LA CROSSE - Behind some long-distance dominance, the Monroe boys track team rolled back into town escorted by fire trucks Sunday after winning the WIAA Division 2 state championship at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Monroe senior Ethan Moehn, a University of Arkansas recruit, completed a triple, winning state championships in three long distance races. He captured the state title in the 3,200-meter run Saturday with a time of 9 minutes, 15.02 seconds. This came on the heels of Moehn winning state championships in the 1,600 and 800 on Friday.
"To win the triple crown (state titles in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200) and get the team state championship is amazing," Moehn said. "It's a dream come true. I'm so proud of how everyone competed their butts off. I think it hit me when we were running around the track with the trophy. It ends as well as it could have. We went out on top."
Moehn finished his track career with seven gold medals and a Division 2 state cross country championship. Monroe long-distance track coach Dave Hirsbrunner said Moehn is the only runner in the history of the state to win every long distance state championship.
"Now when you talk about the best runners in the history of Wisconsin like Chris Solinsky, Moehn will be right up there," Hirsbrunner said.
Solinsky, a Stevens Point alumnus, won eight state championships in high school and five NCAA Division I championships at the University of Wisconsin.
The Cheesemakers medaled in eight of the nine events they competed in at state and each one scored points. It's the first state team title for Monroe since 1966.
"I can't tell you how much it means to stand up here with these trophies," Monroe boys track coach Curt Miller said during the pep rally. "It's unbelievable. The meet couldn't have been any closer to perfect."
The Cheesemakers' 3,200 relay team was looking to win the school's fourth straight state title in that event. The Cheesemakers' 3,200 relay team of Trevor Blum, Noah Tostrud, Cody Faust and Jake Hirsbrunner finished as the state runner-up with a season-best time of 7:55.08.
"The goal was to win it," Tostrud said. "We ran without the best 800-meter runner in the state. Being able to take second shows the depth of our distance runners."
As one of three seniors on the 3,200 relay team, Tostrud was excited to bring home the gold trophy.
"It's been one of my dreams as a little kid to win a state title and put a picture on the wall," Tostrud said. "It means a lot to do it with my best friends."
After running the 3,200 relay, Hirsbrunner, a University of Wisconsin-Madison recruit, went right into the high jump and cleared 6 feet, 4 inches. He cleared 6-6 and finished fourth place.
"I came into the high jump knowing I would focus my energy on the 3,200 relay," Hirsbrunner said. "I went in with the mentality that it was my last race ever so I had to give it my all. I came into the high jump with the mentality that wherever they were at I would come in. I definitely feel like that is the best I could have done after running the 3,200 relay."
The Monroe boys 800 relay team of Blain Harpstrite, Blake Bast, Forrest Klug-Hanson and Dakota Phillips finished seventh (1:30.93) after entering state seeded 10th. The Cheesemakers set a school record in the preliminaries Friday.
"Our school record board is not an easy one to get your name on," Miller said. "It's hard to go there and achieve better than you are seeded. I couldn't be prouder of them."
The Cheesemakers weren't the only team to have a gold medal showing. Brodhead-Juda junior Logan Maurer won a state title in the shot put with a throw of 55-3 1⁄2. Maurer swept the state titles in both the shot put and discus.
"All I can say is I can't believe any of it," Maurer said. "I would have never dreamed I would pull this off. It's an amazing feeling."
Maurer entered the shot put as the fifth seed. After a five hour, 30 minute lightning and rain delay, Maurer came back and turned in his best performance of the season.
"I don't know what I did," he said. "I just have to do it more often. I still can't believe it. I came in seeded fifth. After I won the discus, I learned seeds don't matter. I went into the shot a lot more confident and pulled it off."
Sugar River senior Kelvin Johnson finished fourth in the 300 hurdles (37.82) and freshman Krista Diaz took fourth in the 100 hurdles (15.51).
Monroe senior Tre Voegeli finished seventh in the pole vault for the second straight year clearing 9-6. Voegeli battled an ankle injury she said was a factor in her performance.
"I tried not to let it (injury) get in my head," Voegeli said. "I did the best I could with what I had. It's definitely not how I wanted the season to end. I had bigger goals than that. I'm proud of all my accomplishments all of my career in track."
The Cheesemakers' 400 relay team of Lauren Werth, Mafer Larrga, Abby Oudinot and Josie Eberle took 10th (51.37).
Moehn and Hirsbrunner became the fastest combo of teammates in the 1,600 in the history of Wisconsin. Moehn set a Division 2 state record (4:09.56) and Hirsbrunner was the state runner-up in the 1,600 (4:13.82).
Monroe senior Ethan Moehn, a University of Arkansas recruit, completed a triple, winning state championships in three long distance races. He captured the state title in the 3,200-meter run Saturday with a time of 9 minutes, 15.02 seconds. This came on the heels of Moehn winning state championships in the 1,600 and 800 on Friday.
"To win the triple crown (state titles in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200) and get the team state championship is amazing," Moehn said. "It's a dream come true. I'm so proud of how everyone competed their butts off. I think it hit me when we were running around the track with the trophy. It ends as well as it could have. We went out on top."
Moehn finished his track career with seven gold medals and a Division 2 state cross country championship. Monroe long-distance track coach Dave Hirsbrunner said Moehn is the only runner in the history of the state to win every long distance state championship.
"Now when you talk about the best runners in the history of Wisconsin like Chris Solinsky, Moehn will be right up there," Hirsbrunner said.
Solinsky, a Stevens Point alumnus, won eight state championships in high school and five NCAA Division I championships at the University of Wisconsin.
The Cheesemakers medaled in eight of the nine events they competed in at state and each one scored points. It's the first state team title for Monroe since 1966.
"I can't tell you how much it means to stand up here with these trophies," Monroe boys track coach Curt Miller said during the pep rally. "It's unbelievable. The meet couldn't have been any closer to perfect."
The Cheesemakers' 3,200 relay team was looking to win the school's fourth straight state title in that event. The Cheesemakers' 3,200 relay team of Trevor Blum, Noah Tostrud, Cody Faust and Jake Hirsbrunner finished as the state runner-up with a season-best time of 7:55.08.
"The goal was to win it," Tostrud said. "We ran without the best 800-meter runner in the state. Being able to take second shows the depth of our distance runners."
As one of three seniors on the 3,200 relay team, Tostrud was excited to bring home the gold trophy.
"It's been one of my dreams as a little kid to win a state title and put a picture on the wall," Tostrud said. "It means a lot to do it with my best friends."
After running the 3,200 relay, Hirsbrunner, a University of Wisconsin-Madison recruit, went right into the high jump and cleared 6 feet, 4 inches. He cleared 6-6 and finished fourth place.
"I came into the high jump knowing I would focus my energy on the 3,200 relay," Hirsbrunner said. "I went in with the mentality that it was my last race ever so I had to give it my all. I came into the high jump with the mentality that wherever they were at I would come in. I definitely feel like that is the best I could have done after running the 3,200 relay."
The Monroe boys 800 relay team of Blain Harpstrite, Blake Bast, Forrest Klug-Hanson and Dakota Phillips finished seventh (1:30.93) after entering state seeded 10th. The Cheesemakers set a school record in the preliminaries Friday.
"Our school record board is not an easy one to get your name on," Miller said. "It's hard to go there and achieve better than you are seeded. I couldn't be prouder of them."
The Cheesemakers weren't the only team to have a gold medal showing. Brodhead-Juda junior Logan Maurer won a state title in the shot put with a throw of 55-3 1⁄2. Maurer swept the state titles in both the shot put and discus.
"All I can say is I can't believe any of it," Maurer said. "I would have never dreamed I would pull this off. It's an amazing feeling."
Maurer entered the shot put as the fifth seed. After a five hour, 30 minute lightning and rain delay, Maurer came back and turned in his best performance of the season.
"I don't know what I did," he said. "I just have to do it more often. I still can't believe it. I came in seeded fifth. After I won the discus, I learned seeds don't matter. I went into the shot a lot more confident and pulled it off."
Sugar River senior Kelvin Johnson finished fourth in the 300 hurdles (37.82) and freshman Krista Diaz took fourth in the 100 hurdles (15.51).
Monroe senior Tre Voegeli finished seventh in the pole vault for the second straight year clearing 9-6. Voegeli battled an ankle injury she said was a factor in her performance.
"I tried not to let it (injury) get in my head," Voegeli said. "I did the best I could with what I had. It's definitely not how I wanted the season to end. I had bigger goals than that. I'm proud of all my accomplishments all of my career in track."
The Cheesemakers' 400 relay team of Lauren Werth, Mafer Larrga, Abby Oudinot and Josie Eberle took 10th (51.37).
Moehn and Hirsbrunner became the fastest combo of teammates in the 1,600 in the history of Wisconsin. Moehn set a Division 2 state record (4:09.56) and Hirsbrunner was the state runner-up in the 1,600 (4:13.82).
