BELLEVILLE - Monroe sophomore Seth Calaway has his sights set on running back to state.
Calaway won a regional title in the 100-meter dash (11.41 seconds) and was instrumental in propelling the 400 and 800-meter relay teams to regional championships Monday, May 20 at the WIAA Division 2 Belleville regional. The Monroe boys track team won the 400, 800, 1,600 and 3,200 relays en route to winning a regional team championship 129.33-129 over Sugar River. The top four in each event qualified for Thursday's Boscobel sectional.
"I was planning on making it to sectionals," Calaway said. "I thought I had a pretty good shot. I felt like I got a good time. There is always room for improvement."
Monroe boys track coach Curt Miller was excited the Cheesemakers were able to win the title by 0.75 points over defending Division 2 state champion Sugar River.
"The focus of this meet is not to score the most points like conference," Miller said. "Winning a regional trophy is like a carrot. It's a nice reward for the kids."
Calaway teamed with Payton Hoesly, Forrest Klug-Hanson and Dakota Phillips to win the 800 relay (1:32.32). He teamed with Blake Bast, Hanson and Phillips to win the 400 relay (44.58).
"I felt like we ran a good time," Calaway said. "I feel like we can get in the top four at sectionals and get to state. "That is what we are planning for."
The other regional champions for the Cheesemakers include junior Jake Hirsbrunner in the high jump (6 feet), senior Alex Barenklau in the 400 (50.56) and senior Ethan Moehn in the 800 (1:56.12). The Cheesemakers' 3,200 relay team of A.J. Cifuentes, Noah Tostrud, Steve Christiansen and Barenklau took first with a time of 8:20.13. Christiansen teamed with Hoesly, Cifuentes and Barenklau to win the 1,600 relay (3:29).
The Cheesemakers took 1-2 in the 800 with Moehn finishing first and Hirsbrunner second (1:56.51). Monroe's Trevor Blum finished second in the 3,200 (10:20.11).
Sugar River senior Alexander Yeiser finished first in the 1,600 (4:40.19). Moehn took third in the 1,600 (4:41.34) and junior Noah Tostrud was fourth (4:41.51).
"To know that we finished 1-2 in the 800 and Noah and I could have probably finished 1-2 in the mile gives us a lot of confidence," Moehn said. "I just wanted to advance in the 1,600. You could run six minutes or four minutes and you are in the same heat Thursday. There was no sense going out and burning one."
The Raiders were running without senior Ryan McCoy, a Naval Academy recruit who suffered a lower leg injury and is out for the season.
"(McCoy) was riding his bike by me as I ran my warm-up," Yeiser said. "It's been a tough season. Ryan has been around us. He's a phenomenal athlete, teacher and friend."
Yeiser had the same mind set as Moehn in the 1,600. Sugar River junior Tucker McMahon took third in the 1,600 (10:22.72). The Raiders' 400 relay team took second (45.19) and the 800 relay team finished second (1:33.50).
"I got to run with some excellent runners," Yeiser said. "Going into the race, I wanted to put myself in a position to feel comfortable and then I can go for time Thursday."
Sugar River junior Garrison Woods won the long jump (21-8. 1/2) and triple jump (43-8). Garrison took second in the state in the triple jump last year. Sugar River sophomore Ethan Gassman finished third in the long jump (20-1 3/4) and fourth in the triple jump (40-4 1/4).
"(Woods) will have to perform to get back there," Sugar River coach Dan Schettler said. "He's capable of doing it. When you need big jumps from him, he always seems to do it."
Sugar River junior Kelvin Johnson won the 110 high hurdles (15.97) and the 300 hurdles (40.94).
Sugar River freshman Landon Zimmerman finished first in the discus (129-10) and Brodhead-Juda's Logan Maurer took first in the shot put (47-6) and second in the discus (128-2 1/2). Teammate Gavin Baade was third (127-11). Brodhead-Juda sophomore Jordan Douglas finished third in the triple jump (40-10 1/4) and fourth in the 300 hurdles (44.53). The Cardinals' 3,200 relay team took third (8:22.99).
Calaway won a regional title in the 100-meter dash (11.41 seconds) and was instrumental in propelling the 400 and 800-meter relay teams to regional championships Monday, May 20 at the WIAA Division 2 Belleville regional. The Monroe boys track team won the 400, 800, 1,600 and 3,200 relays en route to winning a regional team championship 129.33-129 over Sugar River. The top four in each event qualified for Thursday's Boscobel sectional.
"I was planning on making it to sectionals," Calaway said. "I thought I had a pretty good shot. I felt like I got a good time. There is always room for improvement."
Monroe boys track coach Curt Miller was excited the Cheesemakers were able to win the title by 0.75 points over defending Division 2 state champion Sugar River.
"The focus of this meet is not to score the most points like conference," Miller said. "Winning a regional trophy is like a carrot. It's a nice reward for the kids."
Calaway teamed with Payton Hoesly, Forrest Klug-Hanson and Dakota Phillips to win the 800 relay (1:32.32). He teamed with Blake Bast, Hanson and Phillips to win the 400 relay (44.58).
"I felt like we ran a good time," Calaway said. "I feel like we can get in the top four at sectionals and get to state. "That is what we are planning for."
The other regional champions for the Cheesemakers include junior Jake Hirsbrunner in the high jump (6 feet), senior Alex Barenklau in the 400 (50.56) and senior Ethan Moehn in the 800 (1:56.12). The Cheesemakers' 3,200 relay team of A.J. Cifuentes, Noah Tostrud, Steve Christiansen and Barenklau took first with a time of 8:20.13. Christiansen teamed with Hoesly, Cifuentes and Barenklau to win the 1,600 relay (3:29).
The Cheesemakers took 1-2 in the 800 with Moehn finishing first and Hirsbrunner second (1:56.51). Monroe's Trevor Blum finished second in the 3,200 (10:20.11).
Sugar River senior Alexander Yeiser finished first in the 1,600 (4:40.19). Moehn took third in the 1,600 (4:41.34) and junior Noah Tostrud was fourth (4:41.51).
"To know that we finished 1-2 in the 800 and Noah and I could have probably finished 1-2 in the mile gives us a lot of confidence," Moehn said. "I just wanted to advance in the 1,600. You could run six minutes or four minutes and you are in the same heat Thursday. There was no sense going out and burning one."
The Raiders were running without senior Ryan McCoy, a Naval Academy recruit who suffered a lower leg injury and is out for the season.
"(McCoy) was riding his bike by me as I ran my warm-up," Yeiser said. "It's been a tough season. Ryan has been around us. He's a phenomenal athlete, teacher and friend."
Yeiser had the same mind set as Moehn in the 1,600. Sugar River junior Tucker McMahon took third in the 1,600 (10:22.72). The Raiders' 400 relay team took second (45.19) and the 800 relay team finished second (1:33.50).
"I got to run with some excellent runners," Yeiser said. "Going into the race, I wanted to put myself in a position to feel comfortable and then I can go for time Thursday."
Sugar River junior Garrison Woods won the long jump (21-8. 1/2) and triple jump (43-8). Garrison took second in the state in the triple jump last year. Sugar River sophomore Ethan Gassman finished third in the long jump (20-1 3/4) and fourth in the triple jump (40-4 1/4).
"(Woods) will have to perform to get back there," Sugar River coach Dan Schettler said. "He's capable of doing it. When you need big jumps from him, he always seems to do it."
Sugar River junior Kelvin Johnson won the 110 high hurdles (15.97) and the 300 hurdles (40.94).
Sugar River freshman Landon Zimmerman finished first in the discus (129-10) and Brodhead-Juda's Logan Maurer took first in the shot put (47-6) and second in the discus (128-2 1/2). Teammate Gavin Baade was third (127-11). Brodhead-Juda sophomore Jordan Douglas finished third in the triple jump (40-10 1/4) and fourth in the 300 hurdles (44.53). The Cardinals' 3,200 relay team took third (8:22.99).
