GC boys finish as sectional runners-up, 8 advance to state track meet
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RECORD-TYING JUMP — Glenwood City junior Haylie Hannah cleared 10 feet 6 inches during this attempt in pole vault at last Thursday’s sectional meet in Cameron. Hannah broken her own school record with a jump of the same height at the regional meet in Colfax May 22. Hannah finished second in the sectional competition to earn a trip to this week’s state meet. —photo by Shawn DeWitt
CAMERON — For the third consecutive track and field meet, the Glenwood City boys have struck silver.
Highlighted by a trio of victories including yet another record-setting performance, the Hilltopper boys finished as the runner-up at 2023 WIAA Division 3 sectional meet held Thursday, May 25 at Cameron High School. The feat follows the squad’s second-place finishes at the regional competition in Colfax three days earlier and the Dunn-St. Croix Conference meet the previous week.
Backed by winning performances from seniors JJ Williams and Blake Williams and their 4×800 meter relay team, the Glenwood City boys finished with 53 points just four points less than the sectional champions from Fall Creek.
Williams ran to the win in the 800 meters where he broke his own school record with a time of 1:55.06 beating fellow senior Peter Weir of Cadott by a half second.
Williams also ran a leg of the boys’ winning 4×800 m relay that also included fellow seniors Elek Anderson and Wyatt Thompson and freshman Brady Thompson. Together, that foursome, who had set a new school record during the regional meet, secured the gold medal with a run of 8:18.67.
Blake Wakeling won his third pole vault gold in as many meets by clearing 13 feet six inches.
By virtue of their sectional victories, Wakeling, Williams and the 4×800 meter relay team earned berths in the WIAA State Track and Field Championship which will take place this Friday and Saturday, June 2 and 3, at the Veterans’ Memorial Complex on the UW-La Crosse campus.
TOPPER SOPHOMORE Ilan Anderson is shown running in the 800 meter race at the 2023 WIAA Division 3 sectional track and field meet in Cameron. Anderson finished 10th in the race with a time of 2:08.08.
—photo by Shawn DeWitt
In addition, the Hilltopper boys qualified for the state meet in two other events – the shot put and 4×400 meter relay.
Brady Klatt, Williams and Wyatt and Brady Thompson ran the 4×400 m relay in 3:29.50 to finish in second place and punch their ticket to state.
Junior Conner Gross achieved yet another personal best throw of 48’ 3.75” in last Thursday’s sectional shot put competition to finish fourth. Senior teammate Nick Hierlmeier heaved the shot put 44’ 9.5” to finish sixth, just missing a trip to state in what was the final competition of his high school career.
The top four place finishers in each event at sectional qualified for the state meet while the top eight places earned team points.
The boys’ 4×100 m relay placed fifth and their 4×200 m relay came in sixth.
In the high jump, another senior, Owen Bauman, wrapped up his final track and field season with a jump of 5’ 6” to place tenth while sophomore teammate Tyler Harrington cleared 5’ 4” to grab 12th place.
Running with Williams in the 800 meters, sophomore Ilan Anderson finished in tenth after turning in a time of 2:08.08.
Looking to earn a second straight trip in the discus throw, senior Brady Klatt struggled in May 25th competition. Klatt scratched on his first two attempts and only got his third and final throw to sail just 97’ 5”, over 50 feet less than he normally throws, to finish in 15th place.
The Glenwood City girls had just two representatives at the sectional meet – junior Haylie Hannah and freshman Ava Multhauf.
Hannah earned a second straight trip to the state pole vault competition as she tied her own school record of 10 feet six inches, a mark she had set three days earlier at the regional, to finish second in the event at Cameron.
Multhauf capped her first varsity track and field season with a tenth-place finish in the sectional high jump after clearing 4’ 6”.
The eight team points Hannah earned for her silver-medal finish in the pole vault placed the Topper girls 25th out of 33 scoring schools. Fall Creek also claimed the ladies crown with 93.50 points.
In all, Glenwood City will be sending eight athletes to the state meet in La Crosse this Friday and Saturday.
TOPPER Conner Gross is shown throwing the shot put at the WIAA sectional track and field meet in Cameron May 25. Gross threw a personal best 48’ 3.75” to qualify for the state meet.
—photo by Shawn DeWitt
CLEAN JUMP — Glenwood City senior Owen Bauman cleared the bar during a high jump attempt at the 2023 WIAA Division 3 sectional track and field meet in Cameron Thursday, May 25. Bauman finished in 10th place with a good jump of 5’ 6”. —photo by Shawn DeWitt
GLENWOOD CITY senior Elek Anderson (front) prepared to take the baton from freshman teammate Brady Thompson during the boys’ 4×800 meter relay at the WIAA Division 3 track and field sectional in Cameron Thursday, May 25. The squad, which also includes seniors JJ Williams and Wyatt Thompson, won the event and also set a new school record when they took first place in the May 22 regional meet in Colfax. —photo by Shawn DeWitt