National college signing day
By Casey Krautkramer
The proverb “It takes a village to raise a child” is fitting to describe how it took a community of family members, friends, coaches and teachers to help Athens seniors Brianna Sheahan and Malaina Telschow become successful high school student athletes who will play college sports. The two young ladies last Wednesday celebrated National Signing Day together in the Athens middle/high school gym.
Sheahan signed her letter of intent to run both cross country and track and field at Division 3 St. Norbert College in De Pere. Telschow signed her letter of intent to compete in track and field at Division 2 Lewis University in Romeoville, Ill. which is near Chicago.
Both girls have a few similarities in that they both maintain a 3.8 high school GPA and either currently or have had an older brother who played college sports. Sheahan’s brother, Connor, runs both cross country and track and field at Division 2 UW-Parkside in Kenosha. Telschow’s brother, Oscar, ran track and field at Division 3 Ripon College. He graduated from college and is now a teacher. Malaina also has an older sister, Meagahn Telschow.
Brianna Sheahan wore green tennis shoes last Wednesday for the St. Norbert College where she will major in elementary education. Malaina Telschow wore red tennis shoes for Lewis University where she will major in exercise science.
They both have many high school athletic accomplishments thus far and they are eager to accomplish even more during their upcoming final spring track and field season in Athens.
Brianna Sheahan placed 18th in her inaugural WIAA Division 3 state cross country race this fall. She hopes to also advance to state this spring for the first time in track and field. She won the one-mile run and placed second in the 2-mile run at regionals last season but she couldn’t quite advance out of sectionals.
“I definitely want to make it to state,” she said. “I want to focus more on the twomile run since it’s my stronger event so hopefully I can make it to state in that one.”
Korey Rottscheit is her head varsity cross country coach and long distance track coach. He said St. Norbert College is getting “a fantastic athlete and person.”
“As for this upcoming track season, our goal is that she can hopefully make it to state again like she did in cross country this year,” he said. “There is a lot of tough competition, but I believe that she has the ability to do it. Her two-mile run has always been her better race in track over the years, but as always, she will run a mix of different lengths throughout the season and we can see where things are looking best as the season gets closer to the end. Ideally, we hope that she could possibly make it to state in both the one-mile and two-mile runs, but she understands that there’s a lot of work ahead of her in order to make that happen and we don’t want to take it for granted. I’m very excited for Brianna’s last season as a Bluejay in high school track and field and also excited for her future as a Green Knight at St. Norbert College.”
Malaina Telschow pole vaulted a height of 10 feet, 10 inches at the Marathon track and field meet last season to break the Athens girls school pole vault record previously held by Gabriella Janke with 10 feet, nine inches. Telschow then broke her own school record at sectionals with a height of 11 feet, three inches. She finished as WIAA Division 3 runners-up in the girls pole vault last season with a height of 11 feet.
Fall Creek junior Alena Sanfelippo won back-to-back Division 3 girls pole vault state championships last season with a height of 12 feet. Telschow believes she is capable of reaching another foot higher in the pole vault this season. She said it might even take beating the Division 3 girls pole vault record of 12 feet, three inches held by Reagan Sorenson of Unity to beat Sanfelippo for the state championship this season. “I’ve really been working in the weight room and getting a whole lot stronger, and that’s the key to it,” Telschow said, noting that she first began pole vaulting during her freshman season in Athens.
Cade Ellenbecker is Athens co-head varsity boys and girls track and field coach and he works with the pole vaulters. He
See NATIONAL SIGNING DAY/ page 17
A HUGE DAY FOR A PAIR OF ATHENS STUDENT ATHLETES - Athens senior girls Breanna Sheahan and Malaina Telschow celebrate national signing day with their families. Brianna is with her parents, Patrick and Crystal Sheahan, at the St. Norbert College table. Pictured behind them, from left to right, are Brianna’s grandparents John and Pam Sheahan; uncle Travis Sondelski and grandparents Nancy and Randy Sondelski. Malaina is with her parents, Mark and Olivia Telschow, at the Lewis University table. Pictured behind them, from left to right, are Malaina’s uncle, Dave Telschow and her grandmother, Delores Telschow. STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER National signing day
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can’t say enough good things about Telschow.
“College coaches have asked me about what type of athlete Malaina is and if she’d be a good fit for their program and I told every one of them that if you were to pick out the qualities you want in an athlete Malaina has all of them,” he said. “She is the most coachable person who is hard working, empathetic and just everything that you’d want in an athlete that makes working with her fun and you can see her improve every day. You can rely on her putting together a good day of practice every day. She is the ideal athlete.”
Telschow also credits retired Athens pole vaulting coach Ken Kraft for helping her improve her pole vaulting during the summer.
