LA CROSSE - A two-hour thunderstorm delay and a malfunctioning timing system couldn't stop New Glarus senior Ashley Beutler from another state record breaking performance.
Beutler won a state title in the 3,200-meter run (10 minutes, 33.43 seconds), breaking a 24-year-old state record set by Sauk Prairie's Lori Wolter in 1984.
After setting her watch for 10:32 and falling behind the pace at the 1,600 mark, Beutler didn't think she had a shot at setting a new record.
"I thought there was no way I was going to get the record," Beutler said. "Just to beat her D-2 record was good. I just wanted to have fun with my last two-mile."
It helped that Beutler was pushed by Baldwin-Woodville junior Kayla Wagner, who finished as the state runner-up in 10:38.44.
"Every time we came around the corner," Beutler recounts, "I could see her shadow and I was like, 'Don't let up at all.'"
Beutler, a University of Wisconsin recruit, has her sights set on sweeping state titles in the 3,200 and 1,600 for the second straight year. The cerebral runner who smashed the state record in the 1,600 last year (4:48.37) is gunning for another state title in the mile today.
Beutler also ran the anchor leg of the Raiders' fourth-place 3,200 relay team. Beutler teamed with senior Amanda Crary and sophomores Alison Schmitz and Rachel Miller to finish fourth in 9 minutes, 47.08 seconds.
The Darlington girls' 3,200 relay team entered the WIAA Division 3 state track meet as the No. 1 seed with a time of 9:44.05. The Redbirds' quartet of juniors Hana Miehe, Ciara Wiegel, sophomore Olivia Wedig and senior Abby Wedig finished third in 9:47.75.
Darlington junior Marcia Roeper, who qualified for state in four events, kept her medal hopes alive by taking fifth in the preliminaries of the 100 (:13.08) to advance to the finals. Roeper, who is the No. 1 seed in the Division 3 pole vault, will look to capture gold in that event today.
The Redbirds' 400 relay team of Kara Krahenbuhl, Kelsi Blosch, Vanessa Schwartz and Roeper took fifth in the preliminaries in :51.68 to qualify for the finals. Black Hawk's Katie Place, Savannah Ernzen, Rachel Rygh and Hailey Meier placed third in the same relay at :51.51.
The Pecatonica-Argyle 800 relay team of Holly Vlasak, Kimee Chandler, Cassie Welch and Ariel Noble punched their ticket to the finals today with a sixth-place finish in 1:49.87.
Beutler won a state title in the 3,200-meter run (10 minutes, 33.43 seconds), breaking a 24-year-old state record set by Sauk Prairie's Lori Wolter in 1984.
After setting her watch for 10:32 and falling behind the pace at the 1,600 mark, Beutler didn't think she had a shot at setting a new record.
"I thought there was no way I was going to get the record," Beutler said. "Just to beat her D-2 record was good. I just wanted to have fun with my last two-mile."
It helped that Beutler was pushed by Baldwin-Woodville junior Kayla Wagner, who finished as the state runner-up in 10:38.44.
"Every time we came around the corner," Beutler recounts, "I could see her shadow and I was like, 'Don't let up at all.'"
Beutler, a University of Wisconsin recruit, has her sights set on sweeping state titles in the 3,200 and 1,600 for the second straight year. The cerebral runner who smashed the state record in the 1,600 last year (4:48.37) is gunning for another state title in the mile today.
Beutler also ran the anchor leg of the Raiders' fourth-place 3,200 relay team. Beutler teamed with senior Amanda Crary and sophomores Alison Schmitz and Rachel Miller to finish fourth in 9 minutes, 47.08 seconds.
The Darlington girls' 3,200 relay team entered the WIAA Division 3 state track meet as the No. 1 seed with a time of 9:44.05. The Redbirds' quartet of juniors Hana Miehe, Ciara Wiegel, sophomore Olivia Wedig and senior Abby Wedig finished third in 9:47.75.
Darlington junior Marcia Roeper, who qualified for state in four events, kept her medal hopes alive by taking fifth in the preliminaries of the 100 (:13.08) to advance to the finals. Roeper, who is the No. 1 seed in the Division 3 pole vault, will look to capture gold in that event today.
The Redbirds' 400 relay team of Kara Krahenbuhl, Kelsi Blosch, Vanessa Schwartz and Roeper took fifth in the preliminaries in :51.68 to qualify for the finals. Black Hawk's Katie Place, Savannah Ernzen, Rachel Rygh and Hailey Meier placed third in the same relay at :51.51.
The Pecatonica-Argyle 800 relay team of Holly Vlasak, Kimee Chandler, Cassie Welch and Ariel Noble punched their ticket to the finals today with a sixth-place finish in 1:49.87.
