WIAA Division 2 Monroe regional
When: 3:30 p.m. Monday
Where: Monroe High School
Tickets: $5
Teams competing: Monroe, Sugar River, Brodhead-Juda, Cambridge, Clinton, Edgerton, Evansville, Jefferson, Beloit Turner
What's at stake: Top four in each event advance to sectional
Up next: Division 2 sectional at 4 p.m. May 26 at McFarland High School
MONROE - With the championship season coming up, the Monroe High School boys track and field team's 3,200-meter relay team enters the WIAA Division 2 Monroe regional as a heavy favorite to make a run to state.
The team of sophomore Drake Ingold, sophomore Jonah Tostrud, sophomore Dylan Scace and senior Thang Lu own the fastest Division 2 time in the state at 8 minutes, 8.84 seconds. The quartet ran the state's top time at the Simpson Relays on April 22 in Monroe.
Monroe has had a strong tradition in the distance events and the 3,200 relay at state. The Cheesemakers have made five straight trips to state in the 3,200 relay and have won three state titles during that span.
"It makes me feel really confident," Lu said of having the top time in the state. "We are determined to make it to state."
However, the order and members set to run the 3,200 relay in Monday's regional haven't been determined. The top four finishes in each event at the regional will advance to the McFarland sectional Thursday.
"We have eight or nine guys who could run the 3,200 relay on most teams," Monroe coach Scott Mosher said. "It's a nice problem to have. If they ran an 8x800 at state we would probably win that."
Both Monroe senior Dominick Curtiss and sophomore Jason Koller have run on the 3,200 relay at times this season. The competition in practice is driving many of the Cheesemakers' distance runners to work hard and improve.
"It makes you want to strive to do better," Ingold said. "It gives you competition. It makes you want to do better. It helps the whole team out."
Tostrud said the goal for the 3,200 relay team all season has been to break 8 minutes.
The biggest challenge for the Cheesemakers in the regional could come from Cambridge, which has the second fastest time in the 3,200 relay in the state. The Blue Jays finished in 8:12.14 to take fourth at the Kansas Relays this year.
"We just want to make it to sectionals without going as hard as we can," Scace said. "Most of us each have another race or two that night. We want to run what we need to make the fast heat at sectionals."
Scace, the Badger Conference champion in the 3,200, will run that same race in the regional along with Ingold. Lu is expected to run the 800 and 1,600 relay in addition to the 3,200 relay.
Even though three sophomores are in the mix to run on the 3,200 relay team for the Cheesemakers, most of the runners are determined to be successful this season.
"We have to do this for Thang this year," Scace said. "He didn't get to be on the state championship team."
Lu said the biggest difference in the Cheesemakers' 3,200 relay this year compared to last year is the trio of sophomores are more experienced and a lot stronger as runners. With a big home crowd expected to root on the Cheesemakers, Lu welcomes the challenge. He wants to push the relay into the McFarland sectional in the fastest heat so they can make a return run to state.
"We want to show off, but not too much so we don't tire ourselves out for sectionals," Lu said.
While Lu is looking to win a gold medal in his final year of his prep career, one other Cheesemaker runners is looking forward to making his debut on the biggest stage at state at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Veteran's Memorial Stadium.
"I think it would be a great experience since it would be my first time if we made it to state because I didn't run last year," Ingold said.
The team of sophomore Drake Ingold, sophomore Jonah Tostrud, sophomore Dylan Scace and senior Thang Lu own the fastest Division 2 time in the state at 8 minutes, 8.84 seconds. The quartet ran the state's top time at the Simpson Relays on April 22 in Monroe.
Monroe has had a strong tradition in the distance events and the 3,200 relay at state. The Cheesemakers have made five straight trips to state in the 3,200 relay and have won three state titles during that span.
"It makes me feel really confident," Lu said of having the top time in the state. "We are determined to make it to state."
However, the order and members set to run the 3,200 relay in Monday's regional haven't been determined. The top four finishes in each event at the regional will advance to the McFarland sectional Thursday.
"We have eight or nine guys who could run the 3,200 relay on most teams," Monroe coach Scott Mosher said. "It's a nice problem to have. If they ran an 8x800 at state we would probably win that."
Both Monroe senior Dominick Curtiss and sophomore Jason Koller have run on the 3,200 relay at times this season. The competition in practice is driving many of the Cheesemakers' distance runners to work hard and improve.
"It makes you want to strive to do better," Ingold said. "It gives you competition. It makes you want to do better. It helps the whole team out."
Tostrud said the goal for the 3,200 relay team all season has been to break 8 minutes.
The biggest challenge for the Cheesemakers in the regional could come from Cambridge, which has the second fastest time in the 3,200 relay in the state. The Blue Jays finished in 8:12.14 to take fourth at the Kansas Relays this year.
"We just want to make it to sectionals without going as hard as we can," Scace said. "Most of us each have another race or two that night. We want to run what we need to make the fast heat at sectionals."
Scace, the Badger Conference champion in the 3,200, will run that same race in the regional along with Ingold. Lu is expected to run the 800 and 1,600 relay in addition to the 3,200 relay.
Even though three sophomores are in the mix to run on the 3,200 relay team for the Cheesemakers, most of the runners are determined to be successful this season.
"We have to do this for Thang this year," Scace said. "He didn't get to be on the state championship team."
Lu said the biggest difference in the Cheesemakers' 3,200 relay this year compared to last year is the trio of sophomores are more experienced and a lot stronger as runners. With a big home crowd expected to root on the Cheesemakers, Lu welcomes the challenge. He wants to push the relay into the McFarland sectional in the fastest heat so they can make a return run to state.
"We want to show off, but not too much so we don't tire ourselves out for sectionals," Lu said.
While Lu is looking to win a gold medal in his final year of his prep career, one other Cheesemaker runners is looking forward to making his debut on the biggest stage at state at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Veteran's Memorial Stadium.
"I think it would be a great experience since it would be my first time if we made it to state because I didn't run last year," Ingold said.
