|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lady Indians are the best in all of Division 2
|
|
|
|
|
|
By JUDY HARLOW
5/31/08 LA CROSSE- Outstanding ... superlative ... amazing ... remarkable ... magnificent!
Use any of these adjectives to describe the feat the Kewaskum High 800-meter relay team accomplished Friday and Saturday during the WIAA Division 2 State Track and Field Meet held in La Crosse, earning the honor of being state champions!
The foursome of Haley Gregoriou, Jessie Liniewski, Nichole Kison and Kelly Uelmen were clocked in a time of 1 minute, 45 and .62 seconds (1:45.62) to win the event. Whitewater finished second in 1:46.11.
“The girls ran very well,” KHS coach Jerry Gosa said. “They actually had to beat the six best teams in the sectional. Then they had to beat the top six Friday in qualifying, and then they had to beat them Saturday. There was a little pressure on them, but they handled it very well.”
The first hurdle the Indians had to clear was the qualifying for finals, which they did with a new school record time of 1 minute, 45 and 25 seconds (1:45.25), the best time in Friday’s trials.
“We were a little nervous because it was kind of expected of us,” Liniewski said Monday morning before classes started.
What wasn’t expected perhaps was the way this group dropped five seconds from the Eastern Wisconsin Conference Meet (a 1:50.49 on May 13th). And how did that happen? “We have no idea,” Liniewski said, adding she was certain the school record was broken at the sectionals because “There was so much more competition, so we just ran faster. We wanted to win sectionals.”
Gregoriou moved onto the relay midway in the season and said she loved the leadoff spot. “Then I have less to worry about,” she said. “I just have to give and handoff” and not take one.
Gregoriou went on that the handoffs were “pretty good” over the weekend, although “I came up on her (Liniewski) a little quicker” Friday, so the No. 2 runner just moved her tape mark a little forward, and the pass clicked on Saturday.
“They were perfect the entire two days,” Kison said of the handoffs, and when asked about knowing Uelmen was leading, added, “From my place it’s pretty hard to tell,” but after the curve, “Kelly was out front.”
Uelmen said she figured Whitewater would be their top competition. “They were posting the fastest time the whole season, but we beat them at sectional, and we were confident after that,” she said.
When she got the baton, Uelmen said “We were all pretty close” but figured “we had the lead before the turn was over.”
Kewaskum also placed fifth in the 4x100 relay with a time of 50.97, so the team ended up in a tie for 17th place with 14 points.
Gosa said it was ironic the 4x100 relay, which placed in the 2007 state test, was the one the girls concentrated on more early in the season, then “the other one becomes the premier event.”
Gregoriou is just a sophomore, while Liniewski and Kison are juniors, and Uelmen is the lone senior of the bunch.
“I have to be extremely happy for Kelly. What a great way to go out as a senior ... as a state champion,” Gosa said, indicating, “She provided excellent leadership by her example.”
Gosa said it also helped that Kison and Liniewski competed in the state meet last year.
“It was so much fun,” Kison said about the two-day activity, and Liniewski said the victory dinner was a highlight. “We all didn’t drink soda for a long time,” she said, adding the group all went to the Olive Garden afterward and “We all got smoothies and all got sodas.”
Gregoriou, who dropped a full three seconds in her 300-meter hurdle time this season, was so happy to be part of this relay. “I like the relay because it’s like a family thing, and we all get along so well. We have a lot of fun.”
Uelmen, who plans to attend UW-La Crosse in the fall, said it was good to see the campus. “It’s very nice. I like it a lot,” she said, and she certainly enjoyed ending her career on top.
“It made the four years worthwhile, knowing all the hard work and everything paid off,” Uelmen said.
Alissa Clapper had a frustrating day Saturday, going out at 9-feet (9-0) below her usual vaulting height. She did not place.
“Clapper had the unfortunate experience of having her pole break,” Gosa said. “That’s tough. You are forced to use a pole you’ve never used before.”
Gosa said before the pole broke, “She was jumping very well.”
Clapper is a junior and will have another opportunity to place at state.
On Friday, senior Ben Boettcher placed seventh in the discus with a disappointing effort of 159-02, and senior teammate Tyler Swanson threw 141-06 to finish 13th.
Boettcher had the best toss of any of the sectional qualifiers, a 178-7.
“According to coach Gundrum, his first throw was a 175 or 180, and he had a to scratch,” Gosa said, and, “At that point, he had trouble getting a good one out there.”
Lomira’s Nick Baatz won the event, throwing 178-05, and defending champion, Mike Zika od Durand, was second at 170-03.
Junior Jake Dickmann went 12-6 in the pole vault and did not place. It took a jump of 13-0 to finish eighth.
Candace Beine did not make the opening height in Friday’s high jump and did not place.
The track teams gathered Wednesday night for the annual pot luck supper and awards night.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
