Boyceville track teams increase in numbers, show potential this season

By: Laura Giammattei

BOYCEVILLE — A growing roster for the Boyceville track and field squads provides a plethora of potential this season, especially for its sophomore and junior athletes.

A total of 31 student athletes are currently on the roster, a significant increase to last year’s 19. Both the boys and girls squads are extremely light on seniors and will rely heavily upon its ten sophomores and 15 juniors to put Boyceville in the spotlight this year.

Boys’ Team

The Boyceville boys return to the track without the assistance of last year’s highlighted seniors, Logan McAbee-Thomas and Caleb Arndt. McAbee-Thomas had been a three-time state qualifier and  placed third in the triple jump as a junior, while Arndt qualified for sectionals last year and led in throwing events. He is attending Notre Dame this year.

Coach Corey Day conveyed the versatility McAbee-Thomas had for the squad and that a tremendous athlete will be missed this spring.

Looking forward, returning track athlete, junior Tyler Krueger, will look to qualify for state again in the pole vault while freshman newcomer, Brock Schlough, who just came off an impressive state championship in wrestling, will put his skills to the test on the track for the first time.

“He (Schlough) seems to have another gear on the mat and we are excited to see what he can do on the track,” said Day.

The team will look to its eight juniors, which, along with Krueger, also features: Kiel Anderson, Sean Best, Michael Chich, Caleb Hagen, Hunter Lipke, and Sam Retz, along with solo senior, Jack Kapsner to step up and fill the leadership voids of graduates McAbee-Thomas and Arndt.

The roster rounds out with two other freshman and three sophomores.

Bulldog distance runners will be led by senior Jack Kapsner and will also include juniors Kiel Anderson, Sean Best, and Sam Retz, sophomore Rian Corr as well as freshman Dylan Mcnew. Kapsner will also participate in middle distance along with juniors Michael Chich, Caleb Hagen, and Brandon Malean. Malean will be looked to as one of the more versatile athletes on the boys roster, competing also in sprints and the high jump.

Nearly half of the boys’ squad will participate in the sprint events and, along with Malean, will include juniors Tyler Krueger and Hunter Lipke; sophomores Brandon Kenefick and Trystin O’Connell; and rounds out with freshmen Brock Schlough and Damien Waller. Kenefick and Krueger will represent Boyceville in the pole vault.

Schlough is currently the only athlete competing in the long jump while Lipke remains the only participant for the shot put.

Girls’ Team

Last year’s budding roster has allowed for the growth of a variety of seasoned athletes for the 2016 track season.

It will be an exciting season for the sophomores and juniors of the Boyceville girls’ track squad, which makes up nearly ninety percent of the roster. The remaining members include two seniors and no freshmen.

Junior Cassie Malean returns to the track after qualifying for state in both the high and long jump events last year. Malean, who brought home a state silver medal in the high jump as a freshman, will strive to obtain a second after falling short of placement last year. Junior Erica Sempf will be the only student to join Malean in the long jump.

Malean will be joined by half of her teammates in the sprint events, which will include juniors Brooklyn Booth, Hannah Guy, Emma Harnisch, Abby Kegan, Carlee Schultz and Erica Sempf, as well as senior Ireland McAbee-Thomas.

McAbee-Thomas will also be competing in throws and relays. Athletes that will accompany McAbee-Thomas in the relay events will be Guy, Schultz and Sempf.

A similar story for the throw events adds three athletes alongside McAbee-Thomas which include sophomores Satina Chilson, Paulina Wenke and Haley Wold.

Long distance runners this year are scarce, with just two sophomores, Brianna Foer and Shiann Wagner representing Boyceville. Middle distance runners consist of sophomore Emily Boelker, junior Lauren Dominick and senior Anna Hagen.

Juniors Brooklyn Booth and Emma Harnisch will be the only two athletes competing in the pole vault.

Coach Day is focused on both team and individual marks. “We want to be competitive as a team in the conference and qualify as many individuals to state as possible,” he said. “The neat thing about track and field is that you compete against other teams but you also compete against your own best marks. Our goal is to continue to improve our best marks throughout the season.”

Coach Day expressed mild concern for the weakness in numbers, but is pleased with the students’ response to coaching and willingness to explore different events to find their full potential.

One key difference this year will be the resignation of assistant Coach Joan Klassen, who coached many athletes to great performances down at state.

“I congratulate her on a tremendous coaching career,” says Coach Day. “I wish her the best as she gets to watch her son at Michigan Tech compete in the decathalon.”

Klassen’s son, Zach, has already won two indoor meets in the pole vault this season and is on pace to break school records in both the pole vault and the decathlon at Michigan Tech.

Though she will not return as assistant coach, Klassen will still provide her services to the track squad as a volunteer.

In comes Jacob Peterson, who was an All-American in cross country and competed in track at UW-LaCrosse. Peterson is from Nekoosa and is the new fifth grade teacher at Tiffany Creek Elementary.

“He has great knowledge of the sport and he is very patient in the process of coaching,” said Day of Peterson. “I am very excited to welcome him to our school and coaching staff.”

Boys’ Roster

Senior: Jack Kapsner

Juniors: Kiel Anderson, Sean Best, Michael Chich, Caleb Hagen, Tyler Krueger, Hunter Lipke, Brandon Malean, and Sam Retz

Sophomores: Rian Corr, Brandon Kenefick, Trystin O’Connell

Freshmen: Dylan Mcnew, Brock Schlough, Damien Waller

Girl’s Roster

Seniors: Anna Hagen, Ireland McAbee-Thomas

Juniors: Brooklyn Booth, Lauren Dominick, Hannah Guy, Emma Harnisch, Abby Kegan, Cassie Malean, Carlee Schultz, Eric Sempf.

Sophomores: Satina Chilson, Brianna Foer, Emily Voelker, Shiann Wagner, Paulina Wenke, and Haley Wold.