The MHS track teams ran into incredibly tough competition in last Thursday’s WIAA Rice Lake Sectional, but the season is still alive for two of the Merrill girls, while the boys came up close-but-no-cigar to state-qualfying berths.
“What a perfect way to end a day for Hannah Marrier and Morgan Marnholtz,” MHS coach Bethany Martinovici said. “They are both state qualifiers and both girls deserved these spots at the state meet.
“They have been consistent this whole season and are two girls who have a lot of potential remaining in their career. They have peaked at the appropriate times and will be anxious for one more round next weekend. Having two sophomore girls attending the state meet is a tribute to their talent and the youth of our team as a whole. This week we have to continue to work hard and focus in practices, set goals, and most of all, remain healthy.”
Marnholtz triple jumped 35′ 9.75″, 3-1/4″ short of the win from Menomonie’s Stafani Friedenfels. Marrier was clocked in :47.29 in the 300 low hurdles, just 2/10ths of a second behind 2nd place and well ahead of 4th.
They each ranked 5th in an event, Marrier with a :16.24 in the 100 high hurdles, where she was .28 away from a state berth, and Marnholtz with a 1:02.0 in the 400.
Martinovici credited her assistants for the girls’ success.
“John Bezier and Matt Callope have both worked hard and spent a lot of time training these girls this season,” she said.
Callope noted, “Both athletes competed at their highest level, displaying the results of their season-long dedication and commitment to proper training and superior focus.”
The boys had several chances but needed a performance jump to advance.
“Sectionals chewed us up,” MHS coach Kurt VandenHeuvel said. “The guys came out prepared, but ended up in the same spot as they qualified. There was extreme competition and our guys were just not there yet.
“They took it as a great learning experience and I think they will be eager and hungry to come back next year and start where they left off. I would have loved to see Bryce Litschauer compete again at the state meet but the good news is that all who qualified for the sectional meet are coming back except Bryce.
“It was a quick and very emotional and informational year for the athletes and coaches in all sports. In the end we came up short, but don’t count us out we will be back bigger and stronger next year!”
Sophomore Jake Anderson popped the boys’ best finish with a 6th in the triple jump at 41′ 11″. His regional jump of 42′ 7″ would have put him 2-1/2″ out of 4th. Junior Dalton Wilding ran 7th in the 400, in :55.29, and freshman Tyler Butler rated 8th in the 100 at :11.62. The 400M relay team of Butler, Nick Peterson, Lucas Lee and Kriss Philipp ranked 7th in :44.85, 3/10ths out of 5th. The 800M squad of Nick Hoffmann, Eric Ball, Lee and Anderson ran 8th in 1:35.18.
Philipp would have been a potential state qualifier in the open 100 and 200, but he strained a hamstring at the WVC outdoor and was unable to qualify individually at regional.
SPASH ran away with the boys meet, and Marshfield and D.C. Everest ranked 4th-5th. Wausau West won the girls meet handily over Everest, and SPASH was a close 4th. The meet also featured teams from the Eau Claire area.