MONROE - Before many sports fans count down the minutes until the ball drops and they pop a cork to celebrate the new year, there are several more 2015 stories to recall and honor.
One small town has one of the top cross country dynasties in the history of the WIAA and a football team that is an annual state contender. Two other small towns enjoyed celebrating a first for their program and, despite not having an indoor training facility for year-round play, the Monroe tennis program proved they can be players in the state tournament field.
This is the second part of a two-part series highlighting the top sports stories of 2015.
Darlington boys cross country add to streak
The Darlington boys cross country team won a fifth straight WIAA Division 3 state championship Oct. 31 at the Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
The Redbirds became just the fourth team in WIAA history to win five straight titles. Darlington had five runners finish in the top 15 at state to roll to the state title 49-106 over SWAL rival Boscobel.
Darlington senior Jaden Komprood finished fourth at state overall but third in the team scoring with a time of 16 minutes, 46.21 seconds on the 5,000-meter course.
"It's incredible to get five in a row," Komprood said. "Darlington cross country has given me a lot of memories. I just hope everyone cherishes it for the rest of their lives."
The record for the most consecutive state titles in cross country is owned by Milwaukee Riverside, which won eight straight from 1913-1920. Milwaukee Riverside also had a streak of six straight state titles from 1923-1928. The only teams to win five straight since the WIAA moved to a three-division format are Darlington and Fennimore (1977-1981).
Silver again for Darlington football
For the third straight year, the Darlington football team brought home the silver ball. In a rematch of last year's state championship game, Fond du Lac St. Mary's Springs beat Darlington 39-20 in the state title game.
St. Mary's Springs has played in the state title game six of the past seven years. The Redbirds rallied from a 14-0 deficit with junior Hunter Johnson bolting for an 86-yard touchdown on a kickoff return. Johnson rushed for 119 yards and scored two touchdowns. Johnson finished the season with a school record for rushing yards in a single season (2,365) and a single-season scoring record (42 TDs rushing and two touchdowns receiving).
However, after hurdling into the end zone on a 6-yard TD run, Johnson collapsed to the turf in pain and was forced out of the game with a fractured shin. The Redbirds sustained several other injuries, including to quarterback Jared Meister (leg injury) and senior offensive and defensive lineman Taylor Evenstad (separated shoulder).
The Ledgers gashed the Redbirds for 430 total rushing yards. St. Mary's Springs fullback Clay Schueffner rushed for 233 yards on 15 carries and scored two touchdowns. Running back Fintan Floyd racked up 184 rushing yards on 28 carries and scored four touchdowns.
Colden brings home gold for Brodhead-Juda
Brodhead-Juda's Brady Colden pulled out a thrilling 4-2 overtime win over Luck/Frederic/Grantsburg senior Tony Britton at 170 pounds to win a WIAA Division 2 state wrestling championship at the Kohl Center.
Colden finished the season with a 48-2 record and ranked No. 3 in the state. However, he made a run to the top of his weight class and became the first wrestler in the history of the cooperative program to win a state championship in wrestling. It was a teary-eyed moment for his coach and father, Tim Colden, who announced that he would retire from coaching at the end of the season. The title gave Brady one to match his father, Tim, who won a state championship in 1986 wrestling for Juda.
"First one ever!" Brady Colden said after taking a moment to let it sink in. "My dad was a state champ when he was in high school, but Brodhead has never had a state champ."
Juda-Albany softball reaches state semifinals
The Juda-Albany softball team became the girls and team of the spring, making the school's first berth in the WIAA Division 4 state tournament.
For most of a state semifinal game, it looked like Juda would be up to the challenge when Alexis Goecks ripped a triple to right to score Jessica Crull to tie the game. Oakfield came back and knocked off Juda 6-4 in an eight-inning heartbreaker.
Crull was the hitting star, going 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored.
Freshman pitcher Nicki Becker made a name for herself as a powerful strikeout pitcher that pitched like an ace all the way to state.
"We proved that we could play with the top teams in the state and we are one of the better teams in the state," Juda-Albany's Molly Marass said.
"We left it all out on the field. We never gave up. Oakfield just got some clutch hits in the end."
Monroe doubles duo stars at state
The Monroe senior No. 1 doubles duo of Kevin Noriega and Matt Monahan finished in the top eight at the WIAA Division 2 state tennis tournament June 6 at the University of Wisconsin's Nielsen Tennis Stadium.
Noriega and Monahan made it to the final day of the state tournament. The senior duo lost a state semifinal match to fourth-seeded Brookfield Academy's Michael Racjchel and Jason Tan 6-2, 6-2.
It marks the first time a Monroe tennis player or doubles team has made a run to the final day of the state tournament since 2000.
One small town has one of the top cross country dynasties in the history of the WIAA and a football team that is an annual state contender. Two other small towns enjoyed celebrating a first for their program and, despite not having an indoor training facility for year-round play, the Monroe tennis program proved they can be players in the state tournament field.
This is the second part of a two-part series highlighting the top sports stories of 2015.
Darlington boys cross country add to streak
The Darlington boys cross country team won a fifth straight WIAA Division 3 state championship Oct. 31 at the Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
The Redbirds became just the fourth team in WIAA history to win five straight titles. Darlington had five runners finish in the top 15 at state to roll to the state title 49-106 over SWAL rival Boscobel.
Darlington senior Jaden Komprood finished fourth at state overall but third in the team scoring with a time of 16 minutes, 46.21 seconds on the 5,000-meter course.
"It's incredible to get five in a row," Komprood said. "Darlington cross country has given me a lot of memories. I just hope everyone cherishes it for the rest of their lives."
The record for the most consecutive state titles in cross country is owned by Milwaukee Riverside, which won eight straight from 1913-1920. Milwaukee Riverside also had a streak of six straight state titles from 1923-1928. The only teams to win five straight since the WIAA moved to a three-division format are Darlington and Fennimore (1977-1981).
Silver again for Darlington football
For the third straight year, the Darlington football team brought home the silver ball. In a rematch of last year's state championship game, Fond du Lac St. Mary's Springs beat Darlington 39-20 in the state title game.
St. Mary's Springs has played in the state title game six of the past seven years. The Redbirds rallied from a 14-0 deficit with junior Hunter Johnson bolting for an 86-yard touchdown on a kickoff return. Johnson rushed for 119 yards and scored two touchdowns. Johnson finished the season with a school record for rushing yards in a single season (2,365) and a single-season scoring record (42 TDs rushing and two touchdowns receiving).
However, after hurdling into the end zone on a 6-yard TD run, Johnson collapsed to the turf in pain and was forced out of the game with a fractured shin. The Redbirds sustained several other injuries, including to quarterback Jared Meister (leg injury) and senior offensive and defensive lineman Taylor Evenstad (separated shoulder).
The Ledgers gashed the Redbirds for 430 total rushing yards. St. Mary's Springs fullback Clay Schueffner rushed for 233 yards on 15 carries and scored two touchdowns. Running back Fintan Floyd racked up 184 rushing yards on 28 carries and scored four touchdowns.
Colden brings home gold for Brodhead-Juda
Brodhead-Juda's Brady Colden pulled out a thrilling 4-2 overtime win over Luck/Frederic/Grantsburg senior Tony Britton at 170 pounds to win a WIAA Division 2 state wrestling championship at the Kohl Center.
Colden finished the season with a 48-2 record and ranked No. 3 in the state. However, he made a run to the top of his weight class and became the first wrestler in the history of the cooperative program to win a state championship in wrestling. It was a teary-eyed moment for his coach and father, Tim Colden, who announced that he would retire from coaching at the end of the season. The title gave Brady one to match his father, Tim, who won a state championship in 1986 wrestling for Juda.
"First one ever!" Brady Colden said after taking a moment to let it sink in. "My dad was a state champ when he was in high school, but Brodhead has never had a state champ."
Juda-Albany softball reaches state semifinals
The Juda-Albany softball team became the girls and team of the spring, making the school's first berth in the WIAA Division 4 state tournament.
For most of a state semifinal game, it looked like Juda would be up to the challenge when Alexis Goecks ripped a triple to right to score Jessica Crull to tie the game. Oakfield came back and knocked off Juda 6-4 in an eight-inning heartbreaker.
Crull was the hitting star, going 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored.
Freshman pitcher Nicki Becker made a name for herself as a powerful strikeout pitcher that pitched like an ace all the way to state.
"We proved that we could play with the top teams in the state and we are one of the better teams in the state," Juda-Albany's Molly Marass said.
"We left it all out on the field. We never gave up. Oakfield just got some clutch hits in the end."
Monroe doubles duo stars at state
The Monroe senior No. 1 doubles duo of Kevin Noriega and Matt Monahan finished in the top eight at the WIAA Division 2 state tennis tournament June 6 at the University of Wisconsin's Nielsen Tennis Stadium.
Noriega and Monahan made it to the final day of the state tournament. The senior duo lost a state semifinal match to fourth-seeded Brookfield Academy's Michael Racjchel and Jason Tan 6-2, 6-2.
It marks the first time a Monroe tennis player or doubles team has made a run to the final day of the state tournament since 2000.
