"We wanted to win it. It feels amazing. It's
indescribable."
- Monroe sophomore Alex Barenklau, member of the state champion 3,200-meter relay team
LA CROSSE - Monroe senior Dylan Starck could have a future as a history teacher as it pertains to the Cheesemakers' strong tradition in the 3,200-meter relay.
The Cheesemakers' 3,200 relay team of Alex Barenklau, Matt Bush, Ethan Moehn and Starck won a state championship in the event with a blistering time of 7 minutes, 57.61 seconds at the WIAA Division 2 State Track and Field Championships Friday at the University of La Crosse's Veterans Memorial Stadium. The Cheesemakers' time was about eight seconds ahead of runner-up Sugar River (8:05.89). Monroe was about seven seconds away from Grafton's Division 2 state record (7:50.94), which was set in 2005.
"It's great to be able to add to the legacy," Starck said. "For years I have been watching guys run the 4x800. I have been looking up to them. To think I'm one of those guys is pretty amazing."
Monroe has made appearances at state in the 3,200 relay nine of the last 10 years. The Cheesemakers have won three of the last six state titles, including championships in 2006 and 2007. The Cheesemakers set the overall and Division 1 state record in 2007, which still stands (7:42.91).
Barenklau stayed with Sugar River's Ryan McCoy and Bush extended the Cheesemakers' lead. Barenklau thought the Cheesemakers may have a shot at a state record.
"We wanted to win it," said Barenklau, who was running in his first state meet. "If we set the record and won it that would have been great. It feels amazing. It's indescribable."
Bush understands that if it was a closer race, he may have been pushed even more to challenge the state record.
"It's amazing," Bush said. "I wish I would have had someone to run with."
As a freshman, Moehn enjoyed his first state experience.
"It's awesome to be able to add even more (state titles) in the 4x800 relay," Moehn said.
"Hopefully, I can do this a few more years and add a couple more of these," he said holding up his medal.
Monroe senior Jeffrey Hill tied New Berlin West's Adam Ruiz for sixth in the pole vault (13 feet, 6 inches). Monroe senior Nick Walker took 15th in the discus (122-4). The Cheesemakers' 1,600 relay team of Barenklau, Moehn, Skyler Stingley and Bush took fourth in the preliminaries (3:28.48) to advance to the finals today.
"It's good to medal," Hill said. "It's not the place I was hoping for by any means. Misses at 13-feet are what ultimately led to sixth place. If I would have been clean without any misses until 14-0, I think I probably would have got third."
Monroe senior Jaclyn Ditter will have a busy day Saturday as she advanced in the finals of the 100 hurdles and as a member of the 400 relay team. Ditter teamed with Maria Eberle, Brenna Bazley and Lauren Werth to finish first in the preliminaries of the 400 relay with a school record time of 49.73 seconds, which was 1/100th of a second ahead of Rice Lake.
"It's been our goal all year to break that record," Eberle said. "We just wanted to get in the finals and we will run our hardest."
Bazley, a senior, is taking the school record and the top seed in the finals today in stride.
"To finally hit that goal is icing on the cake," Bazley said. "Now we will go into the finals and see what happens. It's so close."
In the 100 hurdles, Ditter finished the preliminaries in third place with a time of 15.54 seconds, which was just 0.9 seconds away from Mosinee's Brittany Dulak (:15.45).
"I wanted to get a good seed time for the finals and I did so I'm really happy," Ditter said of the 100 hurdles.
Sugar River junior Victoria Ortgiesen was a special qualifier and finished eighth in the preliminaries of the 300 hurdles (:48.14) to advance to the finals. Ditter took 12th in the preliminaries of the 300 hurdles and didn't make the top 10 for the finals.
One of the biggest performances at state came from Brodhead-Juda senior Michael Peterson, who finished fourth in the triple jump (43 feet, 7.50 inches) after entering as the 16th seed.
"It was really unexpected to come from 16th to fourth," Peterson said. "I expected to have my best jump of the year. It was my best jump by 1.5 inches. It's a great way to end my track career."
Brodhead-Juda senior Shannon Klein will have a chance to earn a medal in the 400 for the second straight year. She took fifth in the prelims (:59.08) to advance to the finals.
The Sugar River girls 800 relay team, including Ortgiesen, Quinn Rear, Emily Diaz and Alexis Hanson, finished fourth in the prelims with a time of 1:47.48 to advance to the finals. The Cheesemakers' 800 relay team of Eberle, Rachel Rogerson, Bazley and Werth took 14th (1:49.36).
The Cheesemakers' 3,200 relay team of Alex Barenklau, Matt Bush, Ethan Moehn and Starck won a state championship in the event with a blistering time of 7 minutes, 57.61 seconds at the WIAA Division 2 State Track and Field Championships Friday at the University of La Crosse's Veterans Memorial Stadium. The Cheesemakers' time was about eight seconds ahead of runner-up Sugar River (8:05.89). Monroe was about seven seconds away from Grafton's Division 2 state record (7:50.94), which was set in 2005.
"It's great to be able to add to the legacy," Starck said. "For years I have been watching guys run the 4x800. I have been looking up to them. To think I'm one of those guys is pretty amazing."
Monroe has made appearances at state in the 3,200 relay nine of the last 10 years. The Cheesemakers have won three of the last six state titles, including championships in 2006 and 2007. The Cheesemakers set the overall and Division 1 state record in 2007, which still stands (7:42.91).
Barenklau stayed with Sugar River's Ryan McCoy and Bush extended the Cheesemakers' lead. Barenklau thought the Cheesemakers may have a shot at a state record.
"We wanted to win it," said Barenklau, who was running in his first state meet. "If we set the record and won it that would have been great. It feels amazing. It's indescribable."
Bush understands that if it was a closer race, he may have been pushed even more to challenge the state record.
"It's amazing," Bush said. "I wish I would have had someone to run with."
As a freshman, Moehn enjoyed his first state experience.
"It's awesome to be able to add even more (state titles) in the 4x800 relay," Moehn said.
"Hopefully, I can do this a few more years and add a couple more of these," he said holding up his medal.
Monroe senior Jeffrey Hill tied New Berlin West's Adam Ruiz for sixth in the pole vault (13 feet, 6 inches). Monroe senior Nick Walker took 15th in the discus (122-4). The Cheesemakers' 1,600 relay team of Barenklau, Moehn, Skyler Stingley and Bush took fourth in the preliminaries (3:28.48) to advance to the finals today.
"It's good to medal," Hill said. "It's not the place I was hoping for by any means. Misses at 13-feet are what ultimately led to sixth place. If I would have been clean without any misses until 14-0, I think I probably would have got third."
Monroe senior Jaclyn Ditter will have a busy day Saturday as she advanced in the finals of the 100 hurdles and as a member of the 400 relay team. Ditter teamed with Maria Eberle, Brenna Bazley and Lauren Werth to finish first in the preliminaries of the 400 relay with a school record time of 49.73 seconds, which was 1/100th of a second ahead of Rice Lake.
"It's been our goal all year to break that record," Eberle said. "We just wanted to get in the finals and we will run our hardest."
Bazley, a senior, is taking the school record and the top seed in the finals today in stride.
"To finally hit that goal is icing on the cake," Bazley said. "Now we will go into the finals and see what happens. It's so close."
In the 100 hurdles, Ditter finished the preliminaries in third place with a time of 15.54 seconds, which was just 0.9 seconds away from Mosinee's Brittany Dulak (:15.45).
"I wanted to get a good seed time for the finals and I did so I'm really happy," Ditter said of the 100 hurdles.
Sugar River junior Victoria Ortgiesen was a special qualifier and finished eighth in the preliminaries of the 300 hurdles (:48.14) to advance to the finals. Ditter took 12th in the preliminaries of the 300 hurdles and didn't make the top 10 for the finals.
One of the biggest performances at state came from Brodhead-Juda senior Michael Peterson, who finished fourth in the triple jump (43 feet, 7.50 inches) after entering as the 16th seed.
"It was really unexpected to come from 16th to fourth," Peterson said. "I expected to have my best jump of the year. It was my best jump by 1.5 inches. It's a great way to end my track career."
Brodhead-Juda senior Shannon Klein will have a chance to earn a medal in the 400 for the second straight year. She took fifth in the prelims (:59.08) to advance to the finals.
The Sugar River girls 800 relay team, including Ortgiesen, Quinn Rear, Emily Diaz and Alexis Hanson, finished fourth in the prelims with a time of 1:47.48 to advance to the finals. The Cheesemakers' 800 relay team of Eberle, Rachel Rogerson, Bazley and Werth took 14th (1:49.36).
