LA CROSSE - If Darlington junior Alex Erickson was going to chase down a medal in the 400-meter dash at the WIAA Division 3 State Track and Field Championships, he figured he would have to dig deep.
Erickson finished third in the 400 with a season best time of 50.11 seconds Saturday at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's Veterans Memorial Stadium. Pecatonica-Argyle junior Lucas Stoehr was sixth (:51.05). Erickson also anchored the Redbirds' 400 relay team to a sixth-place finish.
"It feels good to run the best time at the biggest meet," Erickson said. "I'm just happy to be doing it here with a lot of good competition. I ran one second better than last year and I got the same place. That just shows you how good the competition is."
The Redbirds' 400 relay team of Tucker Wiegel, Mitchell Langkamp, Trynton Schwartz and Erickson took sixth with a time of 44.52 seconds, which was 0.5 of a second ahead of Flambeau to medal.
"I don't know if that was a surprise," Erickson said. "We ran our best time of the year. The competition was loaded. You always want to beat your best time. I'm just happy for my teammates."
The Redbirds' 1,600 relay team of Wiegel, Cedric Flesher, Langkamp and Erickson took eighth with a time of 3 minutes, 30.40.
Pecatonica-Argyle sophomore Kendra Sigg took sixth in the 1,600 with a time of 5:21.95. Sigg said she had a cold on Friday and she received some advice from her cousin Elise Sigg, who is running track and cross country at UW-Milwaukee.
"She was just saying relax because you are probably just nervous," Sigg said of Elise's advice. "She said just don't talk to your boyfriend. Just sit there with your iPod."
Sigg, who is a two-time state qualifier in the 1,600, entered the final lap in fifth place.
"I thought, 'Oh my God, I'm really not a sprinter," Sigg said. "I was going to push it and medal somewhere."
Since Sigg can't see the future, she just wanted to bask in the joy of winning her first medal.
"I don't know if I will be able to run and do it next year," she said. "I just do what I can right now."
Black Hawk junior Rachel Rygh took ninth in the 200 (:27.14) and senior Katie Place was 13th in the triple jump (32-11 1/4).
The Darlington girls 800 relay team missed medaling by 0.1 of a second. The Redbirds' 800 relay team of junior Chayse Hermanson, senior Lisa Kreidler, junior Kayla Lange and sophomore Hannah Huffman took seventh with a time of 1:50.83.
The Redbirds' 400 relay team of senior Kara Krahenbuhl, Hermanson, freshman Cassidy Chambers and Huffman took ninth (:51.91).
The Albany 3,200 relay team of freshman Jose Ramirez, junior Drew Mather, sophomore Reece Whitehead and senior Tyler Conley finished 12th with a time of 8:20.46. Mather took 14th in the 3,200 (10:15.28) and Pecatonica-Argyle senior Jeremy Meudt was 16th in the high jump (5-8).
Erickson finished third in the 400 with a season best time of 50.11 seconds Saturday at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's Veterans Memorial Stadium. Pecatonica-Argyle junior Lucas Stoehr was sixth (:51.05). Erickson also anchored the Redbirds' 400 relay team to a sixth-place finish.
"It feels good to run the best time at the biggest meet," Erickson said. "I'm just happy to be doing it here with a lot of good competition. I ran one second better than last year and I got the same place. That just shows you how good the competition is."
The Redbirds' 400 relay team of Tucker Wiegel, Mitchell Langkamp, Trynton Schwartz and Erickson took sixth with a time of 44.52 seconds, which was 0.5 of a second ahead of Flambeau to medal.
"I don't know if that was a surprise," Erickson said. "We ran our best time of the year. The competition was loaded. You always want to beat your best time. I'm just happy for my teammates."
The Redbirds' 1,600 relay team of Wiegel, Cedric Flesher, Langkamp and Erickson took eighth with a time of 3 minutes, 30.40.
Pecatonica-Argyle sophomore Kendra Sigg took sixth in the 1,600 with a time of 5:21.95. Sigg said she had a cold on Friday and she received some advice from her cousin Elise Sigg, who is running track and cross country at UW-Milwaukee.
"She was just saying relax because you are probably just nervous," Sigg said of Elise's advice. "She said just don't talk to your boyfriend. Just sit there with your iPod."
Sigg, who is a two-time state qualifier in the 1,600, entered the final lap in fifth place.
"I thought, 'Oh my God, I'm really not a sprinter," Sigg said. "I was going to push it and medal somewhere."
Since Sigg can't see the future, she just wanted to bask in the joy of winning her first medal.
"I don't know if I will be able to run and do it next year," she said. "I just do what I can right now."
Black Hawk junior Rachel Rygh took ninth in the 200 (:27.14) and senior Katie Place was 13th in the triple jump (32-11 1/4).
The Darlington girls 800 relay team missed medaling by 0.1 of a second. The Redbirds' 800 relay team of junior Chayse Hermanson, senior Lisa Kreidler, junior Kayla Lange and sophomore Hannah Huffman took seventh with a time of 1:50.83.
The Redbirds' 400 relay team of senior Kara Krahenbuhl, Hermanson, freshman Cassidy Chambers and Huffman took ninth (:51.91).
The Albany 3,200 relay team of freshman Jose Ramirez, junior Drew Mather, sophomore Reece Whitehead and senior Tyler Conley finished 12th with a time of 8:20.46. Mather took 14th in the 3,200 (10:15.28) and Pecatonica-Argyle senior Jeremy Meudt was 16th in the high jump (5-8).
