The Bluejay track teams cruised into Monday’s WIAA Wausau West Regional on a roll and it didn’t stop there.
“Just when I think the girls have hit a new high in handling the competition they find a new high,” MHS coach Greg Eichelkraut said. “All throughout our line-up, especially our potential (sectional) qualifiers, the girls performed at their best.”
Boys coach Kurt VandenHeuvel concurred, “We had a pretty darn good meet.”
The girls ended up 4th overall with 81.33 points, and the boys were 5th with 825.
Senior Sam Arneson broke his school record in the discus by another 7 feet with a 185′ 1″ that was six feet longer than the best in the state this year.
“He crushed it,” Vandenheuvel said of the record. “He beat second place by 35 feet, which is pretty cool.”
The 1600M team of Lucas Olson, Alec Oestreich, Jake Sczygelski and Derek Woellner pulled a first by 2 seconds in 3:27.00.
“That was shocking,” VandenHeuvel said. “I was banking on us squeaking in and we ended up crushing the competition.”
Arneson ranked 2nd in the shot put at 51′ 10.5″, and Nick Leskey qualified 4th in both throw events at 50′ 3.75″ in the shot and at 142′ 6″ in the disc.
Freshman Renee Sladek won the high jump at 5′ 0″, and had a 13-foot PR in the discus to finish second at 117′ 2″.
The girls also rocked the pole vault, placing 2-4-5 with Emily Jones (9′ 3″), Sara Schleif (8′ 9″) and Ashley Berton (8′ 9″).
“Renee had an exceptional day,” Eichelkraut said. “Pole vault was our best event. We had a little adversity in the 4-by-100. Renee had to come to a complete stop, which moved her back to third, but she came back to second and almost caught first by the end.
“We told the girls, all you need to do is be in the top four. We’ll have two days to work on the problems later.”
The 400M group of Mandy Vonderheid, Andi English, Brianna Piepenbrok and Sladek was timed in :51.75. Schleif also ranked 2nd in the 100 hurdles in :16.84.
“That was a huge leap for Sara, a break-through night,” Eichelkraut said. “So far she’s ranked second in the sectional.”
Vonderheid was the other sectional qualifier for the girls, racing to 3rd in :13.09 in the 100M.
The boys rated 3rd in the 800 and 400 relays and 4th in the 3200. The group of Olson, Woellner, Oestreich and Philipp ran 3rd in the 800M in 1:31.99, and the same in the 400 in :44.43.
“We got all our relays to state,” VandenHeuvel said. “That’s a huge step for us. We were really tedious on the little things the last few days in practice, and it paid off. The hard work’s done, but the little things are going to cut off a second when you’ve got four guys.
“A lot of them are shooting for school records, too. If they get the school record, it’s odds on they’re going to state.”
Also earning a sectional berth were: Jamie Marrier (110HH, :16.03); Olson (HJ, 5′ 8″); Cody Dengel (200M, :23.93).
Other boys collecting points were: Sczygelski (5th, PV, 12′ 6″/ 5th, 110 HH, :16.35); Marrier (6th, 300 IH, :44.10); Litschauer (8th, 400, :55.21); Philipp (8th, HJ, 5′ 8″).
Other girls picking up points were: Aubrey Wardall (5th, discus, 102′ 8″/ 7th, shot put, 34′ 2.25″); the 1600 team (5th, Lauren Hojan, Jessica Sabey, Vonderheid, Berton, 4:19.44); Katelynn Krueger (6th, 200, :29.07/ 7th, 300 LH, :52.66); 3200 relay (6th, Kendra Andreska, Kendra Oestreich, Hojan, Berton, 10:57.39); Piepenbrok (7th, LJ, 14′ 11.5″); English (7th, TJ, 30′ 7″); the 800 squad (7th, Piepenbrok, Sabey, McKenna Robbins, Sarah Cournaya, 1:56.64).
Team standings-Girls-Wausau W. 138.5, D.C.E. 128, Wausau E. 98, Merrill 81.33, Lakeland 75.33, Marshfield 74.5, Antigo 71.33, Rhinelander 31…….Boys-D.C.E. 171.5, Marshfield 109.5, W.W. 105.5, Lakeland 97.5, Merrill 82.5, Antigo 49, W.E. 49, Rhinelander 33.5.
Athletes will need a top-three finish in Thursday’s Wausau East Sectional to automatically qualify for the state meet, which will be held June 3-4 at UW-LaCrosse.
WVC Outdoor
The girls placed fifth, edging out Marshfield by a half-point, and the boys sixth in last Tuesday’s extremely competitive Valley Outdoor at Stevens Point.
Wins for the girls were turned in by: Sladek in the high jump (5′ 0″) and the 400M team (:51.66). Jones (9′ 6″) and Schleif (8′ 6″) went 2-4 in the pole vault. The 1600M squad was 3rd (in 4:20.28), as was Wardall in the discus (100′ 3″).
The boys took titles with Arneson in the discus (153′ 10″) and the 800M team (1:31.31). Leskey (51′ 9.5″) and Arneson (50′ 1″) went 2-3 in the shot put. The 1600M team was 3rd in 3:32.05.
Also scoring points for the boys were: Marrier (5th, 110 HH, :16.18/ 6th, 300 IH, :43.36); Sczygelski (5th, PV, 12′ 6″/ 7th, 110 HH, :16.84); Leskey (5th, discus, 134′ 6″); 100M team (5th, :44.65); 3200M squad (5th, 8:48.58); Olson (7th, HJ, 5′ 8″); Philipp (8th, HJ, 5′ 6″).
Collecting additional tallies for the girls were: Vonderheid (4th, 100, :13.19); Schleif (5th, 110 HH, :17.58/ 7th, LJ, 15′ 1.75″); Wardall (5th, SP, 34′ 7″); 3200M group (5th, 10:47.80); 800M squad (6th, 1:54.87); Berton (7th, 300M LH, :52.28); and English (8th, TJ, 30′ 10″).
Team standings-Girls-SPASH 141.5, D.C.E. 140, Wausau W. 128.5, Wausau E. 91.5, Merrill 71.5, Marshfield 71, Wis. Rapids 54…….Boys-D.C.E. 181.5, SPASH 138, Marshfield 106, W.W. 87, Wis Rapids 76, Merrill 67.5, W.E. 42.