MONROE - A quintet of Monroe track athletes have been invited to compete in the 86th annual Kansas Relays April 18-20.
The meet is a national invitation-only elite meet including the top college, professional, Olympic and standout high school athletes.
Monroe junior Ethan Moehn will be one of 20 high school runners across the country who was selected to run in the Jim Ryun "Dream Mile." Ryun was the first high school athlete to ever break a 4-minute mile. Monroe junior Jake Hirsbrunner was invited to compete in the high jump and the Cheesemakers' 3,200-meter relay team was also invited to compete. Monroe track coach Curt Miller said each one of the athletes is being invited based on performances last season and Monroe's history of having a strong track program.
The Monroe School Board approved the trip Monday night. The students will miss two days of school and will use a district van along with coaches Howie Jubeck and Dave Hirsbrunner as supervisors.
"It's not only great recognition for college purposes, it's great recognition for the program," Miller said.
Miller said there will be no cost to the district and the student-athletes will complete fundraising and pay for their own way.
The Cheesemakers have three-fourths of their state champion 3,200 relay returning this year including Moehn, Steve Christiansen and Alex Barenklau. The Cheesemakers' 3,200 relay team set a WIAA Division 2 state record last year (7 minutes, 50.13 seconds) en route to winning the state championship for the second straight year.
The Cheesemakers' 3,200 relay team has competed at the Penn Relays twice - in 2007 and 2012. In 2007, Monroe made it to the finals of the Penn Relays.
"That kind of put us on the radar," Hirsbrunner said of the team's 2007 Penn Relays performance. "This may never happen again. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We are just lucky enough this happened again."
The meet is a national invitation-only elite meet including the top college, professional, Olympic and standout high school athletes.
Monroe junior Ethan Moehn will be one of 20 high school runners across the country who was selected to run in the Jim Ryun "Dream Mile." Ryun was the first high school athlete to ever break a 4-minute mile. Monroe junior Jake Hirsbrunner was invited to compete in the high jump and the Cheesemakers' 3,200-meter relay team was also invited to compete. Monroe track coach Curt Miller said each one of the athletes is being invited based on performances last season and Monroe's history of having a strong track program.
The Monroe School Board approved the trip Monday night. The students will miss two days of school and will use a district van along with coaches Howie Jubeck and Dave Hirsbrunner as supervisors.
"It's not only great recognition for college purposes, it's great recognition for the program," Miller said.
Miller said there will be no cost to the district and the student-athletes will complete fundraising and pay for their own way.
The Cheesemakers have three-fourths of their state champion 3,200 relay returning this year including Moehn, Steve Christiansen and Alex Barenklau. The Cheesemakers' 3,200 relay team set a WIAA Division 2 state record last year (7 minutes, 50.13 seconds) en route to winning the state championship for the second straight year.
The Cheesemakers' 3,200 relay team has competed at the Penn Relays twice - in 2007 and 2012. In 2007, Monroe made it to the finals of the Penn Relays.
"That kind of put us on the radar," Hirsbrunner said of the team's 2007 Penn Relays performance. "This may never happen again. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We are just lucky enough this happened again."
