LA CROSSE - The tradition of the Monroe boys 3,200-meter relay team continues to grow after the Cheesemakers won the WIAA Division 2 state title in a record-breaking time Saturday.
The Cheesemakers' 3,200 relay team of Steve Christiansen, Alex Barenklau, Matt Bush and Ethan Moehn won the race with a time of 7 minutes, 50.13 seconds. The mark eclipsed the previous record set by Grafton in 2005.
For Bush, it was the perfect graduation present.
"It's probably the greatest accomplishment I have ever had in my athletic career," said Bush, who will attend Edgewood College but hasn't decided if he will run track.
Even though the Cheesemakers set a Division 2 state record, it's still not a school record. The school record in the 3,200 relay (7:42.91) was set in 2007 and stood as the Division 1 state record until Brookfield Central won the title (7:40.09) moments after Monroe's championship.
"It's incredible," Moehn said after winning the championship. "It's definitely cool to think we have the state record, but it's not even the school record. It's a little disappointing at first. It just shows how great the track tradition has been in Monroe in the 4x800."
Christiansen was the leadoff runner for the second time this season.
"It's been amazing," Christiansen said. "Coming into the year I was practically running JV. I came on at the right time and got it done."
Christiansen, running against some of the other schools top runners including Sugar River's Ryan McCoy, had the unenviable task of staying within striking distance.
"As long as I kept it close, I knew we would have a chance in the end," Christiansen said. "We have some strong No. 2, 3 and 4 runners."
Barenklau said the 4x800 relay is the most important event for the Cheesemakers.
"It feels great to break the record," he said. "To get a state record, everyone has to do what they do."
Skyler Stingley teamed with Barenklau, Moehn and Bush to take second (3:23.45) in the 1,600 relay. Shorewood, which set a state record in the preliminaries on Friday, won the title (3:22.41).
"Our guys were setting pretty high goals before the state meet," Monroe coach Curt Miller said. "Our guys just seem to be setting higher and higher goals. I was really proud of the 4x400 relay team. If you had to lose to someone that was the team. They had the state champion in the 400 anchoring their relay."
The Cheesemakers' 800 relay team of Barenklau, Dakota Phillips, Forrest Klug-Hanson and Stingley finished seventh (1:30.95) and was just 0.10 seconds away from medaling. It was the Cheesemakers' best race of the season.
"Unfortunately, other teams ran a little better," Miller said. "The future is bright for our young sprinters."
In the girls competition, Brodhead-Juda's Heather Clankie's bid to repeat as the discus champion came up short. Clankie finished as the state runner-up (127-2) in the discus. Ellsworth senior Abbey Ristow won the title (129-4).
"It would have been better if I got first," Clankie said. "My throw wasn't the greatest. It was awful in my opinion. To take second is bittersweet. I can say I got first one year and second one year and that makes me feel better."
Clankie will head to University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in the fall and will throw the discus on the track team.
"I will always remember being a state champion," Clankie said. "I will remember all the hard work I put into it."
Sugar River's 800 relay team of Victoria Ortgiesen, Emily DeNure, Madeline Brunner and Emily Diaz took fifth with a time of 1:46.59.
"I wasn't surprised that they were able to medal," Sugar River coach Dan Schettler said. "I knew the girls were capable of placing."
Sugar River qualified for state in the 800 relay last year and reached the finals. However, they were disqualified for leaving their exchange zone. The Raiders qualified for the finals this year by getting the last qualifying spot in the preliminaries.
"It was a nice way to redeem themselves," Schettler said. "I don't think anyone was looking at anyone in lane 10 to do anything."
The Cheesemakers' 3,200 relay team of Steve Christiansen, Alex Barenklau, Matt Bush and Ethan Moehn won the race with a time of 7 minutes, 50.13 seconds. The mark eclipsed the previous record set by Grafton in 2005.
For Bush, it was the perfect graduation present.
"It's probably the greatest accomplishment I have ever had in my athletic career," said Bush, who will attend Edgewood College but hasn't decided if he will run track.
Even though the Cheesemakers set a Division 2 state record, it's still not a school record. The school record in the 3,200 relay (7:42.91) was set in 2007 and stood as the Division 1 state record until Brookfield Central won the title (7:40.09) moments after Monroe's championship.
"It's incredible," Moehn said after winning the championship. "It's definitely cool to think we have the state record, but it's not even the school record. It's a little disappointing at first. It just shows how great the track tradition has been in Monroe in the 4x800."
Christiansen was the leadoff runner for the second time this season.
"It's been amazing," Christiansen said. "Coming into the year I was practically running JV. I came on at the right time and got it done."
Christiansen, running against some of the other schools top runners including Sugar River's Ryan McCoy, had the unenviable task of staying within striking distance.
"As long as I kept it close, I knew we would have a chance in the end," Christiansen said. "We have some strong No. 2, 3 and 4 runners."
Barenklau said the 4x800 relay is the most important event for the Cheesemakers.
"It feels great to break the record," he said. "To get a state record, everyone has to do what they do."
Skyler Stingley teamed with Barenklau, Moehn and Bush to take second (3:23.45) in the 1,600 relay. Shorewood, which set a state record in the preliminaries on Friday, won the title (3:22.41).
"Our guys were setting pretty high goals before the state meet," Monroe coach Curt Miller said. "Our guys just seem to be setting higher and higher goals. I was really proud of the 4x400 relay team. If you had to lose to someone that was the team. They had the state champion in the 400 anchoring their relay."
The Cheesemakers' 800 relay team of Barenklau, Dakota Phillips, Forrest Klug-Hanson and Stingley finished seventh (1:30.95) and was just 0.10 seconds away from medaling. It was the Cheesemakers' best race of the season.
"Unfortunately, other teams ran a little better," Miller said. "The future is bright for our young sprinters."
In the girls competition, Brodhead-Juda's Heather Clankie's bid to repeat as the discus champion came up short. Clankie finished as the state runner-up (127-2) in the discus. Ellsworth senior Abbey Ristow won the title (129-4).
"It would have been better if I got first," Clankie said. "My throw wasn't the greatest. It was awful in my opinion. To take second is bittersweet. I can say I got first one year and second one year and that makes me feel better."
Clankie will head to University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in the fall and will throw the discus on the track team.
"I will always remember being a state champion," Clankie said. "I will remember all the hard work I put into it."
Sugar River's 800 relay team of Victoria Ortgiesen, Emily DeNure, Madeline Brunner and Emily Diaz took fifth with a time of 1:46.59.
"I wasn't surprised that they were able to medal," Sugar River coach Dan Schettler said. "I knew the girls were capable of placing."
Sugar River qualified for state in the 800 relay last year and reached the finals. However, they were disqualified for leaving their exchange zone. The Raiders qualified for the finals this year by getting the last qualifying spot in the preliminaries.
"It was a nice way to redeem themselves," Schettler said. "I don't think anyone was looking at anyone in lane 10 to do anything."
