LA CROSSE - For many sprinters at the WIAA Division 3 state track and field meet, it's all about the start out of the blocks.
For Black Hawk sophomore Jen Wellnitz, her start out of the blocks on Saturday paid off as she finished as the state runner-up in the 100-meter dash.
Wellnitz finished the 100 in 12.65 seconds and she had a lifetime best in the triple jump (34 feet, 6 1⁄2 inches) to post a fourth-place finish. Wellnitz was just 0.04 seconds away from a state title in the 100.
"I had a very good start," Wellnitz said of the 100. "I was hoping to get first. The last 10 or 15 meters I can't seem to finish it."
She came through with a season-best triple jump to medal. Wellnitz credited her technique in the triple jump on the landing in the sand for her breakthrough performance.
"I really wanted to reach out and touch my feet," Wellnitz said. "I usually go to my feet right away. Coach always tells me to reach."
She finished seventh in the 200 and just missed medaling by 0.05 seconds.
"I thought I would medal in the 200," Wellnitz said. "I thought I would run faster. I wasn't nervous. I just needed a drink. My legs were really tired coming into the stretch."
The Darlington girls 1,600 relay team of Amy Jorgenson, Hannah Huffman, Claire Scott and Alison Wedig finished second with a time of 4:05.05. The Redbirds broke the school record with that finish. The previous record-holders included Alison Wedig's sisters Olivia and Abby Wedig.
"They are our idols," Jorgenson said. "It's everything we dreamed of."
Scott said after the 800 and 400 relays didn't qualify for the finals, they sat in their dorm room determined to run their best race in the 1,600 relay.
"The 4x400 relay is not necessarily the best runners," Huffman said. "It's the people who want it more."
Pecatonica-Argyle's Kendra Sigg wrapped up her prep track career with a fifth-place finish in the 1,600. Sigg will attend University of Wisconsin-Platteville, but will not run track.
"Coming into it (state) you are nervous because you have to give it all you have got because you can't do it any more," Sigg said. "It's really bittersweet."
Albany sophomore Bailey Hlavachek took fifth in the 800 (2:20.52) and eighth in the 1,600 (5:17.71). University Lake School's Molly Seidel became a four-time state champion winning the 1,600 with a time of 4:54.81.
"After the 1,600, I had to stay focused to get on the podium," Hlavachek said. "It was one of the goals I wanted to achieve. I knew coming in I could stay to the front of the pack. I know at the state meet you are supposed to run your fastest time because there are a lot of competitors and there are a lot more people than other meets. I just had to stay focused."
In the boys competition, the Darlington 3,200 relay team of Kent Miehe, Tyson Miehe, Destin Komprood and Quinn Cullen took second with a personal record time of 8:09.01. The Redbirds were one second away from setting a school record.
"We came up here to win and get a school record," Kent Miehe said. "You can't be too upset by coming up here and getting second. We all ran our best race. We couldn't have run any better. There is a quote in our dorm that says, 'Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.'"
Albany's 3,200 relay team of Chad Helland, Jose Ramirez, Aaron Johnson and Reece Whitehead took ninth and were a little more than three seconds away from a medal.
Tyson Miehe finished third in the 3,200 with a time of 9:45.91, which was about two seconds away from a state title. Miehe entered the 3,200 as the top seed by about 17 seconds. The Prairie School's Andres Tineo Paz won the 3,200 (9:43.60). Rosholt's Jordan Yenter clipped Miehe at the finish for second.
The Redbirds entered the state meet with three of the top six runners. Michael Sinclair took ninth (10:15.65) and Kent Miehe was 14th (10:31.53).
The Pecatonica-Argyle 1,600 relay team of Kyle Zwicker, Marcus Rubio, Cameron Colson and Nathan Loyd took seventh place (3:33.90) and were less than two seconds away from medaling.
For Black Hawk sophomore Jen Wellnitz, her start out of the blocks on Saturday paid off as she finished as the state runner-up in the 100-meter dash.
Wellnitz finished the 100 in 12.65 seconds and she had a lifetime best in the triple jump (34 feet, 6 1⁄2 inches) to post a fourth-place finish. Wellnitz was just 0.04 seconds away from a state title in the 100.
"I had a very good start," Wellnitz said of the 100. "I was hoping to get first. The last 10 or 15 meters I can't seem to finish it."
She came through with a season-best triple jump to medal. Wellnitz credited her technique in the triple jump on the landing in the sand for her breakthrough performance.
"I really wanted to reach out and touch my feet," Wellnitz said. "I usually go to my feet right away. Coach always tells me to reach."
She finished seventh in the 200 and just missed medaling by 0.05 seconds.
"I thought I would medal in the 200," Wellnitz said. "I thought I would run faster. I wasn't nervous. I just needed a drink. My legs were really tired coming into the stretch."
The Darlington girls 1,600 relay team of Amy Jorgenson, Hannah Huffman, Claire Scott and Alison Wedig finished second with a time of 4:05.05. The Redbirds broke the school record with that finish. The previous record-holders included Alison Wedig's sisters Olivia and Abby Wedig.
"They are our idols," Jorgenson said. "It's everything we dreamed of."
Scott said after the 800 and 400 relays didn't qualify for the finals, they sat in their dorm room determined to run their best race in the 1,600 relay.
"The 4x400 relay is not necessarily the best runners," Huffman said. "It's the people who want it more."
Pecatonica-Argyle's Kendra Sigg wrapped up her prep track career with a fifth-place finish in the 1,600. Sigg will attend University of Wisconsin-Platteville, but will not run track.
"Coming into it (state) you are nervous because you have to give it all you have got because you can't do it any more," Sigg said. "It's really bittersweet."
Albany sophomore Bailey Hlavachek took fifth in the 800 (2:20.52) and eighth in the 1,600 (5:17.71). University Lake School's Molly Seidel became a four-time state champion winning the 1,600 with a time of 4:54.81.
"After the 1,600, I had to stay focused to get on the podium," Hlavachek said. "It was one of the goals I wanted to achieve. I knew coming in I could stay to the front of the pack. I know at the state meet you are supposed to run your fastest time because there are a lot of competitors and there are a lot more people than other meets. I just had to stay focused."
In the boys competition, the Darlington 3,200 relay team of Kent Miehe, Tyson Miehe, Destin Komprood and Quinn Cullen took second with a personal record time of 8:09.01. The Redbirds were one second away from setting a school record.
"We came up here to win and get a school record," Kent Miehe said. "You can't be too upset by coming up here and getting second. We all ran our best race. We couldn't have run any better. There is a quote in our dorm that says, 'Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.'"
Albany's 3,200 relay team of Chad Helland, Jose Ramirez, Aaron Johnson and Reece Whitehead took ninth and were a little more than three seconds away from a medal.
Tyson Miehe finished third in the 3,200 with a time of 9:45.91, which was about two seconds away from a state title. Miehe entered the 3,200 as the top seed by about 17 seconds. The Prairie School's Andres Tineo Paz won the 3,200 (9:43.60). Rosholt's Jordan Yenter clipped Miehe at the finish for second.
The Redbirds entered the state meet with three of the top six runners. Michael Sinclair took ninth (10:15.65) and Kent Miehe was 14th (10:31.53).
The Pecatonica-Argyle 1,600 relay team of Kyle Zwicker, Marcus Rubio, Cameron Colson and Nathan Loyd took seventh place (3:33.90) and were less than two seconds away from medaling.
