CUBA CITY - The Darlington boys track team hopes winning the Cuba City Invitational on Thursday is just a preview of bigger things to come.
The Redbirds outdistanced the Cubans, 139-103, to win the championship. Albany (51 points) finished fifth, Black Hawk (31) took 10th and Monticello (6) finished last in the 12-team invite.
Fennimore ran away with the title in the girls meet by beating Darlington, 124-84.
Darlington senior Jeff Reichling won the shot put (54 feet, 5 3/4 inches) and the discus (163-4).
Darlington junior Jordan Heinberg finished first in the 800-meter run with a time of 2 minutes, 8.74 seconds.
Darlington senior Markus Garrison won the 3,200 with a time of 10:44.29, which was ahead of Albany senior Jake Short's second-place finish in 10:52.31.
The Redbirds' 400 relay team of Jordan Bryson, Cedric Flesher, Mitchell Langkamp and Tucker Wiegel finished second in 45.97, just seven-tenths of a second behind Cuba City.
In one of its fastest times of the season, Albany won the 3,200 relay. Short, Tyler Conley, Jake Lincicum and Simon Lundegard won the event for the Comets after finishing with a time of 8:39.42, more than four seconds ahead of Darlington's second-place team of Garrison, Aaron Stauffacher, Heinberg and Kent Miehe.
Black Hawk senior Tyler Whalen won the 400 (:51.44), just ahead of Darlington sophomore Alex Erickson (:51.81). In the 200, Whalen finished second (:23.48), one-tenth of a second ahead of Erickson.
The Redbirds had two of the top three runners in the 1,600. Freshman Michael Sinclair finished second in the 1,600 (5:10.70) and fellow freshman Destin Komprood took third (5:13.48).
The Redbirds' 1,600 relay team of Erickson, Flesher, Bryson and Trynton Schwartz finished second with a time of 3:40.15. Black Hawk's 1,600 relay team of Jiri Benda, Hayden Schliem, Cody Foster and Tyler Quinn took third in 3:45.82.
Darlington junior Bruce King took second place in the high jump (6-0) and the Redbirds' Zach Brown was third (5-10). Darlington junior Braden Zywicki took third in the 110 hurdles (:17.05).
In the girls meet, the Redbirds showed their depth in the relays. Darlington's 3,200 relay team of Amy Jorgenson, Hannah Robiolio, Kayla Lange and Olivia Wedig took first with a time of 10:27.70.
The Redbirds' 1,600 relay team of Kelsi Blosch, Wedig, Ciara Wiegel and Chayse Hermanson finished second with a time of 4:20.83, about four seconds behind the Cubans. Wedig took second in the 800 (2:37.93), just three seconds behind Fennimore freshman Breland Prochaska.
Monticello finished eighth as a team with 44 points. Monticello junior Kelsey Bernet won the 1,600 (5:42.30) and 3,200 (12:30.82). In the 3,200, Bernet's winning time was about nine seconds ahead of the runner-up, Darlington senior Hana Miehe.
Monticello senior Rachel Nelson also turned in an amazing meet. She edged Black Hawk senior Hailey Meier for first place in the 400 (1:03.30). Nelson added a second-place finish in the 200 (:27.99). Meier added a third place in the 100 (:13.80) for Black Hawk, which finished sixth as a team with 58 points.
The Warriors' 400 relay team of Savannah Ernzen, Meier, Katie Place and Rachel Rygh finished first with a time of (:53.22), just ahead of second-place Darlington. Place finished second in the triple jump (31-4).
The Redbirds' 400 relay team of Blosch, Kara Krahenbuhl, Taryn Evenstad and Hermanson finished second with a time of :55.03. Krahenbuhl cleared 9-0 to take second in the pole vault.
Albany (42 points) took ninth as a team. Albany senior Devan Brugger won the 100 hurdles (:16.97), which was just about eight-tenths of a second ahead of Ernzen.
The Comets' 3,200 relay team of Nicolette Blumer, Rosy Bauman, Courtney Pfeuti and Ciara Kubesh took third with a time of 10:52.16.
The Redbirds outdistanced the Cubans, 139-103, to win the championship. Albany (51 points) finished fifth, Black Hawk (31) took 10th and Monticello (6) finished last in the 12-team invite.
Fennimore ran away with the title in the girls meet by beating Darlington, 124-84.
Darlington senior Jeff Reichling won the shot put (54 feet, 5 3/4 inches) and the discus (163-4).
Darlington junior Jordan Heinberg finished first in the 800-meter run with a time of 2 minutes, 8.74 seconds.
Darlington senior Markus Garrison won the 3,200 with a time of 10:44.29, which was ahead of Albany senior Jake Short's second-place finish in 10:52.31.
The Redbirds' 400 relay team of Jordan Bryson, Cedric Flesher, Mitchell Langkamp and Tucker Wiegel finished second in 45.97, just seven-tenths of a second behind Cuba City.
In one of its fastest times of the season, Albany won the 3,200 relay. Short, Tyler Conley, Jake Lincicum and Simon Lundegard won the event for the Comets after finishing with a time of 8:39.42, more than four seconds ahead of Darlington's second-place team of Garrison, Aaron Stauffacher, Heinberg and Kent Miehe.
Black Hawk senior Tyler Whalen won the 400 (:51.44), just ahead of Darlington sophomore Alex Erickson (:51.81). In the 200, Whalen finished second (:23.48), one-tenth of a second ahead of Erickson.
The Redbirds had two of the top three runners in the 1,600. Freshman Michael Sinclair finished second in the 1,600 (5:10.70) and fellow freshman Destin Komprood took third (5:13.48).
The Redbirds' 1,600 relay team of Erickson, Flesher, Bryson and Trynton Schwartz finished second with a time of 3:40.15. Black Hawk's 1,600 relay team of Jiri Benda, Hayden Schliem, Cody Foster and Tyler Quinn took third in 3:45.82.
Darlington junior Bruce King took second place in the high jump (6-0) and the Redbirds' Zach Brown was third (5-10). Darlington junior Braden Zywicki took third in the 110 hurdles (:17.05).
In the girls meet, the Redbirds showed their depth in the relays. Darlington's 3,200 relay team of Amy Jorgenson, Hannah Robiolio, Kayla Lange and Olivia Wedig took first with a time of 10:27.70.
The Redbirds' 1,600 relay team of Kelsi Blosch, Wedig, Ciara Wiegel and Chayse Hermanson finished second with a time of 4:20.83, about four seconds behind the Cubans. Wedig took second in the 800 (2:37.93), just three seconds behind Fennimore freshman Breland Prochaska.
Monticello finished eighth as a team with 44 points. Monticello junior Kelsey Bernet won the 1,600 (5:42.30) and 3,200 (12:30.82). In the 3,200, Bernet's winning time was about nine seconds ahead of the runner-up, Darlington senior Hana Miehe.
Monticello senior Rachel Nelson also turned in an amazing meet. She edged Black Hawk senior Hailey Meier for first place in the 400 (1:03.30). Nelson added a second-place finish in the 200 (:27.99). Meier added a third place in the 100 (:13.80) for Black Hawk, which finished sixth as a team with 58 points.
The Warriors' 400 relay team of Savannah Ernzen, Meier, Katie Place and Rachel Rygh finished first with a time of (:53.22), just ahead of second-place Darlington. Place finished second in the triple jump (31-4).
The Redbirds' 400 relay team of Blosch, Kara Krahenbuhl, Taryn Evenstad and Hermanson finished second with a time of :55.03. Krahenbuhl cleared 9-0 to take second in the pole vault.
Albany (42 points) took ninth as a team. Albany senior Devan Brugger won the 100 hurdles (:16.97), which was just about eight-tenths of a second ahead of Ernzen.
The Comets' 3,200 relay team of Nicolette Blumer, Rosy Bauman, Courtney Pfeuti and Ciara Kubesh took third with a time of 10:52.16.
