If you go...
What: WIAA track and field championships.
When: Friday-Saturday.
Where: UW-La Crosse.
Tickets: $8 for single session, $12 for day pass, $20 for two-day all-sessions pass.
MONROE - There's no question the Monroe boys 3,200-meter relay team faces some pressure entering the WIAA Division 2 state track and field championships this week.
The Cheesemakers are embracing the high expectations.
"I think all year when we have had our best guys we have ran great, and everyone wants to win it," Monroe sophomore Ethan Moehn said. "If we go out there and run like we should, we should win."
The quartet of Steve Christiansen, Matt Bush, Alex Barenklau and Moehn boast the meet's top qualifying time of 8 minutes, 1.61 seconds - almost two seconds ahead of No. 2-seeded Sugar River (8:03.55).
Monroe coach Curt Miller likes the Cheesemakers' chances of repeating as champions in the event.
"They have as good of a chance as anybody," Miller said. "They should be as ready as anybody in our division. Now is not the time to make wholesale changes. You just hope that kids trust what they have been doing to this point and do what they have been coached to do all season long."
Moehn enters the state championships, which begin Friday and conclude Saturday at UW-La Crosse, with the top qualifying time in the 800 at 1:56.65, which is just ahead of Madison Edgewood's David Mott (1:56.87). Sugar River's Wesley Morgan is the No. 4 seed.
"I would like to think as the No. 1 seed I have the best chance of winning it," Moehn said. "Obviously it's the state meet and anyone can run strong and win it on any given day. I have to respect everyone in the field."
Miller is confident in Moehn, but stayed away from a prediction.
"The 800 run is always a dog fight at state," Miller said. "There is probably 10 guys who could win that race. He is talented enough to be one of those guys favored to win."
Sugar River junior Ryan McCoy will be a marked runner at the state meet. He takes the top time in the 1,600 (4:20.76) and in the 3,200 (9:38.19) into the weekend.
"My goal is to win it," McCoy said of the 1,600 and 3,200. "I really don't feel any extra pressure from (being a No. 1 seed) because winning has been the goal the whole time. I just want to go out and run the best I can and see what happens. I will leave it all out on the track. I'm not saving anything."
McCoy isn't the only one with title aspirations. Senior teammate Jon Beckman has the fastest qualifying time in the 110 high hurdles (14.97) and Monroe sophomore Jake Hirsbrunner is one of five jumpers tied as the No. 2 seed in the high jump (6 feet, 4 inches). The top seed in the high jump is Parkview junior Ben Davidson (6-5). Rice Lake senior Wally Ellenson, last year's Division 2 state champion in the high jump who has cleared 7-1 this season, will look to win a title in Division 1 this year.
"There is no top dog," Miller said of the high jump. "It's wide open. There are 12 to 14 guys who could finish anywhere from first to last. I think Jake has to go there and have his best performance of the year. If he does that, the places and medals will take care of themselves. If he has his best performance, he will be on the medal stand."
The Cheesemakers' other medal contender figures to be the 1,600 relay unit of Skyler Stingley, Barenklau, Moehn and Bush.
Brodhead-Juda senior Levi Frost is the No. 4 seed in the 110 hurdles and will look to get out of the preliminaries on Friday. Sugar River sophomore Kelvin Johnson is the No. 6 seed in the 300 hurdles (40.82) and teammate Garrison Woods is the No. 7 seed in the triple jump and could contend for a medal.
Brodhead-Juda senior Heather Clankie, last year's state champion in the discus and a three-time state qualifier in the event, is the No. 2 seed (137-0) behind Whitewater senior Molly Griep (147-4).
"My biggest goal is to win again and be a two-time state champion," Clankie said. "(Griep) is my biggest rival in the conference. I have been confident in all my throws because I have been so consistent this year."
Sugar River's 800 relay team of Victoria Ortgiesen, Emily DeNure, Madeline Brunner and Emily Diaz enters the preliminaries as the No. 5 seed with a chance of medaling.
Monroe's 400 relay team of Mackenzie Hesgard. Lauren Werth, Tre Voegeli and Maria Eberle is in the first heat of the preliminaries, but will look to make a run to the finals.
"A realistic goal for them is to make it to the finals," Miller said. "For them to have a chance in the finals, they will probably have to break 51 (seconds). We are not far off from that."
The Cheesemakers are embracing the high expectations.
"I think all year when we have had our best guys we have ran great, and everyone wants to win it," Monroe sophomore Ethan Moehn said. "If we go out there and run like we should, we should win."
The quartet of Steve Christiansen, Matt Bush, Alex Barenklau and Moehn boast the meet's top qualifying time of 8 minutes, 1.61 seconds - almost two seconds ahead of No. 2-seeded Sugar River (8:03.55).
Monroe coach Curt Miller likes the Cheesemakers' chances of repeating as champions in the event.
"They have as good of a chance as anybody," Miller said. "They should be as ready as anybody in our division. Now is not the time to make wholesale changes. You just hope that kids trust what they have been doing to this point and do what they have been coached to do all season long."
Moehn enters the state championships, which begin Friday and conclude Saturday at UW-La Crosse, with the top qualifying time in the 800 at 1:56.65, which is just ahead of Madison Edgewood's David Mott (1:56.87). Sugar River's Wesley Morgan is the No. 4 seed.
"I would like to think as the No. 1 seed I have the best chance of winning it," Moehn said. "Obviously it's the state meet and anyone can run strong and win it on any given day. I have to respect everyone in the field."
Miller is confident in Moehn, but stayed away from a prediction.
"The 800 run is always a dog fight at state," Miller said. "There is probably 10 guys who could win that race. He is talented enough to be one of those guys favored to win."
Sugar River junior Ryan McCoy will be a marked runner at the state meet. He takes the top time in the 1,600 (4:20.76) and in the 3,200 (9:38.19) into the weekend.
"My goal is to win it," McCoy said of the 1,600 and 3,200. "I really don't feel any extra pressure from (being a No. 1 seed) because winning has been the goal the whole time. I just want to go out and run the best I can and see what happens. I will leave it all out on the track. I'm not saving anything."
McCoy isn't the only one with title aspirations. Senior teammate Jon Beckman has the fastest qualifying time in the 110 high hurdles (14.97) and Monroe sophomore Jake Hirsbrunner is one of five jumpers tied as the No. 2 seed in the high jump (6 feet, 4 inches). The top seed in the high jump is Parkview junior Ben Davidson (6-5). Rice Lake senior Wally Ellenson, last year's Division 2 state champion in the high jump who has cleared 7-1 this season, will look to win a title in Division 1 this year.
"There is no top dog," Miller said of the high jump. "It's wide open. There are 12 to 14 guys who could finish anywhere from first to last. I think Jake has to go there and have his best performance of the year. If he does that, the places and medals will take care of themselves. If he has his best performance, he will be on the medal stand."
The Cheesemakers' other medal contender figures to be the 1,600 relay unit of Skyler Stingley, Barenklau, Moehn and Bush.
Brodhead-Juda senior Levi Frost is the No. 4 seed in the 110 hurdles and will look to get out of the preliminaries on Friday. Sugar River sophomore Kelvin Johnson is the No. 6 seed in the 300 hurdles (40.82) and teammate Garrison Woods is the No. 7 seed in the triple jump and could contend for a medal.
Brodhead-Juda senior Heather Clankie, last year's state champion in the discus and a three-time state qualifier in the event, is the No. 2 seed (137-0) behind Whitewater senior Molly Griep (147-4).
"My biggest goal is to win again and be a two-time state champion," Clankie said. "(Griep) is my biggest rival in the conference. I have been confident in all my throws because I have been so consistent this year."
Sugar River's 800 relay team of Victoria Ortgiesen, Emily DeNure, Madeline Brunner and Emily Diaz enters the preliminaries as the No. 5 seed with a chance of medaling.
Monroe's 400 relay team of Mackenzie Hesgard. Lauren Werth, Tre Voegeli and Maria Eberle is in the first heat of the preliminaries, but will look to make a run to the finals.
"A realistic goal for them is to make it to the finals," Miller said. "For them to have a chance in the finals, they will probably have to break 51 (seconds). We are not far off from that."
