Abby state track

Continued from page 11 enough to move them into the finals, where Webster was able to claim the 10th and final spot with a time of 44.45 seconds. They were also about two-tenths of a second off from breaking another school record, as the current 4x100-meter record held by Jason Beran, Jon Beran, Brandon Marcott and Jon Ley stands at 44.44 seconds.

While the team was not quite able to recreate their sectional performance in the 4x200-meter relay, they still had a very impressive day, finishing with a time of 1:33.87. Their school-record time would have put them on the cusp of qualifying for the finals, but even if they would have been able to replicate it, they would have finished in 11th, one spot short. Bonduel was able to capture the final qualifying spot with a time of 1:32.99.

Cihlar had the Falcons’ second highest placement in La Crosse, earning himself fifth place in the pole vault. While Athens’ Kyle Schreiner was able to distance himself slightly from the field by reaching a height of 14 feet, three inches, the top of the standings were cluttered behind him. Cihlar found himself in the middle of that pack, one of five athletes to top out at the 13-foot mark.

After moving through the prior two height increments without issue, Cihlar needed two attempts to clear the bar at 13 feet. Only four of his competitors were able to make it through on their first try, with three more staving off elimination by clearing it on their final attempt. The faults would have implications on placement as five of the final eight athletes failed to get past the next height increment. Because he made it over with just one fault, Cihlar held the tiebreaker over three of his opponents, and landed himself a fifth place finish.

Boller rounded out the boys’ performances with a 16th place finish in the high jump. A starting height of five feet, 10 inches signaled the skill of the competition; at times reaching such a height would earn one a win at some meets over the course of the season. Boller cleared the

See ABBY STATE TRACK/ Page 20

FULL CONCENTRATION - Carter Cihlar keeps his focus as he glides over the bar during the pole vault. The sophomore would reach a height of 13 feet and take fifth place in the Division 3 competition.

STAFF PHOTO/MATT FREY Abby state track

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first bar on his second attempt, but could not quite match his sectional performance of six feet, bowing out at the second increment. While three other athletes were also bounced from the competition after failing to clear the six foot mark, each held the tiebreaker over Boller, having cleared the previous height on their first attempt.

After coming on strong late in the season, decorated senior Margo Pogodzinski rounded out her high school career with a state bid. The current record holder in the discus and shot put, both of which she set new marks for in 2025, Pogodzinski represented Abbotsford in the shot put in La Crosse.

Pogodzinski worked her way into the finals with a throw of 36 feet, eight inches on her third attempt of the day, defeating Weyauwega-Fremont’s Macy Fee by four inches to earn the spot. The throw ended up being her best of the day, though her final attempt also broke the 36-foot mark. While she could not quite reach the distance she had reached at the sectional meet, it was still a solid day for Pogodzinski, earning herself a 10th place finish.

Celia Schindler and Lauryn Harris both measured themselves against the best in the state in the triple jump competition. The pair, who pushed each other in the regional and sectional meets, once again finished neck and neck.

For the third meet in a row, Schindler and Harris finished back-to-back in the final standings, with only inches separating the Falcons teammates. Both had their best leap of the day on their second attempt, where Schindler posted a jump of 33 feet, 3.5 inches and Harris had an attempt measuring 33 feet, 0.5 inches. This was good enough to earn Schindler 14th place and Harris 15th place in the state.

With the state meet now in the rearview mirror, the Falcons’ 2025 season comes to a close. A year that saw five new school records saw Abbotsford pick up steam heading into the postseason, culminating in a third place finish for the boys at regionals and seven athletes competing for the Falcons at state. While replicating such a feat may be a difficult task in 2026, there is some reason to believe that could be in the cards for the future. Six of the seven state participants have an opportunity to return next season and, though their three senior members were large contributors to the varsity squad, most of the core could remain intact for the Falcons. While the Marawood will likely remain a difficult conference to crack, Abbotsford certainly seems positioned to continue to put together strong performances, especially in the field events.

WE HAVE LIFTOFF - Christian Fuentes, left, and Celia Schindler, right, both launch themselves as far as they could stretch during their respective events at the state meet. Fuentes went on to take second in the long jump and set a new school record while Schindler placed 14th in the triple jump.

STAFF PHOTOS/MATT FREY