LA CROSSE - It's impossible to predict what curveball a race at the state track and field championships will throw at an elite runner.
Darlington junior Tyson Miehe got wobbly and tumbled to the track after Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran's Darin Lau bumped into him as they were jockeying for position in the final stretch of the 3,200-meter run. Miehe recovered to finish fifth place at the WIAA Division 3 state meet Friday, May 31 at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Lau won the state title in the 3,200 (9:41.92). Miehe finished the race with a time of 10:04.31.
"He went by me the last 200 and elbowed me and shot by me," Miehe said. "I can't really remember the last 100. I wasn't happy at all. I knew I was faster than any of the guys I was competing against. It's hard to talk about."
Miehe, the two-time Division 3 state cross country champion, is still looking for a state title in track. He entered the state meet with the fastest qualifying time in the 3,200 by eight seconds.
"I got out the way I kind of wanted to," he said. "I saw we were coming in at 1:06 or 1:07. I backed off a little bit because I wanted to run 70-second splits. I couldn't really get back going and didn't feel well. Once I got back to the top, my legs started to go."
Senior teammate Garth Garrison finished eighth in the 3,200 (10:10.20).
Garrison "ran pretty well," Darlington coach Todd Bastian said. "There is nothing to be ashamed about at the state meet. I was proud of him."
Miehe will try to win his first state title in track in the 1,600 today, June 1.
"I have to forget about it and regain my focus," he said.
Miehe teamed with sophomore Dane Siegenthaler, Garrison and senior Quinn Cullen to take fourth in the 3,200 relay (8:16.96). McDonell Central won the race (8:06.66) to end Rosholt's two-year run as state champions. The Redbirds tied their best time of the season.
"It's the first medal at state for some of these guys," Bastian said. "It's a big deal. If you don't win it you run to earn a medal. That is what they did."
Darlington junior Kyle Johnson finished fifth in the preliminaries of the 110 high hurdles (16.23) and will run in the finals today.
Darlington senior Cassidy Chambers finished fifth in the high jump (5-0) and senior teammate Abigail Merriam tied for seventh (5-0).
"I'm happy she got a medal out of it," Bastian said of Chambers. "With the windy conditions, it wasn't easy to jump."
Black Hawk junior Jen Wellnitz finished sixth in the long jump (16 feet, 10 1/4 inches). She also took first in the preliminaries of the 100 (13.07) and fifth in the preliminaries of the 200 (26.98) to reach the finals in both events. She will also compete in the triple jump.
Albany junior Chantel Rogers took seventh in the preliminaries of the 400 (1:01.20) and Black Hawk junior Olivia Holland was ninth in the preliminaries of the 300 hurdles (49.97). Albany junior Bailey Hlavachek finished ninth in the 800 (2:26.25) and 12th in the 1,600 (5:30.07).
The Redbirds' 1,600 relay team of Carly Reilly, Carly Langkamp, Claire Scott and Alison Wedig finished second in the preliminaries of the 1,600 relay (4:12.94). The Redbirds' 800 relay was disqualified and the 400 relay took 12th and didn't qualify for the finals. The redbirds will also run in the 3,200 relay today.
"They are capable of running faster," Bastian said of the 1,600 relay team. "If we can put together everyone's best race who knows what will happen."
Darlington junior Tyson Miehe got wobbly and tumbled to the track after Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran's Darin Lau bumped into him as they were jockeying for position in the final stretch of the 3,200-meter run. Miehe recovered to finish fifth place at the WIAA Division 3 state meet Friday, May 31 at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Lau won the state title in the 3,200 (9:41.92). Miehe finished the race with a time of 10:04.31.
"He went by me the last 200 and elbowed me and shot by me," Miehe said. "I can't really remember the last 100. I wasn't happy at all. I knew I was faster than any of the guys I was competing against. It's hard to talk about."
Miehe, the two-time Division 3 state cross country champion, is still looking for a state title in track. He entered the state meet with the fastest qualifying time in the 3,200 by eight seconds.
"I got out the way I kind of wanted to," he said. "I saw we were coming in at 1:06 or 1:07. I backed off a little bit because I wanted to run 70-second splits. I couldn't really get back going and didn't feel well. Once I got back to the top, my legs started to go."
Senior teammate Garth Garrison finished eighth in the 3,200 (10:10.20).
Garrison "ran pretty well," Darlington coach Todd Bastian said. "There is nothing to be ashamed about at the state meet. I was proud of him."
Miehe will try to win his first state title in track in the 1,600 today, June 1.
"I have to forget about it and regain my focus," he said.
Miehe teamed with sophomore Dane Siegenthaler, Garrison and senior Quinn Cullen to take fourth in the 3,200 relay (8:16.96). McDonell Central won the race (8:06.66) to end Rosholt's two-year run as state champions. The Redbirds tied their best time of the season.
"It's the first medal at state for some of these guys," Bastian said. "It's a big deal. If you don't win it you run to earn a medal. That is what they did."
Darlington junior Kyle Johnson finished fifth in the preliminaries of the 110 high hurdles (16.23) and will run in the finals today.
Darlington senior Cassidy Chambers finished fifth in the high jump (5-0) and senior teammate Abigail Merriam tied for seventh (5-0).
"I'm happy she got a medal out of it," Bastian said of Chambers. "With the windy conditions, it wasn't easy to jump."
Black Hawk junior Jen Wellnitz finished sixth in the long jump (16 feet, 10 1/4 inches). She also took first in the preliminaries of the 100 (13.07) and fifth in the preliminaries of the 200 (26.98) to reach the finals in both events. She will also compete in the triple jump.
Albany junior Chantel Rogers took seventh in the preliminaries of the 400 (1:01.20) and Black Hawk junior Olivia Holland was ninth in the preliminaries of the 300 hurdles (49.97). Albany junior Bailey Hlavachek finished ninth in the 800 (2:26.25) and 12th in the 1,600 (5:30.07).
The Redbirds' 1,600 relay team of Carly Reilly, Carly Langkamp, Claire Scott and Alison Wedig finished second in the preliminaries of the 1,600 relay (4:12.94). The Redbirds' 800 relay was disqualified and the 400 relay took 12th and didn't qualify for the finals. The redbirds will also run in the 3,200 relay today.
"They are capable of running faster," Bastian said of the 1,600 relay team. "If we can put together everyone's best race who knows what will happen."