MONROE - With teammates clapping to cheer him on, Monroe junior Jake Hirsbrunner cleared 6 feet, 6 inches on his last jump to win the high jump in a dual meet with Monona Grove and Milton Tuesday, May 7.
Hirsbrunner made three attempts at a school record 6-8.25, but missed each one.
"I like to get everyone involved and watching," Hirsbrunner said. "That gives me the adrenaline. This is my favorite place to jump. It's the place you want to do good in front of the home fans and teammates. You don't get to do it too often. You have to be in first place and going for a high height."
Hirsbrunner helped the Cheesemakers win the 800 relay before high jumping. He cleared 6-6 on his final jump with room to spare.
"It's good to make 6-6," he said. "It's always cool to win the meet. I had a lot of confidence going to 6-8 1/4. It feels good that all my hard work is kind of paying off as the season winds down."
The Cheesemakers won nine of the 18 events in sweeping the double dual. Monroe defeated Monona Grove 84-53 and knocked off Milton 97-54. Monroe junior Grant Keith won the pole vault (12-0) and Monroe freshman Derek Christiansen won the 1,600 (4:57.95).
Keith said his goal is to clear 13 feet so he can make a run to state.
"I didn't vault as well as I wanted to," Keith said. It's getting closer to conference so any first place is good."
The meet served as a tune-up for the Badger South Conference meet Tuesday, May 14.
"We have a pretty good idea of what 22 of our 30 entries will look like," Monroe coach Curt Miller said. "There are some kids competing hard to earn a spot on the conference roster. No one is using the score of this meet to size up how the conference will go."
Hirsbrunner teamed with Seth Calaway, Dakota Phillips and Alex Barenklau to win the 800 relay with a time of 1:32.56. The Cheesemakers' 400 relay team of Blake Bast, Forrest-Klug Hanson, Phillips and Calaway won the 400 relay (44.99).
"It feels great," Calaway said. "We just want to put together a good relay and see how far we can get. We have to get the stick down before regionals, sectionals and hopefully state. It's great to get all these Monroe people cheering for you."
Miller likes the way the Cheesemakers have improved in the sprint relays. As a team known for long distance runners, the Cheesemakers are making a run to get another sprint relay to state like they did last year with the 800 relay.
"I think all the kids are becoming more confident," Miller said of the sprint relays. "They are starting to believe that they can run with the better teams in the conference. We are pretty solid from the 100 all the way up to the 3,200."
The Cheesemakers' 3,200 relay team of Justin Batz, Payton Hoesly, David Kelly and Noah Tostrud finished first (8:36.58). In the 1,600 relay Trevor Blum, Hirsbrunner, Hoesly and Barenklau finished first with a time of 3:32.35 to sweep the top spot in each relay. Hanson won the long jump (19-6) and Barenklau took first in the 200 (23.07). It's the first time Hanson has competed in the long jump this year.
"This is one of the areas we are trying to develop," Miller said. "He (Hanson) will give us another solid jumper coming into conference."
Blake Duffy finished second in the 110 high hurdles (16.25), which was 0.1 seconds away from winning. Cody Faust finished second in the high jump (5-8) and Kelly was second in the 400 (55.94). Monroe senior A.J. Cifuentes took second in the 800 (2:01.84).
"I think there has been a lot of work in practice this week," Duffy said of the hurdles. "A big part of it is keeping tight and getting the trial leg over and the lead leg down. It shows that we have good hurdlers and can do it in conference. We can put up a good fight against Monona Grove and Milton."
Hirsbrunner made three attempts at a school record 6-8.25, but missed each one.
"I like to get everyone involved and watching," Hirsbrunner said. "That gives me the adrenaline. This is my favorite place to jump. It's the place you want to do good in front of the home fans and teammates. You don't get to do it too often. You have to be in first place and going for a high height."
Hirsbrunner helped the Cheesemakers win the 800 relay before high jumping. He cleared 6-6 on his final jump with room to spare.
"It's good to make 6-6," he said. "It's always cool to win the meet. I had a lot of confidence going to 6-8 1/4. It feels good that all my hard work is kind of paying off as the season winds down."
The Cheesemakers won nine of the 18 events in sweeping the double dual. Monroe defeated Monona Grove 84-53 and knocked off Milton 97-54. Monroe junior Grant Keith won the pole vault (12-0) and Monroe freshman Derek Christiansen won the 1,600 (4:57.95).
Keith said his goal is to clear 13 feet so he can make a run to state.
"I didn't vault as well as I wanted to," Keith said. It's getting closer to conference so any first place is good."
The meet served as a tune-up for the Badger South Conference meet Tuesday, May 14.
"We have a pretty good idea of what 22 of our 30 entries will look like," Monroe coach Curt Miller said. "There are some kids competing hard to earn a spot on the conference roster. No one is using the score of this meet to size up how the conference will go."
Hirsbrunner teamed with Seth Calaway, Dakota Phillips and Alex Barenklau to win the 800 relay with a time of 1:32.56. The Cheesemakers' 400 relay team of Blake Bast, Forrest-Klug Hanson, Phillips and Calaway won the 400 relay (44.99).
"It feels great," Calaway said. "We just want to put together a good relay and see how far we can get. We have to get the stick down before regionals, sectionals and hopefully state. It's great to get all these Monroe people cheering for you."
Miller likes the way the Cheesemakers have improved in the sprint relays. As a team known for long distance runners, the Cheesemakers are making a run to get another sprint relay to state like they did last year with the 800 relay.
"I think all the kids are becoming more confident," Miller said of the sprint relays. "They are starting to believe that they can run with the better teams in the conference. We are pretty solid from the 100 all the way up to the 3,200."
The Cheesemakers' 3,200 relay team of Justin Batz, Payton Hoesly, David Kelly and Noah Tostrud finished first (8:36.58). In the 1,600 relay Trevor Blum, Hirsbrunner, Hoesly and Barenklau finished first with a time of 3:32.35 to sweep the top spot in each relay. Hanson won the long jump (19-6) and Barenklau took first in the 200 (23.07). It's the first time Hanson has competed in the long jump this year.
"This is one of the areas we are trying to develop," Miller said. "He (Hanson) will give us another solid jumper coming into conference."
Blake Duffy finished second in the 110 high hurdles (16.25), which was 0.1 seconds away from winning. Cody Faust finished second in the high jump (5-8) and Kelly was second in the 400 (55.94). Monroe senior A.J. Cifuentes took second in the 800 (2:01.84).
"I think there has been a lot of work in practice this week," Duffy said of the hurdles. "A big part of it is keeping tight and getting the trial leg over and the lead leg down. It shows that we have good hurdlers and can do it in conference. We can put up a good fight against Monona Grove and Milton."
