Competing for conference supremacy

Edgar boys and Marathon girls win conference

The Edgar boys and Marathon girls track and field teams won Marawood Conference championships in the sweltering heat on Monday in Marathon. Athletes braved the 90-degree temperature by seeking shade any time they weren’t competing in an event.

Marathon boosters sold blue and green Marawood Conference championship t-shirts, which stated on the back the Marawood is one of the toughest conferences in the state, which is appropriate considering the amount of talented athletes competing on Monday.

Twelve track and field teams competed against each other in a unified Marawood Conference on Monday, instead of being split up into North and South divisions like had occurred from 2008 until 2019 before COVID-19 canceled the 2020 season.

The Edgar boys track and field squad on Monday halted Marathon’s streak of winning seven consecutive Marawood South Conference championships. The Wildcat boys edged the Red Raiders by a mere 6-1/2 points, by a final score of 162.5 to 156. Athens took sixth place and Stratford was eighth.

Wildcats head coach Greg Streit was proud his boys took home the conference title.

“Winning the conference championship on the boys side was a great feeling for everyone involved,” Streit said. “I am extremely proud of each and every young man that competed and helped in bringing this title back to Edgar. We knew it would be a battle and a long day! We fought like crazy all meet long and came out on top. This is a special crew of guys that did exactly what we asked of each one. It’s a very proud day to be a Wildcat!”

Marathon’s girls track and field team, meanwhile, ended Edgar’s four-year streak of winning consecutive Marawood Conference titles. The Wildcat girls won Marawood North Conference championships in 2016 and 2017, followed by Marawood South Conference titles in 2018 and 2019.

The Red Raider girls downed the Wildcats, 143 to 125.5, to win their first Marawood Conference championship since 2003. Stratford took fifth place and Athens was seventh.

Marathon head coach Curt Miller was ecstatic about the girls winning their home conference championship meet.

“Track can be the definition of a team sport,” Miller said. “We had 16 kids compete and all 16 scored points toward the conference championship. It was a complete team effort and I couldn’t be more proud of how the girls competed.”

Individual athletes who placed first in each event receive first team all-Marawood Conference honors, followed by second place gaining second team allconference and third place getting third team all-conference this season. Athletes finishing in fourth through sixth places receive honorable mention all-Marawood Conference this season.

Sprints

Edgar senior Kyle Brewster took third place in the boys 100-meter dash in 11.41 seconds, followed by his senior teammates Drew Guden in second place in 11.42 and Austin Dahlke third in 11.46. Marathon sophomore Drake Carlson won the 100-meter wheelchair in 23.78 seconds.

Wildcats sophomore Morgan Schnelle won the girls 100-meter dash in 12.68 seconds, followed by Marathon sophomore Grace Kahon in second place in 12.98. Red Raiders junior Lindsey Sparr placed fourth in 13.49 and Wildcats sophomore Ella Morse was sixth in 13.61.

Austin Dahlke won the boys 200-meter dash in 23.02 seconds. Kyle Brewster placed third in 23.28 seconds, Drew Guden fourth in 23.66, Marathon sophomore Matt Annis fifth in 23.78 and Marathon senior Sam Dick sixth in 23.89.

Morgan Schnelle won the girls 200-meter dash in 26.93 seconds, followed by her senior teammate Rachel Brewster taking second place in 27.44. Marathon sophomores Grace Kahon placed third in 29.03 seconds and Jersey Lobner sixth in 29.80.

Runs

Austin Dahlke also won the boys 400-meter run in 52.16 seconds, followed Annis of Marathon finishing second in 52.73. Drew Guden placed fourth in 52.99 seconds. Carlson won the 400-meter wheelchair in one minute, 24.25 seconds.

Morgan Schnelle also won the girls 400-meter run in one minute, 41 seconds while Marathon senior Chentaly Phakitthong placed fourth in 1:05.92.

Marathon sophomore Jaron Gage placed fifth in the boys 800-meter run in 2:17.77, while Red Raiders junior Laci Hoeksema was sixth in the girls 800-meter run in 2:35.08.

Red Raiders senior Cullen Krasselt won the 1,600-meter run in 4:57.63 and Stratford sophomore Lance Krieg took second place in 4:58.93. Jaron Gage placed fifth in 5:07.55 and Marathon freshman Jacob Smith was sixth in 5:16.73. Carlson won the 1,600-meter wheelchair in 5:39.81.

Marathon juniors Julianna Thurs placed third in the 1,600-meter run in 5:57.82 and McKinnley Marks fourth in 6:00.04. Athens junior Eizabeth Van Rixel placed fifth in 6:05.01.

Krasselt took second place in the boys 3,200-meter run in 11:42.49. Jacob Smith placed fifth in 12:02.49 and Athens sophomore Nathan Wolf was sixth in 12:11.06. Thurs of Marathon placed fourth in the girls 3,200-meter run in 13:15.89, Marks fifth in 13:24.31 and Athens’ Van Rixel sixth in 13:34.24.

Edgar senior Konnor Wolf won the 110-meter hurdles in 15.81 seconds, followed by Marathon junior Michael Kindlarski placing second in 15.88. Red Raiders senior Colton Free placed third in 16.29 seconds, Marathon sophomore Griffin Treankler fourth in 16.98 and Edgar senior Nate Drabek fifth in 17.31.

Hurdles

Athens senior Montana Albrecht won the girls 100-meter hurdles in 16.02 seconds. Edgar senior Rachel Brewster placed third in 16.89 second, followed by Edgar sophomore Amber Skrzypcak fourth in 17.57 and Edgar junior Malia Hoesly fifth in 17.78.

Wolf also won the boys 300-meter hurdles in 42.87 seconds, followed by Treankler taking second place in 43.72. Kindlarski placed third in 44.20 seconds, Edgar junior Ayden Weisenberger fourth in 44.52, Drabek fifth in 44.65 and Free sixth in 46.56.

Rachel Brewster won the girls 300-meter hurdles in 48.40 seconds, followed by Montana Albrecht taking second place in 49.22. Skrzypcak was fourth in 51.29 seconds.

Relays

The Marathon boys 4x100-meter relay team of Jared Sweno, Tanner Hanke, Sam Dick and Matt VandeBoom took second place in 45.76 seconds. The Edgar boys 4x100-meter relay team of Karter Butt, Konnor Wolf, Kohlbe Weisenberger and Avery Normington placed third in 45.80 seconds.

Marathon’s girl 4x100-meter relay team of Alisha Blenker, Grace Kahon, Alexandria Kraimer and Lindsey Sparr took second place in 54.73 seconds. The Edgar 4x100-meter relay team of Rachel Schneider, Malia Hoesly, Makenna Guden and Brooke Imhoff placed third in 54.90 seconds.

The Edgar boys 4x200-meter relay squad of Butt, the Weisenbergers and Normington took second place in 1:36.27. The Stratford boys 4x200-meter relay team of Luke Gaulke, Payton Glenn, Conner Weigel and Noah Lucio placed fourth in 1:38.21. The Marathon boys 4x200-meter relay squad of Jared Sweno, Free, Tanner Hanke and Parker Mathwich placed fifth in 1:38.27.

Marathon’s girl 4x200-meter relay team of Lobner, Vanessa Krueger, Kraimer and Sparr took third place in 1:57.04. The Edgar 4x200-meter relay of Schneider, Hoesly, Makenna Guden and Amelia Gajewski placed fourth in 1:57.67. Stratford’s 4x200-meter relay of Jaidyn Wright, Sarah Zuelke, Allison Lindner and Sadie Weigel placed sixth in 2:03.12.

The Marathon boys 4x400-meter relay squad of Sweno, Trenkler, VandeBoom and Annis won the event in 3:38.14. The Edgar 4x400-meter relay of Butt, the Weisenbergers and Normington placed third in 3:40.73.

Marathon’s girl 4x400-meter relay team of Lobner, Hoeksema, Ava Krueger and Phakitthong took second place in 4:32.97. Edgar’s 4x400-meter relay of Makenna Guden, Gajewski, Gretchen Brewster and Skrzpcak placed fourth in 4:35.56.

The Stratford boys 4x800-meter relay squad of Elijah Lucio, Lance Krieg, Conner Weigel and Noah Lucio won the event in 8:58.63. Marathon’s 4x800-meter relay of Jaron Gage, Jacob Smith, Owen Marks and Cullen Krasselt placed second in 9:08.27. Edgar’s 4x800-meter relay of Braden Finck, Owen Baumann, Cael Higgins and Alex Thompson placed fourth in 10:10.01.

The Marathon girls 4x800-meter relay squad of Vanessa Krueger, Phakitthong, Thurs and Hoeksema placed third in 10:44.73. Stratford’s 4x800-meter relay of Kressa Wenzel, Sarah Zuelke, Allison Lindner and Lydia Golbach placed sixth in 11:48.

Throws

Stratford senior Drey Drexler won the shot put with a throw of 46 feet, 7-1/2 inches, followed by Athens sophomore Aiden Janke taking second place with 45 feet, 4-1/2 inches. Marathon junior Brett Gertschen placed third with 43 feet, 1-1/4 inches and Edgar junior Waylon Wirkus was fifth with 39 feet, 4-3/4 inches. Carlson won the 12-pound wheelchair shot put with 17 feet, 10-3/4 inches.

Marathon senior Hope Krautkramer won the shot put with 37 feet, 11 inches and Marathon junior Alyssa Hall took second place with 34 feet, two inches. Edgar freshman Kyra Anderson placed fifth with 29 feet, 11-1/2 inches and Stratford junior Alexis Folz was sixth with 29 feet, 10-3/4 inches.

Brett Gretchen took second place in the boys discus with 144 feet, three inches while Janke was third with 140 feet, eight inches and Drexler fourth with 133 feet, eight inches. Hope Krautkramer also won the girls discus with 105 feet, eight inches while Folz was second with 99 feet, nine inches and Ashley Gertschen fourth with 93 feet, one inch.

Sam Dick took placed second in the boys high jump with five feet, 10 inches while Ayden Weisenberger was fourth with five feet, eight inches and Kyle Brewster fifth with five feet, six inches. Hoeksema took second place in the girls high jump with five feet.

Austin Dahlke placed second in the boys long jump with 20 feet, while Edgar junior Mattison Butt was second with 19 feet, 9-1/2 inches. Dick of Marathon placed third with 19 feet, 2-1/2 inches, Kyle Brewster fifth with 19 feet, 2-1/4 inches and Matt VandeBoom fifth with 19 feet, two inches.

Stratford junior Jaidyn Wright won the girls long jump with 15 feet, 8-1/2 inches while Morgan Schnelle took second place with 15 feet, four inches. Edgar freshman Brooke Imhoff placed fifth with 14 feet, 6-1/4 inches and Sparr of Marathon was sixth with 14 feet, three inches.

Mattison Butt of Edgar took second place in the boys triple jump with 41 feet, nine inches. Konnor Wolf placed third with 41 feet, 8-1/2 inches, Drew Guden fourth with 38 feet, 7-1/2 inches and Treankler fifth with 38 feet, five inches.

Jaidyn Wright also won the girls triple jump with 34 feet, three inches while Montana Albrecht of Athens took second place with 33 feet, 3/4 of an inch. Rachel Schneider of Edgar placed fourth with 32 feet, six inches and Katlyn Schreiner for Athens was sixth with 31 feet, six inches.

Pole vault

Athens junior Caden Decker took second place in the pole vault with 12 feet. Athens junior Aiden Guralski placed fourth with 11 feet, Athens freshman Ryan Peel fifth with 10 feet, six inches and Jacob Smith of Marathon sixth with 10 feet.

Bluejays senior Dana Felzkowski won the pole vault with 10 feet. Edgar senior Jasmine Schnelle place fourth with seven feet, nine inches; Marathons’ Lobner fifth with seven feet, six inches and Vanessa Krueger sixth with seven feet.

Journey to state begins

Track and field regionals will take place this Monday, June 14. Athens will compete in a WIAA Division 3 regional in Cadott, while Edgar and Marathon in a Division 3 regional in Marathon and Stratford in a Division 2 regional in Medford.

Sectionals is on Thursday, June 14. Athens will compete in a WIAA Division 3 sectional in Cameron while Edgar and Marathon are in a Division 3 sectional in Rosholt and Stratford is in a Division 2 sectional in Osceola.

The 2021 WIAA Division 3 state track and field championships will take place on Thursday, June 24, in La Crosse.

BATTLING THE HEAT- Marathon juniors Laci Hoeksema, with the baton, and Julianna Thurs are teammates in the 4x800-meter relay team during Monday’s Marawood Conference championship meet in Marathon.SN PHOTO/DONALD WATSON

CLEARING THE BAR- Athens sophomore Katlyn Schreiner competes in the high jump at Monday’s Marawood Conference championship meet in Marathon, while a few other athletes take cover from the sun underneath an unbrella in the background.SN PHOTO/DONALD WATSON

SUNGLASSES ON A SUNNY DAY- Athens sophomore Alonna Haines throws the shot put, while a teammate of hers waits her turn, at Monday’s Marawood Conference track and field championships in Marathon.SN PHOTO/DONALD WATSON

COMING AROUND THE CORNER- Elijah Lucio of Stratford competes in the 400-meter dash during Monday’s Marawood Conference championship meet in Marathon.SN PHOTO/DONALD WATSONJumps