DARLINGTON — Area track and field teams secured a slew of sectional berths at the WIAA Boys’ Division 3 Regional Track and Field Meet held at Darlington High School on Monday, May 23.
The Benton/Scales Mound/Shullsburg co-op won four regional titles and also qualified 14 for sectionals en route to a second-place finish in the team standings with 120.5 points.
The hosts Redbirds crowned five champions and advanced nine to sectionals on the way to a third-place finish with 85 points.
Black Hawk placed fourth overall (64) and advanced six to sectionals. Albany was fifth, Monticello sixth and Pecatonica-Argyle eighth in the 12-team competition. Cuba City was the team champion with titles in six events to earn the boys’ regional team title with 137 points.
The top four finishers in each event qualified for the D3 Cambridge Sectional slated for Thursday, May 26. The top four finishers at the sectional in each event, along with individual and relay teams whose performances at sectionals rank among the eight best of all sectional performances, will advance to the WIAA State Meet in La Crosse.
BSMS seniors Luke Unbehaun in the 110-meter high hurdles (16.56) and Collin Fosler in the high jump (6’0”) captured individual titles for the BSMS Knights. Nevada Sandlin, Ben Vandigo, Evan Graves and Nate Lawrence teamed up to win both the 400 relay (45.60) and 800 relay (1:36.11) races for the Knights.
Darlington seniors Easton Evenstad and Rhett Reuter each won three regional titles at Monday’s meet. Evenstad finished first in the 100 (11.59) and long jump (20’0.5”) and Reuter won both the 800 (2:00.04) and 1,600 (4:43.52) meter races. The two ‘Birds also joined with George West and Carver Fitzsimons to win the 1,600 relay (3:34.78).
Evenstad also was second in the 300 intermediate hurdles (41.76). Vandigo and Graves joined with Antonin Ader and Garrett Ray to take second in the 1,600 relay (3:38.19), while the Knights’ crew of Chad Haffele, Cody Haynes, Luke Jansen and Jackson Klang placed fourth in the 3,200 relay (9:48.48).
Thirds went to Unbehaun in the 300 hurdles (43.25), Ader in the 200 (24.89) and Ray in the 1,600 (4:58.44). Finishing fourth was Sandlin in the 100 (12.08) and long jump (18’6.5”), Klang in the pole vault (9’3”), Haynes in the 400 (56.93) and Cayden Rood in the shot put (37’8”).
West teamed with Ethan Thompson, Luis Rios-Yanez and Connor Larson to take third in the 3,200 relay (9:13.81). Fitzsimons placed fourth in the high jump (5’6”) and Jhovanny Cruz was fourth in the discus (106’5”) for the ‘Birds.
For Black Hawk, Elijah Shelton placed second in the 100 (11.71) and Jovanny Erickson placed second in the 200 (23.82). The Warriors’ duo also teamed with Andrew Figi and Lucas Milz to finish second in the 800 relay (1:42.19) and third in the 400 relay (47.75).
Lane Marty came in second in the 110 hurdles (17.69) and fourth in the 300 hurdles (45.21) for the Warriors.
Monticello’s Evan Guenther won the 400 (52.60), and was second in the 800 (2:01.34) and 1,600 (4:46.85). Albany’s Brian Cid was fourth in the 1,600 (5:03.47) to advance to sectionals. Cid also moved on in the 3,200 (11:01.16), where he took second. Monticello’s Ian Schwartzlow (11:09.27) was fourth in the 3,200, also advancing.
Pecatonica-Argyle’s Jace Starr reached sectionals with a fourth-place finish in the 110-meter high hurdles (18.57), and teammate Ridge Toay was the champion in the 300-hurdles (41.06). Levi Paust was third in the shot put (38’10”), and Albany’s Caleb Smith was second in the discus (116’8”), with Monticello’s Wade Noriega third (114’5”).
Pec-Argyle also advanced fourth-place relay teams in the 800 (Sam Koch, Jake Worthington, Matt Nascimento and Braelyn Meinert; 1:50.39) and 1,600 (Ryan Harris, Kaden Hartwig, Nascimento and Toay; 3:50.64).
BSMS earns a share of girls’ regional title
DARLINGTON — The Benton/Scales Mound/Shullsburg girls’ track and field team crowned four champions and garnered 16 sectional berths on the way to earning a share of the team title at Monday’s WIAA Division 3 Girls’ Regional Track and Field Meet held at Darlington High School.
The Knights matched Cuba City with 135 points. Darlington crowned three champions and qualified 12 for sectionals in a third-place showing on Monday with 115 points, while Black Hawk crowned two champions and earned five sectional berths en route to a fourth-place finish (61). Albany was fifth, Monticello eighth and Pecatonica 10th in the 11-team field.
The top four finishers in each event qualified for the D3 Cambridge Sectional, which was scheduled to be held Thursday, May 26.
BSMS senior Kayci Martensen dominated the distance events, winning the 800 (2:24.17), 1,600 (5:01.27) and 3,200 (12:34.51) meter races to lead the Knights.
The Knights’ relay squad of Joelle Sigwarth, Ella Woodworth, Anna Richardson and Hanna Martensen finished first (10:04.46) in the 4x800 race and second in the 4x400 race (4:18.78). Richardson added a second in the 400 (1:04.42) and a fourth in the triple jump (31’8”). Woodworth was also second in the 1,600 (5:41.54), while H. Martensen tied for second in the pole vault (8’0”) and took third in the 800 (2:34.78). Sigwarth came in third in the 400 (1:05.25).
Other thirds for the Knights went to Kennedy Kudronowicz in the high jump (4’7”) and Kailey Fawcett in the shot put (32’4.75”). Fourths were earned by Sophie Davis in the pole vault (7’3”) and Hailey Duerst in the 300 low hurdles (54.64). Kudronowicz and Davis joined with Taylor Russell and Genna Langkamp to place fourth in the 4x200 (2:01.22).
The Redbirds’ relay teams won three regional titles at Monday’s meet with Abby Solverson and Alyza Johnson joining with Zoie Zuberbuhler and Gabrielle Leuchtenmacher to finish first in the 4x100 (51.91), with Zuberbuhler and Raquel Reuter to come in first in the 4x200 (1:50.77), and with Leuchtenmacher and Reuter to win the 4x400 (4:17.22).
Reuter also placed second in the 800 run (2:28.28). Jaidyn Evenstad was second in the 300 hurdles (50.46) and fourth in the high jump (4’6”), while Maddie Eaton placed second in the 200 (30.14) and Catie Blosch tied for second in the pole vault (8’0”).
Thirds for the ‘Birds were earned by Judith Meister in the 3,200 (13:04.34) and the 4x800 relay team of Addison DePauw, Madyson King, Stella McGowan and Alexis Murray (11:25.14). Murray also finished fourth in the 3,200 (13:32.61) and Laura Weaver took fourth in the discus (99’2”) for the hosts.
Black Hawk swept the regional titles in the throwing events with junior Raylin Peterson winning the shot put (33’11.5”) and fellow junior Jaliyah Collins earning the regional title in the discus (103’6”).
Peterson joined with Jenna Meier, Maddy Lange and Tara Wellnitz to place third in the 400 relay (57.14), while Lange finished third in the 100 (13.90) and Meier followed in fourth (14.04) in that same race for the Warriors.
Monticello’s Hannah Clark was the champion in the 200 (27.97) and 400 (1:02.68). Natalie Wahl was second in the discus (102’0”)
Albany’s Payton Wachholz was fourth in the 400 (1:05.39), which also secured a spot at sectionals. Ava Ahnen finished third in the 1,600 (5:28.06), and teammate McKenna Broughton was second in the 3,200 (13:02.85). Lillyanna Morales advanced in the discus (100’3”) with a third-place finish. The Comets advanced their quartet of Kaiya Zurfluh, Wachholz, Broughton and Ahnen in the 1,600 relay (third, 4:32.60) and 3,200 relay (second, 10:23.53).
Pec-Argyle’s Anna Tisch won the 100-hurdles (17.84) and the 300-hurdles (50.05).
