Horvath takes 1st, Loyal girls relay teams place 2nd at state

The 2023 track and field season concluded after WIAA state competition on June 2-3, with a few athletes coming home bearing medals as top competitors in the state. The athletes competed at the Veterans Memorial Field Complex at UWLa Crosse over the course of the two-day period, with all the athletes making it past the preliminary rounds to compete in the finals.

Greenwood High School’s sole athlete, Renaya Horvath, competed in two events at state, winning the individual title in the 100m women’s wheelchair by completing the race in 24.23, her best time of the season. Horvath also placed second in the women’s shot put wheelchair, throwing for a distance of 11’8”.

From Loyal, the girls 4x100m and 4x200m relay teams came the closest to a state title, finishing as runner-up in both events. Leah Scherer, Sheila Tellock, Addysen Wolf and Aubre Robida ran both events (with Alyssia Zvolena and Hope Peroshek as alternates for the 4x100m and Alyssia Zvolena and Molly Zvolena as alternates for the 4x200m), completing the 4x100m in 50.07 and the 4x200m in 1:45.38, an improvement from their sectional times of 50.33 for the 4x100m and 1:46.11 for the 4x200m. Taking the top spot at state in both events was Fall Creek, which ran a 49.93 in the 4x100m and a 1:44.72 in the 4x200m.

Individually, four athletes competed for the Greyhounds at state. Addysen Wolf made it past the preliminary round in the 200m dash to compete in the finals, finishing in eighth place with a time of 26.11, more than half a second faster than her sectional time of 26.71. Also taking eighth was Sheila Tellock, who reached a height of 10’ in the pole vault. Alyssia Zvolena and Connor Genteman both took 15th, with Zvolena earning her placing in the high jump (4’10”) and Genteman taking his in the 800m run (2:03.56).

One individual and two relay teams from Spencer also competed at State. Breckin Miller placed in a three-way tie for sixth place in the pole vault, reaching a height of 12’6”. Jonathon Jonas, Landon Behselich, Levi Anderson and Elliot Bauer ran both the 4x100m and 4x200m relays (with Breckin Miller and Logan Ehlert as alternates for the 4x100m and Miller and Clay Nieman as alternates for the 4x200m). They completed the 4x100m in 44.08 to take fifth place overall and ran the 4x200m in 1:32.63 to place eighth in the finals of the event. Those times were an improvement from their sectional times of 44.66 and 1:34.84 respectively As a team, the Loyal girls placed 12th with 18 points in Division 3 girls competition. Greenwood took fourth in the women’s wheelchair division with 18 points and Spencer placed 38th with seven points in Division 3 boys competition.

Above left, Sheila Tellock makes her final approach to the bar in the girls pole vault. At above right, Levi Anderson begins his run as his teammate Elliot Bauer prepares to hand him the baton in the 4x100m relay.

MATT FREY/THE STAR NEWS AND CHEYENNE THOMAS/TRG PHOTOS

From top left: Aubre Robida receives the handoff from Addysen Wolf in the 4x200m relay. At top right, Spencer’s Breckin Miller narrowly clears the bar during one of his pole vault attempts.

Immediately above, Renaya Horvath of Greenwood gets started on her run of the 100m wheelchair course. At left, Alyssia Zvolena of Loyal executes perfect form on one of her attempts to clear the bar in the high jump.