By Patrick Hardyman
Former Argyle-Pecatonica Track and Field Coach
In 2021 during the Pecatonica Homecoming and Argyle Homecoming festivities, two former student-athletes were inducted into their respective alma mater’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Craig Anderson, a 1993 Pecatonica graduate, was inducted into the Pecatonica Athletic Hall of Fame, and Crystal Stietz, a 1997 Argyle graduate, was inducted into the Argyle Athletic Hall of Fame. Both of these inductees were outstanding multi-sport athletes for their school teams. In track, each won four State medals in the hurdle events, while Crystal also won two State medals as a member of the 400-meter relay team.
Craig and Crystal were two of the finest athletes that I had the pleasure to coach. Crystal holds the school record in both hurdle events (two state titles in the 100 highs), while Craig continues to hold the record in the 110-meter High Hurdles, but this year his 300-meter Intermediate Hurdle record was broken by Ridge Toay, who just graduated from Pecatonica High School. Craig finished second at State in the 300-meter hurdles in 1993.
Ridge, along with Anna Tisch, who just completed her junior year of high school at Pecatonica, both competed and represented the Argyle-Pecatonica track program at the WIAA State Track & Field Championships held on Friday, June 2 and Saturday, June 3 at Veterans Memorial Stadium Complex on the campus of UW-La Crosse, the same venue where Craig and Crystal won their state medals.
This was Anna’s third appearance at State in the 300 hurdles. She is the first athlete in program history to do that in the 300. If she does it again next year, she will join 2012 Pecatonica graduate Kendra Sigg as a four-time State qualifier in the same event. Kendra qualified in the 1600-meter run (2009-2012). Anna finished fourth in her preliminary race in the 300-meter low hurdles on Friday and 6th overall with a time of 47.20, which gained her a spot in the final on Saturday. The top ten advance to the finals.
This was Ridge’s second consecutive appearance at State in the 300-meter intermediate hurdle race, and for the first time, he also qualified in the 110-meter High Hurdles. He joins Craig Anderson, who doubled in 1992 and 1993, and Crystal Stietz, who did the same in 1995 and 1997. Ridge finished second in his preliminary heat and fifth overall in the 110 highs on Friday with a time of 15.67, thus earning a spot in the final for Championship Saturday. Later in the day, Ridge won his preliminary race in the 300-meter hurdles with a new school record-breaking time of 39.17. Ridge broke Craig’s 300 hurdle record of 40.31 earlier in the season and has continued to lower his school record! Ridge was seeded second behind Cade Stingle from Shiocton, the defending champion in this event after the preliminary heats. A good first day for our two State qualifiers as they advanced to the final in their respective events.
I should note that due to a few weather delays and an issue with the lights, the Division 1 afternoon session on Friday did not get done until 1:15 am Saturday! Because of this, the WIAA decided to break Championship Saturday into two sessions. Session 1 would be all Division 3/2 running finals, all wheelchair finals, and field event finals, which would also include Division 1 competitors. Session 2 would be the Division 1 running and other Division 1 field event finals that would begin after the first Session is completed.
As I was leaving the track stadium on Friday, I spoke with Mike Curtis, Argyle graduate and former long-time football and throwers coach. He was watching the Division 2 girls discus final, where Ayianna Johnson, a senior athlete from Jefferson, had just broken his daughter Amber Curtis’s 2002 discus record. Amber’s throw competing for Brodhead in 2002 was 153’ 11”, while Ayianna set the new record with a throw of 154’ 2”. Amber won four State titles in the discus (2000 - 2003), two while competing for Monroe in Division 1 (2000 - 2001) and two while competing for Brodhead in Division 2 (2002 - 2003).
Saturday was another warm and sunny day with the field event competition starting at 9:30 and the running events beginning at 10:00. In the Division 3 boys 110-meter high hurdle final, Ridge placed fifth with a new personal record time of 15.24! I believe this is the third fastest time in our program, as Craig Anderson has the top two times. This was Ridge’s first State medal and the first medal in this event for our boys since Craig did it in 1993. Craig also placed fifth that year. I know everyone was so happy for Ridge to hear his name announced as he stepped up to the podium to receive his fifth-place medal. A memory that Ridge and his family won’t forget!
It would be a few hours before Anna and Ridge would compete in the 300-meter hurdle finals. Anna was first, and she ran the fastest race of her life, as she finished seventh with a new personal best time of 46.82. This was Anna’s first time under 47 seconds, and she missed breaking Crystal’s 1997 300 hurdle record by .05 of a second! The top eight competitors in each final event would be announced to the crowd with the top six receiving medals. So, Anna did have her name announced as the seventh-place finisher! Anna has improved each year in this event, and I’m sure Coach Klocek is very pleased with her effort. Next year a hopeful return trip to State for the fourth time in this event and like Ridge this year, maybe advancing to State in the 100-meter HH race, too. Four of the top five place-winners in the 300-meter hurdle final this year were seniors, so Anna and her younger sister Loretta (another very good hurdler) have something to shoot for.
Ridge ran another race under 40 seconds, as he finished fourth in the 300-hurdle final with a time of 39.81. Until this year, we never had a boy run under 40 seconds in the 300 hurdles, and Ridge has done it consistently for most of the later part of the track season. I know Ridge was hoping for a top two finish, maybe higher, but he should be very proud of his effort. Ridge’s second hurdle medal in the same State meet places him alongside Craig (1992 - 1993) and Crystal (1997).
It’s been an emotional roller-coaster ride for the track team with the highs of tournament competition but also dealing with the serious injury of one of their teammates, Jake Worthington, in a vehicle/bus collision on May 11. I know everyone is hoping and praying for Jake’s recovery. Anna and Ridge were able to overcome this emotional roller-coaster and performed very well in La Crosse.
Before I close with some thank yous, just a brief summary of what Anna and Ridge have accomplished in hurdling the past few years in tournament competition.
Anna is a 2X defending Six Rivers Conference Champion in the 300, and she is a 3X defending champion at Regional competition. Anna finished second at Conference in the 300 during her freshman season. She also has one Conference title in the 100 HH and two Regional titles in the highs. At Sectionals, she has finished fourth, third, and second in consecutive years advancing to State in the 300 hurdles all three years. Anna finished fifth at Sectionals in the 100 HH this year just missing by one spot qualifying for State. Each year she has improved her finish at State by going 14th, 13th, and finishing 7th this year. Great job Anna!
Ridge’s 2020 freshman season of track was cancelled due to Covid, and the 2021 season was shortened by Covid. Ridge started focusing on the hurdles his junior season. Ridge is a 2X defending Conference champion in the 300 hurdles, and this year, he broke the Conference meet record in the 300 hurdles with a time of 39.60. He has a first and second-place finish at Conference in the 110 HH race. Ridge is also a 2X champion at Regional competition in the 300 and has won one Regional title in the 110 highs. This year, he swept the two hurdle races at Sectionals, and a year ago, he placed second at Sectionals in the 300. Ridge finished ninth overall at the 2022 State track meet in the 300 hurdles, and this year, he came home with a fifth-place medal in the 110 highs and fourth place in the 300-meter hurdle race. I believe Ridge broke meet records in the 300 hurdles at Fennimore and Cuba City in addition to his Conference meet record. Great job Ridge!
I know Coach Klocek, our two state track qualifiers, and their family and teammates were so thrilled to have a relay type fire truck escort from Argyle to Blanchardville and to Hollandale on Thursday afternoon as the group departed to La Crosse. A great way to send Anna and Ridge to State. Also, a big thank you to the 40+ family members, teammates, and fans who made the trip UW-La Crosse to support these two as they ran against the best of the best. Remember - “It’s Always a Great Day for Track & Field!”
