Mounder boys and girls repeat as D-SC track and field champions, Viking girls fifth and boys sixth

By Cara L. Dempski

BOYCEVILLE — Colfax’s head track and field coach Ryan Krall, summarized last Tuesday’s conference track meet at Boyceville well.

“Whenever there are weather delays like we experienced tonight, it is difficult for the kids,” Krall said afterward. “The increased down time and breaks from normal routines make everything more difficult for them.”

It is not hard to understand why the May 16 conference track and field meet would have been difficult for the competitors.

The day started hot and muggy with thunderstorms, and only got hotter and more humid as the skies cleared between storm lines. The meet started promptly at 4 p.m., but did not conclude until well after dark, thanks to a long weather delay that began around 5:45 p.m.

Still, it was not just Krall’s team that put in some stellar performances at this year’s installment of the Dunn-St. Croix conference meet.

Jeremiah Fredrickson’s Mounder boys and girls won the day for a second consecutive year following a 90-minute weather delay caused by a severe storm that eventually produced a tornado that devastated the Barron County area

THE GIRLS’ 100 meter race had plenty of strong competition. Above, Colfax’ Samantha Prestasky (center) and Elk Mound’s Kourtney Zurbuchen (second from right) battle Boyceville senior Cassie Malean for the lead in a heat race at the conference meet in Boyceville May 16. On the far left is Colfax’ Rachel Knutson. —photo by Shawn DeWitt

Fredrickson, Elk Mound’s first-year held coach, picked up right where his predecessor Jeff Mack left off, with a pair of conference track and field team championships.

The Elk Mound boys piled up 203 points and won nine of the 18 events en route the championship. The boys bested runner-up Durand (145) by 58 points. Meanwhile, the Lady Mounders proved just as formidable winning the title by 25 points over the host Bulldogs, 140 to 115.  

The Colfax girls finished fifth out of eight teams with 76 points, and the boys took sixth with 49 points.

The Mounders turned their attention to their Division 2 regional meet at Stanley-Boyd May 22, while Colfax traveled to Eleva-Strum that same evening for their Division 3 regional.

The top two finishers in each event advances to the sectional meets. The Vikings will again host the Division 3 sectional this Thursday May 25, while Elk Mound will be in Medford that day for the Division 2 sectional meet.

The WIAA State Track and Field meet will be held Friday June 2, and Saturday June 3 at UW-LaCrosse.

Elk Mound

Coach Fredrickson said he was still on cloud nine two days after the Dunn-St. Croix meet concluded.

“I’m not even sure where to start talking about it,” Fredrickson stated. “The kids have done such a great job of working hard and preparing all season.”

The Elk Mound coach knew going into the May 16 meet he had a boys’ team worthy of repeating as conference champions, and believed he had the depth on the girls’ team to stay in the fight. He was not expecting the kinds of performances he got across the board at Boyceville.

CHAMPION HURDLER — Jake Johnson, Elk Mound junior, held a sizeable lead in the boys’ 110 meter high hurdles at the conference meet in Boyceville last Tuesday. Johnson finished first in the both the 110 meter highs and the 300 meter intermediate hurdles. —photo by Shawn DeWitt

The boys’ team blasted second-place Mondovi with a 58 point lead after earning 203 points during the meet to nab the win. Noah Zurbuchen, Tyler Sahm and Brady Redwine accounted for second through fourth place in the boys’ 100m dash after finishing in 11.27, 11.56 and 11.73 respectively. Durand sprinter Karter Kurth took first-team all-conference honors for his 11.06 effort.

The Elk Mound trio of Zurbuchen, Sahm and Redwine was joined by George Friberg for the 400m relay. The Mounders won the race and bested the D-SC race record of 44.77 set just one year ago by Zurbuchen, Sahm, Jordan Van Schooonhoven and Ben Mack with a time of 44.53.

Elk Mound’s boys’ relay teams would go on to win to more races that night, with Zurbuchen, Sahm, Friberg and Rian Flynn copping first in the 800m race with their 1:34.05 finish, and Friberg, Jake Johnson, Chandler Schreiber and Hunter Johnson nabbing a 3:39.88 to win the 1600m relay.

INVERTED — Elk Mound’s Chandler Schreiber pushes himself up and over the bar in pole vault at the 2017 DSC meet held May 16 at Boyceville. He cleared 12-00.00 to take second place behind Bulldog vaulter Tyler Krueger. —photo by Cara L. Dempski

The Mounders were second in the boys’ 3200m relay after a messy handoff between the first and second legs dropped the team far back. The boys fought back to within two seconds of first-place Boyceville to get a time of 8:50.67.

Redwine earned third in the 200m dash after finishing in 23.93 behind Kurth and Brett Ingli, also of Durand. Senior Hunter Johnson copped second in the 400m dash after Kurth struck again for the win. Johnson finished his race in 53.65, while the Panther runner crossed the line in 52.31.

Freshman distance runner Cade Hanson continued to impress, with wins in both the 1600m (4:53.90) and 3200m (10:45.23) races. Jake Johnson swept the hurdle races with a time of 15.48 in the 110m, and 42.20 in the 300m race.

Jumper Tyler Branter earned second in high jump with his 5-10.00 jump, and won triple jump with a 38-07.00 distance. He took third in long jump behind Redwine; Brantner cleared a distance of 18-05.25, while Redwine took the win with a 20-03.00 jump.

Schreiber earned second in pole vault after clearing 12-00.00 to finish three inches behind winner Tyler Krueger of Boyceville. Bryce Kasper picked up second place with a 41-02.00 throw in shot put after being bested by Durand’s Jacob Zeilinger and his 42-02.00 throw. Conner Mavis then earned second in discus after hurling the disc 124-00 feet to finish behind Panther Alex Komro’s 125-03.

On the girls’ team, sophomore Brooke Plaszcz took third in the 800m race with a time of 2:38.49m while Elmwood’s Josie Tiffany earned the race win. Plaszcz’s twin sister, Alana, was third in the 1600m and 3200m races with times of 5:54.48 and 13:03.77. Elmwood’s Kassye Todd won both races with times of 5:24.04 and 12:05.94.

Juniors Hannah Cedarblade and Emily Winchester finished the 100m hurdles in first and second with times of 17.90 and 18.82 respectively. Cedarblade took second in the 300m hurdles behind Colfax’s Morgan Schleusner. The Viking runner won in 51.57, with Cedarblade hot on her trail at 51.95.

The Elk Mound girls’ 400m relay team was second behind Boyceville with a time of 54.96, while the 800m team took third behind Spring Valley and race winner Colfax with a 1:55.96 effort. The 3200m relay was third behind race winner Elmwood/Plum City with an 11:07.06 race.

Maddie Jenson took third in high jump when she cleared 4-06.00; she was bested by Boyceville senior Cassie Malean and her 5-00.00 jump for first place. Senior Sarah Sweeney earned third in triple jump with a distance of 30-01.50; Panther jumper Brooke Polzer took the event win with a jump of 32-06.50.

Mikayla Solberg and Kassie Jain finished second and third in girls’ discus behind Boyceville thrower Haley Wold and her 103-07 toss. Solberg’s longest throw was 102-03, and Jain’s was 94-05.

Colfax

Colfax coach Ryan Krall knows his team might not be in the mix any time soon for a conference team championship.

“Just by sheer numbers, we have a hard time being competitive,” the Viking track and field coach noted. “But we must approach these meets like we approach any other meet – trying to make continued progress toward our ultimate goal of qualifying for State in just over a week.”

The Colfax ladies finished in fifth place after winning one relay and two individual conference championships.

COLFAX freshman Pierce Harvey makes a leap during a triple jump attempt at the Dunn-St. Croix Conference Track and Field meet in Boyceville May 16. Harvey place ninth with a best of 29′ 5.5″. —photo by Shawn DeWitt

Senior Ally Heidorn copped a win with a 28.00 race in the 200m dash, and freshman Morgan Schleusner edged out Elk Mound’s Hannah Cedarblade 51.57 to 51.95 to take first in the girls’ 300m hurdles.

The Viking duo also formed half of the Dunn-St. Croix conference champion 800m relay team; Bryana Buchanan and Jayna Bowe joined Schleusner and Heidorn for the 1:51.93 win.

Colfax’s 1600m relay team of Schleusner, Bowe, Abbagail Schotter and Samantha Pretasky earned second in the race behind Elmwood/Plum City with a time of 4:26.19. Bowe took third in long jump with a 15-02.00 attempt; she was bested by Brooke Polzer of Durand (16-00.00) and Boyceville’s Erica Sempf (15-07.75).

The Colfax boys’ did not win any events outright, but had a handful of second-team and honorable mention finishes to leave them in sixth place at the end of the evening.

Jacob Larson finished the boys’ 800m race in 2:07.94 for second place behind Elmwood/Plum City sophomore Nic Forster. He was also part of the third-place 1600m and 3200m relay teams.

NEARING THE FINISH line in the 400 meter dash was Colfax’ Edward Hydukovich. The freshman turned in the Vikings top time in the event to place sixth in the conference meet event in Boyceville May 16. —photo by Shawn DeWitt

The 1600m team of Larson, Trey Hovde, Michael Lyrek and Ed Hydukovich finished in 3:46.01, while race winners Elk Mound took the event in 3:39.88. Colfax’s 3200m team of Larson, Hovde, Lyrek and Matthew Reisdorf finished in 8:54.07, just six seconds after the winning team from Boyceville.

The two relay teams set season best times that Krall believes will include them in the conversation about state bids.

GIRLS’ INDIVIDUAL RESULTS: 100m dash: 4. Kourtney Zurbuchen 13.95, 5. Bryana Buchanan 14.04, 7. Samantha Pretasky 14.16, 8. Sydney Simpson 14.19; 200m dash: 1. Ally Heidorn 28.00, 5. Paige Van Schoonhoven 29.17; 400m dash: 6. Sarah Sweeney 1:07.86; 800m: 3. Brooke Plaszcz 2:38.49, 4. Mackenzie Jensen 2:41.35; 1600m: 3. Alana Plaszcz 5:54.48, 4. Kristin Martinson 5:58.47, 5. Abbagail Schotter 6:01.64, 7. Mackenzie Jensen 6:03.30; 3200m: 3. Alana Plaszcz 13:03.77, 4. Kristin Martinson 13:17.78, 6. Victoria Fasbender 13:44.95; 100m hurdles: 1. Hannah Cedarblade 17.90, 2. Emily Winchester 18.82, 7. Caroline Dworak 20.33; 300m hurdles: 1. Morgan Schleusner 51.57, 2. Hannah Cedarblade 51.95, 5. Emily Winchester 54.10; 400m relay: 2. Elk Mound 54.96; 800m relay: 1. Colfax 1:51.93, 3. Elk Mound 1:55.96; 1600m relay: 2. Colfax 4:26.19, 6. Elk Mound 4:37.73; 3200m relay: 3. Elk Mound 11:07.06, 4. Colfax 11:14.50; High jump: 3. Maddie Jenson 4-06.00, 4. Emily Winchester 4-06.00; Pole vault:4. Kaitlyn Baier 7-06.00; Long jump: 3. Jayna Bowe 15-02.00, 6. Samantha Pretasky 14-09.25, 7. Hannah Cedarblade 14-05.00; Triple jump: 3. Sarah Sweeney 30-01.50, 8. Brynn McVey 29-00.50; Shot put: 5. Abby Kasper 29-07.00, 8. Morgan Jensen 28-02.00; Discus: 2. Mikayla Solberg 102-03, 3. Kassie Jain 94-05, 6. Morgan Jensen 86-00.

GIRLS’ TEAM RESULTS: 1. Elk Mound 140, 2. Boyceville 115, 2. Durand 115, 4. Elmwood/Plum City 94,
5. Colfax 76, 6. Mondovi 61, 7. Glenwood City 58, 8. Spring Valley 39.

BOYS’ INDIVIDUAL RESULTS: 100m dash: 2. Noah Zurbuchen 11.27, 3. Tyler Sahm 11.56, 4. Brady Redwine 11.73, 6. Jeremy Artist 11.78; 200m dash: 3. Brady Redwine 23.93, 5. Rian Flynn 24.49; 400m dash: 2. Hunter Johnson 53.65, 5. Ben Lambele 56.79, 6. Ed Hydukovich 58.09; 800m: 2. Jacob Larson 2:07.94, 6. Nate ind 2:11.58, 7. Trey Hovde 2:13.24; 1600m: 1. Cade Hanson 4:53.90, 8. Matthew Reisdorf 5:08.95; 3200m: 1. Cade Hanson 10:45.23, 5. Andrew Pathos 11:12.23; 110m hurdles: 1. Jake Johnson 15.48, 300m hurdles: 1. Jake Johnson 42.20; 400m relay: 1. Elk Mound 44.53, 3. Colfax 47.22; 800m relay: 1. Elk Mound 1:34.05, 1600m relay: 1. Elk Mound 3:39.88, 3. Colfax 3:46.01; 3200m relay: 2. Elk Mound 8:50.67, 3. Colfax 8:54.07; High jump: 2. Tyler Brantner 5-10.00, 6. Treyton Teige 5-06.00, 7. Ben Lambele 5-04.00; Pole vault: 2. Chandler Schreiber 12-00.00, 4. George Friberg 11-00.00; Long jump: 1. Brady Redwine 20-03.00, 3. Tyler Brantner 18-05.25, 5. Ben Lambele 18-03.00; Triple jump: 1. Tyler Brantner 38-07.00, 5. Andrew Benson 35-06.00, 7. Nate Lee 33-09.00, 8. Trey Hovde 33-08.75; Shot put: 2. Bryce Kasper 41-02.00, 6. Spencer Herrick 37-04.75; Discus: 2. Conner Mavis 124-00, 4. Andrew Benson 116-04, 8. Marquis Kasakaitas 109-05.

BOYS’ TEAM RESULTS: 1. Elk Mound 203, 2. Durand 145, 3. Mondovi 91, 4. Glenwood City 65, 5. Boyceville 51, 6. Colfax 49, 7. Spring Valley 40, 7. Elmwood/Plum City 40.