THE STATE MEET: The 126th Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Boys Track and Field Championships and the 51st Girls Track and Field Championships will be held Friday-Saturday, June 3-4, at the Veterans Memorial Stadium Complex on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
MEET INFORMATION: The meet features two sessions Friday. The Division 1 session begins at 9:30 a.m. with the competition proceeding in the order of events, which can be found on the Track & Field Tournament page on the WIAA website. The Division 2 and 3 sessions begin at 3 p.m. The competition resumes Saturday at 9:30 a.m. The order of the finals for each event Saturday begins with Division 3, followed by Divisions 2 and 1, respectively.
MEET LIVE ON WIAA.TV The live stream of the State Meet will be produced by Rush Media on the WIAA.TV portal of the NFHS Network. To purchase a subscription to the live programming, log-on to www.wiaa.tv and click on the subscription image on the home page.
2021 TEAM RESULTS-BOYS: Arrowhead won the Division 1 championship by compiling 66 team points. Oshkosh West was runner-up with 38 points. Jefferson and Lodi shared the title in Division 2 with 40 points each. In Division 3, Aquinas captured the crown by scoring 54 points, and Edgar placed second with 45 points. Columbus Catholic won the team championship in the wheelchair competition by compiling 40 points, and Kenosha Indian Trail was runner-up with 28 points.
2021 TEAM RESULTS-GIRLS: In Division 1, D.C. Everest and Muskego tied for the team championship by accumulating 46 points apiece. Freedom earned the title in Division 2 with 59 points in the meet, and Shorewood placed second with 52 points. Royall captured the Division 3 title with 50 points. Fennimore finish runner-up with 47 points. Turner won the wheelchair team title, tallying 34 points. Kenosha Indian Trail and Richland Center tied for second with 30 points.
BY THE NUMBERS-BOYS: Whitefish Bay has won the most boys team championships with 18, 16 of them coming consecutively from 1937-52. Milwaukee Riverside and Kohler are second with 16 titles each. Only two competitors have ever won the same individual event four times. Dave Greenwood of Park Falls won four titles in the high jump from 1976-79, and Paul Annear of Richland Center repeated the feat in the same event from 2005-08. Three individuals have won four relay titles in the same relay. Kevin Bledsoe of Milwaukee South did it in the 400 relay (1984-87) as did Josh Dickerson of D.C. Everest (1993-96) and Greg Bracey of Milwaukee Vincent (2000-03). Justin Austin (2005-08) of Brown Deer holds the boys record for the most titles won by an individual in a career with nine. Darrell Jansen of Kimberly (1958-60) and Annear have won eight championships. Four others have won seven titles. Only Alvin Kraenzlein of Milwaukee East has won five State titles in one meet (1895), and Andrew Rock of Stratford is the only other athlete to win four State titles in the same year (2000). Joe Schubert of Marquette is the only wheelchair competitor to win the same event four times. He did it in both the 100 and 400 races (2014-17). He leads all wheelchair participants with 10 total championships. Milwaukee South lays claim to the most event titles throughout the history of the meet with 99. Whitefish Bay is second with 97.
BY THE NUMBERS-GIRLS: Madison West and Rosholt have won the most girls’ team titles with six. Three of West’s titles came in succession from 1980-82. Arcadia, Marathon, Nekoosa and Waukesha West have won five titles with Edgar, Madison Memorial, Milwaukee Bradley, Milwaukee King, Prairie du Chien and Whitewater are next on the list with four. Twenty-four girls have won the same event four times during their career. Kennedy Blahnik of Algoma, Bonnie Draxler of Wrightstown, Molly Seidel of University Lake School, Joanna Schultz of Holmen and Cami Davre of Whitefish Bay are the only athletes to accomplish the feat in two different events. Blahnik won the discus and shot put from 2011-14; Draxler won the 400 dash and pole vault from 2011-14; Seidel won the 1,600 and 3,200 runs from 2009-12; Schultz captured the titles in the 200 and 400 dashes from 2003-06; and Davre won the gold in the 800 and 1,600 runs from 2014-17. Draxler, Davre, Jaclynn Kriegl of Florence, and both Elizabeth Pospyhalla and Tess Thurs of Edgar hold the record for the most championships won in a career by an individual with 10. Dana Collins of Milwaukee Marshall, Heather Hyland of Nekoosa and Jenni Westphal of Marinette are next in line with nine. Edgar has won the most events in the history of the meet with 42 titles. Madison Memorial is next on the list with 34.
DIVISION 1 NOTES – BOYS: Arrowhead has representation in the most events with 16, including 12 individual events and all four relays. Kimberly and Sun Prairie are next 11 events, both having entries in eight individual events and three relays. Stevens Point has participants in 14 events, including 10 individual events and four relays. One individual event and four relays have their champions from last year returning this year. Senior Cael Schoemann of Hartford won the 800-meter run last year, and he returns in pursuit of his second title. He is seeded sixth in the event this year with a time of 1:56.24 recorded at sectionals last week. The Arrowhead 400, 1,600 and 3,200 relay squads attempt to retain the titles they won a year ago. The Warhawks enter the State Meet with the sixth-fastest 400 relay seed time at 43.13, the second-fastest 1,600 relay seed time of 3:24.10 and the seventh-fastest 3,200 relay seed time at 8:05.62. The Muskego 800 relay ran to the championship last year and returns this season with the 21st-fastest qualifying time of 1:32.48.
DIVISION 1 NOTES – GIRLS: Muskego and West De Pere have representation in 14 events to lead the division. The Warriors have entries in 10 individual events and in all four relays, and the Phantoms have participants in 11 individual events and three relays. Mukwonago has the third-most events with representation with 13, including 11 individual events and two relays. Four individual events and three relays feature the return of their champions from 2021, and there are also two former champions looking to add to the title they won in 2019. Senior Jaiah Hopf of Wisconsin Lutheran is not only seeking to repeat as the Division 1 champion in the both the long jump and triple jump, she is also seeking her third championship in both events. Hopf was the Division 2 champion in the long and triple jumps in 2019. She enters the State Meet with the best qualifying leap in the triple jump at 40-5 1/2 and the third-farthest distance in the long jump long jump at 18-5. Senior Rosin Willis of Stevens Point returns to the State Meet after winning the 800 run as a freshman with a record time of 2:05.68 in 2019. She is on pace to shatter the record again with a qualifying performance of 2:03.09, which is 15 seconds faster than the next-closest challenger. Junior Brooklyn Sandvig of Chippewa Falls is the top qualifier in the 400 dash with a time of 55.27 after winning the event last year. She is also a contender in the 100 and 200 dashes. Senior Lauren Pansegrau of Middleton won the Division 1 cross country championship last fall and the 3,200 run a year ago. She’s back in the event with the fourth-fastest qualifying time of 10:59.86. Junior Anna Szepieniec of DeForest is the top qualifier in the 300 hurdles with the second-fastest seed time at 44.99 after capturing the gold medal in the event last season. She should also contend for the title in the 100 hurdles with the top qualifying time of 14.56. The high jump boasts a pair of former champions among the qualifiers. Junior Kyla Saleh of Waunakee won the title last year, and senior Olivia VanZeeland of Kaukauna won the championship in 2019. VanZeeland is one of four qualifiers possessing the best sectional performance at 5-4. Saleh is one of eight jumpers with the ninth-best qualifying mark at 5-2. Muskego sets its sights on commanding the sprint relays as they did last year. The Warriors’ 400, 800 and 1,600 relays are all contenders to repeat in their respective events. The 400 and 800 relay teams both possess the top qualifying times at 49.02 and 1:42.87, respectively. The 1,600 relay has the third-fastest qualifying performance with a time of 4:00.26.
DIVISION 2 NOTES – BOYS: Catholic Memorial has the most event entries in the meet with 13. The Crusaders have qualifiers in nine individual events and all four relays. Freedom has representation in 10 events, including six individual events and four relays. La Crosse Logan and Lodi are next with nine. The Rangers have competitors in seven individual events and two relays, and the Blue Devils have entries in eight individual events and one relay. There are 10 individual events and two relays that claim their 2021 champions returning to retain their titles. Senior Lucas Heyroth of Lodi is the returning champion in three events and junior Nathan Cumberbatch of Shorewood is the returning champions in two events. Heyroth won the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles as well as the long jump in 2021. He returns as the top qualifier in the 110 hurdles in a time of 14.42, and he has the second-fastest seed time in the 300 hurdles at 40.07. He also has the second-best qualifying leap in the long jump at 22-9 3/4. Cumberbatch, the Division 2 cross country medalist last fall, won both the 400 dash and 800 run a year ago. He returns to defend his titles with the fastest qualifying times in both those events at 49.34 in the 400 and 1:55.67 in the 800. Senior Shane Griepentrog of Valders won the Division 3 cross country individual title in the fall and is the returning champion in the 3,200 run. He enters the State Meet with the best qualifying time from sectionals at 9:15.39. Senior Camden Combs of Turner won the triple jump last year, and he qualifies with the best jump at last week’s sectional at 45-2 1/2. The high jump also has its returning champion back this year. Senior Caden Thomas of Edgewood seeks to win a second straight title, qualifying with the fourth highest jump in the field at 6-3 1/4. Senior Luke Haase of Osceola won the pole vault last season. He returns with the fourth-best qualifying vault of 13-6. Senior Gavin Fritsch of Little Chute has qualified in the discus this season with the toss of 159-7, which ranks third among qualifiers after he won the event a year ago. The Ellsworth 400 and 800 relays captured gold last year and appear to be in position to repeat with the top qualifying time in the 400 at 43.56 and the second-fastest pace in the 800 at 1:30.38.
DIVISION 2 NOTES – GIRLS: Freedom is represented in the most number of events with 11, including nine individual events and two relays. Edgewood is next on the list with 10, including seven individual events and three relays. Lodi will be competing in nine individual events and no relays. Six individual events in the division feature a former champion returning to challenge for another title this year. Three relays also return after winning championships in 2021. Sophomore Nora Gremban of Northland Pines burst on the scene as a freshman last year to win both the 800 and 1,600 runs. She seeks to successfully defend those titles with the best seed time in the 1,600 at 5:01.21 and the second-swiftest time in the 800 at 2:16.47. Another sophomore looking to follow up on a brilliant freshman performance a year ago is sophomore Eliana Sheplee of Rice Lake. She won the 400 dash and has produced the best sectional time this season at 57.33. Junior Mikaela Helling of Two Rivers won the 3,200 run in 2021, and she returns to defend her title with the second-best entry time of 11:16.47. Senior Kalli Knoble of La Crosse Logan is the returning champion in the high jump competition. She returns to the event tied with the fifth-best qualifying distance of 5-2. Senior Sylvia Johansen of Clinton eyes a return to the top of the podium in the 100 dash this season. She was the 2019 champion in the event but slipped to second a year ago. She qualifies this year with the best qualifying time of 12.13 in the event. The Edgewood 800 relay team is seeded third this season with the third-quickest race at sectionals recording a time of 1:46.83 after winning the State title last season. Freedom’s 1,600 relay is back in contention to challenge for the title again this season with the second-fastest qualifying time of 4:01.36. Shorewood was the 2021 champion in the 3,200 relay, but the Greyhounds may need to shave time off its qualifying time of 9:49.43 to repeat their gold medal performance of a year ago.
DIVISION 3 NOTES – BOYS: Chetek-Weyerhaeuser and Grantsburg possess the most event entries in the division with eight. Both have participants in six individual events and two relays. Glenwood City, Mondovi and Princeton/Green Lake each have entries in seven events. The Hilltoppers are in five individual events and two relays with the Buffaloes and Tigersharks represented in seven individual events and no relays. There are five individual events and two relays that return champions to the meet this year. Senior Parker Schneider of Durand is the returning champion in both the 800 and 1,600 runs. He enters the State Meet with the fastest qualifying time in the 800 at 1:54.52 and the ninth-swiftest performance at sectionals in the 1,600 at 4:33.57. Senior Brennen Dvorachek of Reedsville also won a pair of events last year and is back to defend the titles earned in the 110 and 300 hurdles. He has the second-fastest qualifying time in the 110 hurdles at 14.98 and the third-quickest seed time in the 300 at 38.81. In both the hurdle events, he’ll need to contend with junior Cade Stingle of Shiocton, who has the fastest qualifying times in both those events at 14.68 and 38.33, respectively, after finishing runner-up to Dvorachek last year. Senior Caden Decker of Athens is poised to contend for his second straight gold medal in the pole vault with the top qualifying performance in the field at 14-3. The Edgar 800 and 1,600 relay teams return in pursuit of a repeat title. The Wildcats have the seventh-best seed time in the 800 relay entering the race at 1:33.27 with the fourth-swiftest time in the 1,600 relay at 3:30.98.
DIVISION 3 NOTES – GIRLS: Lancaster has representation in 11 events, which leads the division. The Flying Arrows have entries in seven individual events and all four relays. Ladysmith has participants in nine events, including six individual events and three relays. Dodgeland has qualifiers in eight events, having representation in seven individual events and one relay. Seven individual events and two relays feature returning champions. Most notably are the three events won by senior Kayci Martinson of Benton/Scales Mound last year. Martenson raced to championships in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 runs. She also won the 1,600 and 3,200, and placed runner-up in the 800 in 2019. She has posted the best qualifying times this season in the 800 and 1,600 at 2:15.72 and 5:03.68, respectively. She possesses the fifth-fastest qualifying time in the 3,200 run at 11:45.38. In addition, Martenson is a three-time State cross country champion. Junior Steffi Siewert of Deerfield should again contend for the 100 dash championship with the top qualifying time of 12.56 after capturing the crown last year. Junior Kendal Stingle of Shiocton clocked the quickest qualifying time in the 300 hurdles at 46.07 after winning the event a year ago. She should also contend for the 100 hurdles title with one of the top qualifying times. Sophomore Izzy Bender of Fennimore won the high jump title as a freshman last year. A year later, she is back to defend her title with the second-best jump among the qualifiers this season at 5-4. Senior Miranda Firari of Dodgeland is attempting to replicate the feat of winning the pole vault championship back in 2019. She begins competition with the second-best qualifying height of 11-0. The Lancaster 800 relay attempts to defend its title earned last season. The Flying Arrows enter the State Meet with the top qualifying time of 1:47.98 in the event. The Boscobel 3,200 relay returns to contend for its second straight title in the event with the fastest seed time of 9:49.62.
WHEELCHAIR NOTES: There are no returning champions in the boys competition this season, but on the girls side there are four events featuring last year’s champions. Senior Karissa Craddock of Richland Center is the returning wheelchair champion in both the 100 and 400 dashes. She has the best qualifying time in the 100 this season with a time of 21.73, and she has the third-best time in the 400 race. Junior Rachel Cleaver of Turner is the defending champion in both the 800 race and shot put. Based on qualifying performances, she is in position to repeat as champion in those events with the best seed performances at 2:59.30 and 15-1 1/2, respectively. She is also the top qualifier in the 400 and the second-swiftest in the 100.
NEED THE QUALIFIERS?: Qualifiers and qualifying performance lists, along with meet schedule, heats and lane assignments are available on the WIAA website by navigating to the boys or girls track & field tournament page at:
www.wiaawi.org/Sports/Spring/Boys-Track-Field/Tournament or www.wiaawi.org/Sports/Spring/Girls-Track-Field/Tournament.
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