LA CROSSE - Darlington junior Marcia Roeper may have never experienced a high like the one she felt Saturday when she won four medals and helped vault the Redbirds to a state runner-up finish in the WIAA Division 3 state track and field meet.
Roeper, a German exchange student, was the state runner-up in the pole vault (10 feet, 3 inches), fourth in the long jump (17-1/2 feet), fifth in the 100-meter dash (:13.11) and anchored the Redbirds' fourth-place 400 relay team at UW-La Crosse's Veterans Memorial Stadium.
It's hard for Roeper to comprehend winning four medals. If someone would have told Roeper she would win four medals at state before the meet, some convincing would have been needed.
"I would have laughed at them, I think," Roeper said. "I didn't imagine it at all."
Roeper, who was the No. 1 seed in the Division 3 pole vault, missed 10-6 and earned a silver medal behind state champion Kelsey Temanson (10-6) of Stratford. While Roeper is a multi-event talent, the pole vault is her true passion.
"It's just a great feeling clearing the bar and free falling into the mat," Roeper said. "I wanted to win and set a new record. It didn't work out."
The Division 3 state pole vault record of 11-0 set by Rosholt's Jamie Scott in 2005 is safe for another year. Roeper, who cleared 11-7 in the sectional, positioned herself for a state title and record. But she had mixed emotions with the results.
"I wanted to win so I was kind of sad," Roeper said. "I'm glad I got second."
Darlington distance coach Arnie Miehe, who serves as the cross country coach, knows what separates Roeper from so many other talented prep athletes.
"She got a gift when she was born," Miehe said. "When you get a gifted athlete with the right kind of character, you have something special."
The Redbirds finished third at state as a team last year. Contending for a state title was a legitimate goal. The Redbirds didn't lock up a state runner-up finish until the 1,600 relay team of Olivia Wedig, Ciara Wiegel, Kelsi Blosch and Abby Wedig finished sixth with a time of 4 minutes, 9.37 seconds.
"This year it (a state championship) has been in the back of our minds," Abby Wedig said. "It would be really good to bring home that state trophy."
Whitehall won the Division 3 state title (63 points), but the 1,600 relay team's finish allowed the Redbirds to edge Wausau Newman, 37-35 for second.
Miehe understands competing for a state runner-up trophy was in reach, but he wanted the focus on running strong races.
"We really didn't talk about, 'Let's get the silver or gold trophy,'" Miehe said. "That's never really the focus."
Abby Wedig finished third in the 800 in 2:19.85. Wedig, who was the state runner-up in the 800 last year, was focused on running a consistent race.
"Today, I wanted to run a smart race," Wedig said. "I think I did that. I brought it together and kept it together."
Sugar River senior Ashley Beutler won her third straight Division 2 state title in the 1,600, running a 4:52.38, which was about four seconds off her state record time she set last year.
"That is probably the most amazing thing to win three times in a row," Beutler said. "I never expected any of it. To finish it strong and well was amazing."
Beutler, a University of Wisconsin recruit, said her decision to go out hard was stupid since she couldn't maintain the torrid record-setting pace.
"It was the adrenaline," Beutler said. "I knew what I was doing."
Pecatonica-Argyle junior Elise Sigg's development from a sprinter to a distance runner has evolved without a hitch. Sigg used a sprinter's speed to surge to a third-place finish in the 1,600 in 5:16.70, which smashed her seed time by almost six seconds.
"I'm psyched," Sigg said. "Last year I had a third-place medal in the 4x100 relay. It's amazing. I made it to state and medaled in my first year (in the 1,600). I was going for a place on the podium. It worked out I guess."
Sigg added an eighth-place finish in the 800 in 2:26.69.
The Vikings' 800 relay team of Holly Vlasak, Kimee Chandler, Cassie Welch and Ariel Noble took seventh in 1:50.53.
Monticello junior Rachel Nelson finished sixth in the 400 in 1:01.32. Nelson added a ninth-place finish in the 200 (:27.63). Monticello sophomore Kelsey Bernet took seventh in the 1,600 in 5:26.04.
The Black Hawk 400 relay team of Katie Place, Savannah Ernzen, Rachel Rygh and Hailey Meier finished sixth in :52.25. Meier took ninth in the 400 with a time of 1:02.65.
"They came back with a little hardware," Black Hawk coach Cory Milz said. "They were a little off in a couple of their exchanges. Hailey ran a really nice anchor leg."
Roeper, a German exchange student, was the state runner-up in the pole vault (10 feet, 3 inches), fourth in the long jump (17-1/2 feet), fifth in the 100-meter dash (:13.11) and anchored the Redbirds' fourth-place 400 relay team at UW-La Crosse's Veterans Memorial Stadium.
It's hard for Roeper to comprehend winning four medals. If someone would have told Roeper she would win four medals at state before the meet, some convincing would have been needed.
"I would have laughed at them, I think," Roeper said. "I didn't imagine it at all."
Roeper, who was the No. 1 seed in the Division 3 pole vault, missed 10-6 and earned a silver medal behind state champion Kelsey Temanson (10-6) of Stratford. While Roeper is a multi-event talent, the pole vault is her true passion.
"It's just a great feeling clearing the bar and free falling into the mat," Roeper said. "I wanted to win and set a new record. It didn't work out."
The Division 3 state pole vault record of 11-0 set by Rosholt's Jamie Scott in 2005 is safe for another year. Roeper, who cleared 11-7 in the sectional, positioned herself for a state title and record. But she had mixed emotions with the results.
"I wanted to win so I was kind of sad," Roeper said. "I'm glad I got second."
Darlington distance coach Arnie Miehe, who serves as the cross country coach, knows what separates Roeper from so many other talented prep athletes.
"She got a gift when she was born," Miehe said. "When you get a gifted athlete with the right kind of character, you have something special."
The Redbirds finished third at state as a team last year. Contending for a state title was a legitimate goal. The Redbirds didn't lock up a state runner-up finish until the 1,600 relay team of Olivia Wedig, Ciara Wiegel, Kelsi Blosch and Abby Wedig finished sixth with a time of 4 minutes, 9.37 seconds.
"This year it (a state championship) has been in the back of our minds," Abby Wedig said. "It would be really good to bring home that state trophy."
Whitehall won the Division 3 state title (63 points), but the 1,600 relay team's finish allowed the Redbirds to edge Wausau Newman, 37-35 for second.
Miehe understands competing for a state runner-up trophy was in reach, but he wanted the focus on running strong races.
"We really didn't talk about, 'Let's get the silver or gold trophy,'" Miehe said. "That's never really the focus."
Abby Wedig finished third in the 800 in 2:19.85. Wedig, who was the state runner-up in the 800 last year, was focused on running a consistent race.
"Today, I wanted to run a smart race," Wedig said. "I think I did that. I brought it together and kept it together."
Sugar River senior Ashley Beutler won her third straight Division 2 state title in the 1,600, running a 4:52.38, which was about four seconds off her state record time she set last year.
"That is probably the most amazing thing to win three times in a row," Beutler said. "I never expected any of it. To finish it strong and well was amazing."
Beutler, a University of Wisconsin recruit, said her decision to go out hard was stupid since she couldn't maintain the torrid record-setting pace.
"It was the adrenaline," Beutler said. "I knew what I was doing."
Pecatonica-Argyle junior Elise Sigg's development from a sprinter to a distance runner has evolved without a hitch. Sigg used a sprinter's speed to surge to a third-place finish in the 1,600 in 5:16.70, which smashed her seed time by almost six seconds.
"I'm psyched," Sigg said. "Last year I had a third-place medal in the 4x100 relay. It's amazing. I made it to state and medaled in my first year (in the 1,600). I was going for a place on the podium. It worked out I guess."
Sigg added an eighth-place finish in the 800 in 2:26.69.
The Vikings' 800 relay team of Holly Vlasak, Kimee Chandler, Cassie Welch and Ariel Noble took seventh in 1:50.53.
Monticello junior Rachel Nelson finished sixth in the 400 in 1:01.32. Nelson added a ninth-place finish in the 200 (:27.63). Monticello sophomore Kelsey Bernet took seventh in the 1,600 in 5:26.04.
The Black Hawk 400 relay team of Katie Place, Savannah Ernzen, Rachel Rygh and Hailey Meier finished sixth in :52.25. Meier took ninth in the 400 with a time of 1:02.65.
"They came back with a little hardware," Black Hawk coach Cory Milz said. "They were a little off in a couple of their exchanges. Hailey ran a really nice anchor leg."
