MONROE - The Badger South Conference boys track and field championship has come down to the rivalry between Monroe and Monona Grove in recent years.
The 2012 edition on Tuesday was no different.
The Silver Eagles edged Monroe 159.5-144 to snap the Cheesemakers' three-year run as champions.
"We ended up with more points than I thought we would," Monroe coach Curt Miller said. "Our performances were very good. It's just that MG's performances wound up being a little better. By no means are we disappointed in our team."
Monroe sophomore Ethan Moehn tied Madison Edgewood's Joe McKenna for the 800-meter championship. In a photo finish, both Moehn and McKenna finished with a time of 1:58.92 seconds.
Monroe senior Matt Bush won the 400 (51.12) and was fourth in the 800 (2:00.93).
"My goal all year was to be a conference champion in the 800," Moehn said. "Joe (McKenna) is obviously a great runner and he is doing a triple (1,600, 800 and 3,200)."
Moehn said the 800 is one of the team's strongest events.
"We put three of our strongest guys in that event," Moehn said. "It's definitely an event we tried to score some points on."
McKenna held off a hard-charging Moehn to win the 1,600 (4:26.14). Moehn took second in 4:26.83.
McKenna also won the 3,200 (9:41.5), finishing about 15 seconds ahead of Monroe's Luke Peterson (9:56.94).
Alex Barenklau took second in the 400 (51.39) to help the Cheesemakers go 1-2 in the race. Forrest Klug-Hanson finished third in the 200 (23.64) and Cheesemakers also racked up points by taking three of the top six places. Skyler Stingley took fourth and Barenklau was sixth (23.84). Klug-Hanson also took third in the 100 (11.68).
"That was definitely our goal to go 1-2," Bush said of the 400. "We knew we had what it takes. We just had to go out and do it."
Bush and the Cheesemakers have high expectations every year in the conference meet.
"We have one of the better programs in the state," Bush said. "We want to win conference year in and year out and we want to have a couple relays place high at state. We have some of the best coaches in the state, in my mind. They push us every day to make us better."
The Cheesemakers' 1,600 relay team of Jake Hirsbrunner, Moehn, Stingley and Barenklau won in 3:29.69. Stingley also was second in the 300 hurdles (42.70).
Bush teamed with Peyton Hoesly, Steve Christiansen and A.J. Cifuentes to win the 3,200 relay in 8:15.33. The Cheesemakers' 800 relay team finished third (1:34.78).
"All of the other guys ran really darn good," Bush said of the 3,200 relay. "I was waiting to see where we were at to see how fast I had to run. I didn't want to waste any energy since I had to run the 400 and 800."
Three records were broken in the meet. Monona Grove's Theron Baumann set a new mark (183-9) in the discus, eclipsing by a foot longer the previous record by Monona Grove's Gavin Ball in 2003. Baumann was also one-half inch shy of tying Ball's record in the shot put.
Milton's Riley Kovars set a record in the triple jump (44-11 1/2) and MG's 400 relay team set a new mark (43.97).
The 2012 edition on Tuesday was no different.
The Silver Eagles edged Monroe 159.5-144 to snap the Cheesemakers' three-year run as champions.
"We ended up with more points than I thought we would," Monroe coach Curt Miller said. "Our performances were very good. It's just that MG's performances wound up being a little better. By no means are we disappointed in our team."
Monroe sophomore Ethan Moehn tied Madison Edgewood's Joe McKenna for the 800-meter championship. In a photo finish, both Moehn and McKenna finished with a time of 1:58.92 seconds.
Monroe senior Matt Bush won the 400 (51.12) and was fourth in the 800 (2:00.93).
"My goal all year was to be a conference champion in the 800," Moehn said. "Joe (McKenna) is obviously a great runner and he is doing a triple (1,600, 800 and 3,200)."
Moehn said the 800 is one of the team's strongest events.
"We put three of our strongest guys in that event," Moehn said. "It's definitely an event we tried to score some points on."
McKenna held off a hard-charging Moehn to win the 1,600 (4:26.14). Moehn took second in 4:26.83.
McKenna also won the 3,200 (9:41.5), finishing about 15 seconds ahead of Monroe's Luke Peterson (9:56.94).
Alex Barenklau took second in the 400 (51.39) to help the Cheesemakers go 1-2 in the race. Forrest Klug-Hanson finished third in the 200 (23.64) and Cheesemakers also racked up points by taking three of the top six places. Skyler Stingley took fourth and Barenklau was sixth (23.84). Klug-Hanson also took third in the 100 (11.68).
"That was definitely our goal to go 1-2," Bush said of the 400. "We knew we had what it takes. We just had to go out and do it."
Bush and the Cheesemakers have high expectations every year in the conference meet.
"We have one of the better programs in the state," Bush said. "We want to win conference year in and year out and we want to have a couple relays place high at state. We have some of the best coaches in the state, in my mind. They push us every day to make us better."
The Cheesemakers' 1,600 relay team of Jake Hirsbrunner, Moehn, Stingley and Barenklau won in 3:29.69. Stingley also was second in the 300 hurdles (42.70).
Bush teamed with Peyton Hoesly, Steve Christiansen and A.J. Cifuentes to win the 3,200 relay in 8:15.33. The Cheesemakers' 800 relay team finished third (1:34.78).
"All of the other guys ran really darn good," Bush said of the 3,200 relay. "I was waiting to see where we were at to see how fast I had to run. I didn't want to waste any energy since I had to run the 400 and 800."
Three records were broken in the meet. Monona Grove's Theron Baumann set a new mark (183-9) in the discus, eclipsing by a foot longer the previous record by Monona Grove's Gavin Ball in 2003. Baumann was also one-half inch shy of tying Ball's record in the shot put.
Milton's Riley Kovars set a record in the triple jump (44-11 1/2) and MG's 400 relay team set a new mark (43.97).
