in the girls’ 100-meter hurdles and boys’ high jump, respectively. Trystan Krueger is moving on after placing fourth in the boys’ 200-meter dash.
Division 1
West De Pere Sectional
Hortonville’s Charlie Wirth won the boys’ 800- and 1,600-meter runs at West De Pere High School.
Also moving on for the Polar Bears are Lyric Johnson (third, girls’ 100-meter dash); and Aiden Leist (third, boys’ 400-meter dash).