BANGOR - Five area schools will have athletes competing in the WIAA Division 3 state track and field meet in La Crosse June 4 and 5 after qualifying at the sectional in Bangor Thursday.
Darlington will have one individual qualifier and six relay teams. Black Hawk has three individual qualifiers plus one relay team, and Albany will send two individual qualifiers and two relay teams. Pecatonica-Argyle placed one individual in the state tournament.
Junior Lucas Stoehr of Pecatonica-Argyle became a sectional champion in the 400-meter dash in 50.86 seconds and will be the Vikings lone representative at the state tournament. Darlington junior Alex Erickson, placed second in the 400-meter dash in 51 seconds and is the Redbirds lone individual qualifier.
Darlington placed four girls relay teams and two boys relay teams in the top four. The girls 1,600 meter relay team of Hannah Huffman, Kayla Lange, Olivia Wedig, and Chayse Hermanson finished first with a time of 4 minutes, 12.10 seconds. Black Hawk's team of Kate Quinn, Katie Place, Melissa Wellnitz, and Rachel Rygh was just 2.1 seconds behind Darlington and finished third in 4:14.20.
Darlington got third-place finishes from three other girls relay teams. The 400-meter relay team of Kara Krahenbuhl, Hermanson, Cassidy Chambers and Huffman ran a 52.80 while the 800-meter relay team of Hermanson, Lisa Kreidler, Lange, and Huffman timed out at 1:51.62. In the 3,200-meter relay, Albany's team of Courtney Pfeuti, Jessica Mauerman, Rosy Bauman and Ciara Kubesh finished second (10:15.94) while Darlington's team of Wedig, Amy Jorgenson, Christa Wamsley and Cheyenne Wolfe placed third (10:19.50).
"They ran unbelievable," Albany coach Tony Brewer said. "I thought going in that (second) was the best we could do. We knew we had to have four solid legs to go and we put it all together."
Darlington claimed a sectional championship in the boys 1,600-meter relay as Trynton Schwartz, Cedric Flesher, Mitchell Langkamp and Erickson topped the field in 3:29.59 seconds. Darlington got a third-place finish in the 400-meter relay thanks to a time of 44.93 seconds from Tucker Wiegel, Langkamp, Schwartz and Erickson.
Rygh and Place of Black Hawk will represent the Warriors as individual qualifiers. Rygh placed second in the girls 100 (13.09 seconds) and second in the 200-meter dash (27.10 seconds). Place took third in the girls triple jump with a mark of 33 feet, 6 inches.
In addition to their girls 3,200-meter relay team, Albany will also send their boys 3,200-meter relay to state as Jose Ramirez, Drew Mather, Reece Whitehead and Tyler Conley captured the sectional championship in 8:19.37 seconds. Conley also become a sectional champion in the 800 meter run in 2:02.04 and Mather finished second in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 10:09.10.
"They ran by far the fastest time of the year and the fastest time since I have been coaching," Brewer said.
Darlington will have one individual qualifier and six relay teams. Black Hawk has three individual qualifiers plus one relay team, and Albany will send two individual qualifiers and two relay teams. Pecatonica-Argyle placed one individual in the state tournament.
Junior Lucas Stoehr of Pecatonica-Argyle became a sectional champion in the 400-meter dash in 50.86 seconds and will be the Vikings lone representative at the state tournament. Darlington junior Alex Erickson, placed second in the 400-meter dash in 51 seconds and is the Redbirds lone individual qualifier.
Darlington placed four girls relay teams and two boys relay teams in the top four. The girls 1,600 meter relay team of Hannah Huffman, Kayla Lange, Olivia Wedig, and Chayse Hermanson finished first with a time of 4 minutes, 12.10 seconds. Black Hawk's team of Kate Quinn, Katie Place, Melissa Wellnitz, and Rachel Rygh was just 2.1 seconds behind Darlington and finished third in 4:14.20.
Darlington got third-place finishes from three other girls relay teams. The 400-meter relay team of Kara Krahenbuhl, Hermanson, Cassidy Chambers and Huffman ran a 52.80 while the 800-meter relay team of Hermanson, Lisa Kreidler, Lange, and Huffman timed out at 1:51.62. In the 3,200-meter relay, Albany's team of Courtney Pfeuti, Jessica Mauerman, Rosy Bauman and Ciara Kubesh finished second (10:15.94) while Darlington's team of Wedig, Amy Jorgenson, Christa Wamsley and Cheyenne Wolfe placed third (10:19.50).
"They ran unbelievable," Albany coach Tony Brewer said. "I thought going in that (second) was the best we could do. We knew we had to have four solid legs to go and we put it all together."
Darlington claimed a sectional championship in the boys 1,600-meter relay as Trynton Schwartz, Cedric Flesher, Mitchell Langkamp and Erickson topped the field in 3:29.59 seconds. Darlington got a third-place finish in the 400-meter relay thanks to a time of 44.93 seconds from Tucker Wiegel, Langkamp, Schwartz and Erickson.
Rygh and Place of Black Hawk will represent the Warriors as individual qualifiers. Rygh placed second in the girls 100 (13.09 seconds) and second in the 200-meter dash (27.10 seconds). Place took third in the girls triple jump with a mark of 33 feet, 6 inches.
In addition to their girls 3,200-meter relay team, Albany will also send their boys 3,200-meter relay to state as Jose Ramirez, Drew Mather, Reece Whitehead and Tyler Conley captured the sectional championship in 8:19.37 seconds. Conley also become a sectional champion in the 800 meter run in 2:02.04 and Mather finished second in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 10:09.10.
"They ran by far the fastest time of the year and the fastest time since I have been coaching," Brewer said.
