LA CROSSE - Brodhead-Juda senior Logan Maurer walked away from the ring for the last time as a prep athlete for Brodhead-Juda with an unfinished feeling after falling 2 inches short of repeating as a state champion in the shot put.
Maurer won a silver medal Saturday at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's Veterans Memorial Stadium with a throw of 54 feet, 1/4 inch. Racine St. Catherine senior Kelly Thomas won the state title (54-2 1/2).
"It's one of those things where I will always remember that I lost and was 2 inches away from repeating (as a state champion) my senior year," Maurer said. "I can't complain about the season I had. It was a good way to end my career. I will always remember that I couldn't get it done my senior year."
Maurer will play football for Ripon in the fall. He's considering continuing his track career in college.
"I might do track for the outdoor season because I don't want to leave the sport entirely," Maurer said.
Four area athletes and two relay teams medaled Saturday at the WIAA Division 2 and 3 state track championships. In addition to Maurer, Pecatonica-Argyle sophomore Josie Penniston finished fourth place in the Division 3 400-meter dash with a time of 58.52 seconds.
Brodhead-Juda freshman Madee Harding took fifth place in the 400 (58.68) in Division 2. Harding teamed with Taylor Bluemel, Morgan Adkins and Cora Purdue to finish fifth in the 3,200 relay (9:36.49).
The Dodgeville-Mineral Point girls edged Mount Horeb 36-35 to win the Division 2 state championship. The Brodhead-Juda girls track team had the best showing at state of any area team winning four medals over the weekend and taking 18th place with 15 points.
"Everyone got medals," Brodhead-Juda coach Ken Peterson said. "That is what we wanted and it happened. Everyone went home happy. It shows we have a lot of strengths and depth. Two of them are freshmen and that is another good sign. Now they are all excited about next year."
Sugar River sophomore Krista Diaz finished sixth place in the 100 hurdles (15.85) and Sugar River senior Colton Boley took sixth place in the boys' 300 hurdles (40.90).
Monroe sophomore Jordan Hirsbrunner finished seventh place in the 300 hurdles (46.51). She was one spot and 0.44 seconds away from medaling.
"The preliminary times are usually faster than the finals times," Monroe girls track coach Matt Davis said. "I think Jordan exceeded expectations in the 300 hurdles. There were a lot of fast runners. Jordan was able to hold her own. She was able to score points in both the high jump and 300 hurdles at state. Scoring points in two events at state as a sophomore is a big accomplishment."
The Cheesemakers' 3,200 relay team of junior Isabel Bazley, freshman Rachel Meier, sophomore Ciara Kaderly and freshman Mya Waterman finished ninth place (9:52.81), which was about seven seconds away from medaling.
"They had a good day," Davis said. "I was really impressed because two of them are freshmen and they have never ran at state before. It's nice they got the opportunity. Hopefully, they will have the opportunity to run there in the years to come. They gained invaluable experience."
Sugar River senior Mike Fink took eighth place in the shot put (51-1 3/4) and was a 1/2 inch away from earning a medal. In the Division 2 girls' 3,200, Sugar River sophomore Noelle Marie finished seventh place (11:37.89) and was less than one second away from medaling. Senior teammate Ashley Clark cleared 10-0 to tie for ninth place in the pole vault.
In the Division 3 girls race, Cuba City captured the state title 53-44 over Saint Mary's Springs. The only area team to crack the top 20 at state was Benton-Scales Mound-Shullsburg which took eighth place (26). Pecatonica-Argyle and Darlington 5) both tied for 36th place.
Darlington's 1,600 relay team of senior Johanna Meister, freshman Meghan Douglas, sophomore Paige Schilling and junior Carly Langkamp took fifth place (4:12.10).
The Redbirds' 3,200 relay team of Langkamp, Erin Wolf, Schilling and Meister took ninth (10:10.79) and Albany finished 14th (10:32.04).
Monticello junior Drew Yaun took 10th place in the boys' 400 (51.73) and Albany senior Brennan Bloedel was 11th in the 3,200 (10:10.47).
Maurer won a silver medal Saturday at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's Veterans Memorial Stadium with a throw of 54 feet, 1/4 inch. Racine St. Catherine senior Kelly Thomas won the state title (54-2 1/2).
"It's one of those things where I will always remember that I lost and was 2 inches away from repeating (as a state champion) my senior year," Maurer said. "I can't complain about the season I had. It was a good way to end my career. I will always remember that I couldn't get it done my senior year."
Maurer will play football for Ripon in the fall. He's considering continuing his track career in college.
"I might do track for the outdoor season because I don't want to leave the sport entirely," Maurer said.
Four area athletes and two relay teams medaled Saturday at the WIAA Division 2 and 3 state track championships. In addition to Maurer, Pecatonica-Argyle sophomore Josie Penniston finished fourth place in the Division 3 400-meter dash with a time of 58.52 seconds.
Brodhead-Juda freshman Madee Harding took fifth place in the 400 (58.68) in Division 2. Harding teamed with Taylor Bluemel, Morgan Adkins and Cora Purdue to finish fifth in the 3,200 relay (9:36.49).
The Dodgeville-Mineral Point girls edged Mount Horeb 36-35 to win the Division 2 state championship. The Brodhead-Juda girls track team had the best showing at state of any area team winning four medals over the weekend and taking 18th place with 15 points.
"Everyone got medals," Brodhead-Juda coach Ken Peterson said. "That is what we wanted and it happened. Everyone went home happy. It shows we have a lot of strengths and depth. Two of them are freshmen and that is another good sign. Now they are all excited about next year."
Sugar River sophomore Krista Diaz finished sixth place in the 100 hurdles (15.85) and Sugar River senior Colton Boley took sixth place in the boys' 300 hurdles (40.90).
Monroe sophomore Jordan Hirsbrunner finished seventh place in the 300 hurdles (46.51). She was one spot and 0.44 seconds away from medaling.
"The preliminary times are usually faster than the finals times," Monroe girls track coach Matt Davis said. "I think Jordan exceeded expectations in the 300 hurdles. There were a lot of fast runners. Jordan was able to hold her own. She was able to score points in both the high jump and 300 hurdles at state. Scoring points in two events at state as a sophomore is a big accomplishment."
The Cheesemakers' 3,200 relay team of junior Isabel Bazley, freshman Rachel Meier, sophomore Ciara Kaderly and freshman Mya Waterman finished ninth place (9:52.81), which was about seven seconds away from medaling.
"They had a good day," Davis said. "I was really impressed because two of them are freshmen and they have never ran at state before. It's nice they got the opportunity. Hopefully, they will have the opportunity to run there in the years to come. They gained invaluable experience."
Sugar River senior Mike Fink took eighth place in the shot put (51-1 3/4) and was a 1/2 inch away from earning a medal. In the Division 2 girls' 3,200, Sugar River sophomore Noelle Marie finished seventh place (11:37.89) and was less than one second away from medaling. Senior teammate Ashley Clark cleared 10-0 to tie for ninth place in the pole vault.
In the Division 3 girls race, Cuba City captured the state title 53-44 over Saint Mary's Springs. The only area team to crack the top 20 at state was Benton-Scales Mound-Shullsburg which took eighth place (26). Pecatonica-Argyle and Darlington 5) both tied for 36th place.
Darlington's 1,600 relay team of senior Johanna Meister, freshman Meghan Douglas, sophomore Paige Schilling and junior Carly Langkamp took fifth place (4:12.10).
The Redbirds' 3,200 relay team of Langkamp, Erin Wolf, Schilling and Meister took ninth (10:10.79) and Albany finished 14th (10:32.04).
Monticello junior Drew Yaun took 10th place in the boys' 400 (51.73) and Albany senior Brennan Bloedel was 11th in the 3,200 (10:10.47).
