LA CROSSE - The Darlington girls track and field team got off to a fast start at the WIAA Division 3 state meet on Friday.
The Redbirds' 3,200-meter relay team of Hannah Robiolio, Christa Wamsley, Tatum Evenstad and Amy Jorgenson finished fifth with a season-best time of 9 minutes, 59.66 seconds. Saint Mary's Springs broke the state record with a time of 9:37.64. Wamsley also took 12th in the 3,200 (12:06.6).
"It's really cool," Jorgenson said. "We have never done that (medaling in the 3,200 relay). It was a good accomplishment."
Jorgenson said it was adrenaline and the intensity of the state meet that keyed their strong effort.
Robiolio, who was an alternate as a freshman on the 3,200 relay team, was thrilled to medal in her final prep track meet.
"To actually place and medal as a senior is pretty special," Robiolio said. "That was my goal. You want to be peak at state and to have your best."
Darlington sophomore Tyson Miehe took sixth place in the 1,600. He entered the state meet as the No. 2 seed. He ran at the front of the pack for most of the race until several runners got packed together in the last 400. Black Hawk senior Chris Priebe finished 10th (4:36.75) and Darlington senior Destin Komprood was 14th (4:44.32).
"It's definitely not physical," Miehe said. "I just have to fix some things strategically I could have done better. I got out the way I wanted to and I surged at 700 or 600 meters. I think I went out a little bit too early. I didn't know what was happening behind me. I just wanted to run my race. I left it all out there. It's just the way things happened to fall."
Miehe was still proud to medal and he has the fastest qualifying time in the 3,200 by about 17 seconds.
"Any time you can get a medal at state it's amazing," he said. "Of course, I wanted to get first. I left it all out there."
Three area runners cracked the top 10 in the boys 800. Darlington junior Quinn Cullen finished sixth (2:00.51), followed by Albany senior Reece Whitehead in eighth (2:00.70) and Pecatonica-Agyle senior Wyatt Massey, who was 10th (2:01.41).
"I wanted to come here and medal in the 800," Cullen said. "At the beginning of the season, I didn't think it was possible.
"I really wanted it and I went out and got it."
Black Hawk sophomore Jen Wellnitz is off to a strong start. She took third in the preliminaries of both the 100 (12.58) and 200 (26.12). She also will compete in the triple jump after taking 12th in the long jump (15 feet, 4 3/4 inches) on Friday.
The Pecatonica-Argyle 1,600 relay team of Kyle Zwicker, Marcus Rubio, Cameron Colson and Nathan Loyd finished 10th (3:32.20) in the preliminaries to advance.
Darlington junior Abigail Merriam finished 13th in the high jump (4-10). Darlington sophomore Kyle Johnson finished 11th (16.28) in the preliminaries of the 110 hurdles and just missed qualifying for the finals by 0.03 seconds. He took 13th in the 300 hurdles (43.32) and missed the finals.
The Redbirds' girls 1,600 relay team of Jorgenson, Hannah Huffman, Claire Scott and Alison Wedig finished fifth (4:09.39) in the preliminaries and will run in the finals. Darlington finished 16th (1:50.82) in the preliminaries of the 800 relay and didn't qualify for the finals. Darlington's 400 relay team also didn't qualify for the finals. The Black Hawk boys 800 relay team took 12th (1:34.28) in the preliminaries and also missed the cut for the finals.
The Redbirds' 3,200-meter relay team of Hannah Robiolio, Christa Wamsley, Tatum Evenstad and Amy Jorgenson finished fifth with a season-best time of 9 minutes, 59.66 seconds. Saint Mary's Springs broke the state record with a time of 9:37.64. Wamsley also took 12th in the 3,200 (12:06.6).
"It's really cool," Jorgenson said. "We have never done that (medaling in the 3,200 relay). It was a good accomplishment."
Jorgenson said it was adrenaline and the intensity of the state meet that keyed their strong effort.
Robiolio, who was an alternate as a freshman on the 3,200 relay team, was thrilled to medal in her final prep track meet.
"To actually place and medal as a senior is pretty special," Robiolio said. "That was my goal. You want to be peak at state and to have your best."
Darlington sophomore Tyson Miehe took sixth place in the 1,600. He entered the state meet as the No. 2 seed. He ran at the front of the pack for most of the race until several runners got packed together in the last 400. Black Hawk senior Chris Priebe finished 10th (4:36.75) and Darlington senior Destin Komprood was 14th (4:44.32).
"It's definitely not physical," Miehe said. "I just have to fix some things strategically I could have done better. I got out the way I wanted to and I surged at 700 or 600 meters. I think I went out a little bit too early. I didn't know what was happening behind me. I just wanted to run my race. I left it all out there. It's just the way things happened to fall."
Miehe was still proud to medal and he has the fastest qualifying time in the 3,200 by about 17 seconds.
"Any time you can get a medal at state it's amazing," he said. "Of course, I wanted to get first. I left it all out there."
Three area runners cracked the top 10 in the boys 800. Darlington junior Quinn Cullen finished sixth (2:00.51), followed by Albany senior Reece Whitehead in eighth (2:00.70) and Pecatonica-Agyle senior Wyatt Massey, who was 10th (2:01.41).
"I wanted to come here and medal in the 800," Cullen said. "At the beginning of the season, I didn't think it was possible.
"I really wanted it and I went out and got it."
Black Hawk sophomore Jen Wellnitz is off to a strong start. She took third in the preliminaries of both the 100 (12.58) and 200 (26.12). She also will compete in the triple jump after taking 12th in the long jump (15 feet, 4 3/4 inches) on Friday.
The Pecatonica-Argyle 1,600 relay team of Kyle Zwicker, Marcus Rubio, Cameron Colson and Nathan Loyd finished 10th (3:32.20) in the preliminaries to advance.
Darlington junior Abigail Merriam finished 13th in the high jump (4-10). Darlington sophomore Kyle Johnson finished 11th (16.28) in the preliminaries of the 110 hurdles and just missed qualifying for the finals by 0.03 seconds. He took 13th in the 300 hurdles (43.32) and missed the finals.
The Redbirds' girls 1,600 relay team of Jorgenson, Hannah Huffman, Claire Scott and Alison Wedig finished fifth (4:09.39) in the preliminaries and will run in the finals. Darlington finished 16th (1:50.82) in the preliminaries of the 800 relay and didn't qualify for the finals. Darlington's 400 relay team also didn't qualify for the finals. The Black Hawk boys 800 relay team took 12th (1:34.28) in the preliminaries and also missed the cut for the finals.
