|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Members of Indians Track and Field Teams in La Crosse for State Meet
|
|
|
|
|
|
By JUDY HARLOW
5/22/08 KEWASKUM-Elevating their efforts to new highs, three members of the Kewaskum High School boys track team and six from the school’s girls track team are on their way to the WIAA Division 2 State Track and Field Meet in La Crosse.
The hardworking, talented crew of Indians earned berths in the state competition by placing among the top four in their specialties in the sectional meet hosted by Kewaskum last Thursday afternoon and evening.
“I think things went very well. The kids who we thought had a good chance to make it... they all made it!” exclaimed KHS coach Jerry Gosa about the efforts of his athletes, who broke two school records and set several personal bests to successfully reach their goals. “And we had a nice little surprise about Tyler Swanson,” he added.
In the team competitions, it was East Troy winning the girls team title with 67 points, including 30 scored by Becca Buchholtz, who won three individual events. In the runner-up spot was Whitewater with 57, followed by Lakeside Lutheran, 55; Milwaukee Lutheran 52; and Catholic Memorial, 50, rounding out the top five.
The KHS girls finished seventh with 46 points.
A spirited race developed between Milwaukee Lutheran and Brown Deer for the boys title, with Lutheran coming out ahead 82 to 79 points. In the third through fifth spots were Whitewater, 59.5; Shorewood, 46; and Kettle Moraine Lutheran, 44.
The Indian boys scored 24.5 points, which was good enough for the ninth spot.
If there was one race that stood out in the meet for the Indians, it had to be the girls 4x200-meter relay. Kewaskum came into the event with the third best time from the regional and left the track with the title and the respect of the East Troy, Whitewater and Brown Deer quartets.
Carrying the green and white colors for the Indians were Haley Gregoriou, Jessie Liniewski, Nichole Kison and Kelly Uelmen. The combined for an excellent time of 1 minute, 45.65 seconds (1:45.65), a school record. The old record stood at 1.47.01 “I would like to have a video of that race,” Gosa boasted.
Good passes and excellent legs by Liniewski and Kison helped to give Uelmen the lead, and the senior sprinter turned into overdrive to hold off the teams from East Troy (1:45.85), Whitewater (1:45.95) and Brown Deer (1:46.15).
“What they did last week, winning the regional with their best time of the year and then to do it at sectional again,” Gosa said. “They really ran fast, they were pushed, they had to run fast.”
The same Indian quartet was also facing an uphill climb in the 4x100 where they had the fifth best time. Again, thanks to some good passes, they were in position to win, and Uelmen made sure of it with a strong anchor leg for a 50.54, good for fourth and much better than their seed time of 51.22.
Brown Deer won this race with a sizzling 49.94.
Individually, high jumper Candace Beine and pole vaulter Alissa Clapper move on to state. Clapper won the pole vault by clearing 9-feet, 6 inches (9-6), and Beine topped out at 5-0 in the high jump, second only to “superwoman” Buchholtz, who made 5-6.
“The high jump is an interesting event, so many times this is decided by misses,” Gosa said. “You have to have a good day,” and Beine had one.
The state meet will be held Friday and Saturday, ticket prices for the meet are $6 for each session or $10 for all day Friday. The relays we be running in preliminaries on Friday, Clapper will be vaulting on Saturday and Beine in the high jump on Friday.
Uelmen just missed qualifying for the 100, running a 13.13.10 for fifth place, while Liniewski finished
seventh in the 200 (27.19), missing by three places.
Even though she finished eighth, Gregoriou had an excellent time of 49.89 in the 300 hurdles.
The senior duo of Ben Boettcher and Tyler Swanson had another banner day in the discus. Ditto for junior Jake Dickmann, who went over 13 feet for the first time in the pole vault.
“I think Jake did a really nice job vaulting he did exactly what he had to do,” Gosa said. “13 feet is good for a junior, and he did have some nice attempts at 13-3.”
In the prelims, Boettcher let loose with a winning toss of 178 feet, 7 inches, breaking Charlie Sparks’ school record by just under six feet. Sparks later went on to compete for Indiana State University and qualified for a couple NCAA I national meets.
With the effort, Boettcher was able to defeat Lomira’s fine weightman, Nick Baatz, by nearly three feet.
Swanson also had a big day, throwing the silver platter 149-07 for a new personal best, a third place and place in the state competition.
While he was happy with Boettcher’s effort, weight coach Matt Gundrum was even more excited Swanson qualifed. He worked so hard,” the coach said.
Dickmann was fourth in a strong vaulting field.
“I made it on the third try,” Dickmann said, adding, “I was clean until 13 feet,” meaning he had no misses until then.
And just how did he go six inches higher than he had ever gone before? “The pressure ... the drive to make thirteen,” he said. “I wanted to get it.”
Dickmann started vaulting midway through his freshman season and believes he can still go higher this year.
“Yep ... definitely,” he said.
Boettcher and Swanson will throw on Friday afternoon, while Dickmann will vault on Friday.
It will be the final State Meet at the existing stadium. The 2009 State Meet is scheduled to open the new stadium at the same location.
The Statesman will attempt to post results and updates on their website. Please begin checking the site late Friday evening.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
