BOSCOBEL - On Friday, a slew of area athletes saw their aspirations for a state berth come true after their performances in Boscobel earned them the right to compete on the highest stage in La Crosse. Athletes finishing fourth or better earned a trip to state.
In boys competition, the Darlington boys team won the sectional title with 72 points. Individually, Black Hawk senior Jayden Rufenacht earned a state berth in the 100-meter dash with a fourth-place time of 11.47 seconds. Darlington's Tyson Miehe swept the long-distance events, winning the 1,600 with a time of 4 minutes, 31.57 seconds and the 3,200 with a time of 9:53.66. Also earning state berths in the 3,200 were Miehe's teammate, sophomore Jaden Komprood, and Albany junior Brennan Bloedel. Komprood finished second with a time 10:03.86, while Bloedel finished fourth with a time of 10:10.71. Komprood also earned a state berth in the 3,200 relay, helping his Redbirds team of Thomas Schultz, Dane Siegenthaler, and Connor Hackett to take first place with a time of 8:07.44. Monticello's relay team of John Zuber, Andy Yaun, Hunter Pratt, and Dylan Beckwith finished fourth in the event with a time of 8:14.83. Finishing third in the 110 hurdles was Darlington's Kyle Johnson with a time of 15.71 seconds. In the discus, Albany's Logan Webb and Darlington's A.J. Coulthard finished second and third, respectively. Webb had a throw of 143 feet, 2 inches while Coulthard threw 139-8.
On the girls side, Cuba City won the girls meet with 124 points. Black Hawk's Jen Wellnitz will defend her state title in the 100 after earning another berth with a first-place time of 12.52 seconds in Boscobel. Wellnitz also won the 200 (26.15) and finished third in both the long jump (16-11 1/2) and triple jump (34-4). With her results, Wellnitz alone combined to score 34 of her team's 43 overall points. In the 400, Darlington sophomore Carly Langkamp finished second in the event with a time of 1:00.85. Redbirds teammate Claire Cullen earned a state berth in the 1,600, finishing with a time of 5:47.31. Langkamp and Cullen, along with Johanna Meister, and Paige Schilling combined to help the Redbirds relay team win the 3,200 relay with a time of 10:01.00. Albany finished second in the event with a time of 10:17.34, while Black Hawk finished fourth. In the 1,600-meter relays, Pec-Argyle's team of Josie Penniston, Elizabeth Tisch, Lizzy Ritschard, and Hannah Swenson placed third with a time of 4:14.03. Darlington finished fourth in the event. Other area athletes earning state births were Albany's Bailey Hlavachek, who finished third in the 800 meters (2:26.71) and Black Hawk's Olivia Holland posted a time of 49.18 in the 300-meter hurdles, good enough for third place.
In boys competition, the Darlington boys team won the sectional title with 72 points. Individually, Black Hawk senior Jayden Rufenacht earned a state berth in the 100-meter dash with a fourth-place time of 11.47 seconds. Darlington's Tyson Miehe swept the long-distance events, winning the 1,600 with a time of 4 minutes, 31.57 seconds and the 3,200 with a time of 9:53.66. Also earning state berths in the 3,200 were Miehe's teammate, sophomore Jaden Komprood, and Albany junior Brennan Bloedel. Komprood finished second with a time 10:03.86, while Bloedel finished fourth with a time of 10:10.71. Komprood also earned a state berth in the 3,200 relay, helping his Redbirds team of Thomas Schultz, Dane Siegenthaler, and Connor Hackett to take first place with a time of 8:07.44. Monticello's relay team of John Zuber, Andy Yaun, Hunter Pratt, and Dylan Beckwith finished fourth in the event with a time of 8:14.83. Finishing third in the 110 hurdles was Darlington's Kyle Johnson with a time of 15.71 seconds. In the discus, Albany's Logan Webb and Darlington's A.J. Coulthard finished second and third, respectively. Webb had a throw of 143 feet, 2 inches while Coulthard threw 139-8.
On the girls side, Cuba City won the girls meet with 124 points. Black Hawk's Jen Wellnitz will defend her state title in the 100 after earning another berth with a first-place time of 12.52 seconds in Boscobel. Wellnitz also won the 200 (26.15) and finished third in both the long jump (16-11 1/2) and triple jump (34-4). With her results, Wellnitz alone combined to score 34 of her team's 43 overall points. In the 400, Darlington sophomore Carly Langkamp finished second in the event with a time of 1:00.85. Redbirds teammate Claire Cullen earned a state berth in the 1,600, finishing with a time of 5:47.31. Langkamp and Cullen, along with Johanna Meister, and Paige Schilling combined to help the Redbirds relay team win the 3,200 relay with a time of 10:01.00. Albany finished second in the event with a time of 10:17.34, while Black Hawk finished fourth. In the 1,600-meter relays, Pec-Argyle's team of Josie Penniston, Elizabeth Tisch, Lizzy Ritschard, and Hannah Swenson placed third with a time of 4:14.03. Darlington finished fourth in the event. Other area athletes earning state births were Albany's Bailey Hlavachek, who finished third in the 800 meters (2:26.71) and Black Hawk's Olivia Holland posted a time of 49.18 in the 300-meter hurdles, good enough for third place.
