May 29, 2019 at 12:42 p.m.
Their time to shine
Hodags ready to experience spectacle that is state track meet
Their time to shine
The message is simple - the Hodags aren't done yet.
Rhinelander qualified for three events for this weekend's state meet at UW-La Crosse. Senior Anthony Kowalski, senior Josh Francisco, senior AJ Kopplin and junior Nick Kriesel make up the squad for the Hodags in the boys' 4x100-meter relay. Kowalski, Francisco, Kriesel and freshman Caleb Olcikas comprise the squad in the 4x200. Rebecca Lawrence qualified in the high jump.
Senior Adam Bloom, senior Isaiah Piosalan and junior Peyton Erikson are alternates in the sprinting events.
It's the first time Rhinelander's made it to La Crosse since 2015, when Bryce White qualified in the triple jump and finished 18th in the Division 1 field. Coach Aaron Kraemer said he's excited to go back.
"It is a spectacle. It's the best athletes in our state, not just in track and field, but every sport that there is (gathering) in one place at one time," he said. "As a coach, I'm very excited to get down there ... and I have a special group of kids I get to share this with."
It's come full circle for Kraemer, who is now in his sixth year teaching in the district. Some of the seniors making the trip to La Crosse have been with him every step of the way.
"They were my first class when I was teaching seventh grade at the middle school," he said. "That was the first class I got to know. It's satisfying to watch them go out this way. To be able to walk out on Thursday afternoon and have that be your last memory of leaving the school. That's pretty special."
For Kowalski, Francisco and Kriesel, who make up three-quarters of both relay teams, this weekend's meet is the culmination of three years of hard work.
"I know for me and Nick and AJ, that's something we've had our eyes on for quite a while," Kowalski said at practice last Friday. "This relay has meant quite a lot for us. We've been working on it for three years and to see it go to state is phenomenal."
Added Kriesel, "I'm just appreciative to have this chance to make it to state. Like Anthony said, we've worked at this for three years and I'm just glad we were able to make this happen before they graduated. For all the work that we put in, I think they deserve it."
Practices have been short but focused this week for the Hodags, who have been zeroed in on the details ahead of today's state sendoff and the long drive down to La Crosse.
"This week's going to be about getting them prepared to state and (for the relays) what it means to do handoffs in traffic," Kraemer said. "We're going to make sure we get some speedwork in, refine our skills and prepare to show everyone what they've got at the state level."
Relays running
The Hodags are looking to improve upon their seed times in both relay races, neither of which are personal records.
Rhinelander qualified last in the 16-team field in the 4x200 (1 minute, 33.04 seconds) and will start in the outside lane in the second of two heats in the event. In order to make the finals in that event, the Hodags will likely need to smash their own school record by a considerable margin.
That record, 1:32.38 set May 3 at the Otto Bacher, would rank only 13th-fastest in the state field. Currently, the eighth-best time is held by Lodi at 1:31.55. Freedom is the No. 1 seed in the event at 1:28.79.
The story is different for the Hodags in the 4x100, where their qualifying time of 43.91 is currently on the finals bubble at eighth overall. Rhinelander went 43.76 in the event when they set the school record at Otto Bacher. That time would be sixth-best in the state field. Waukesha Catholic Memorial currently holds the top seed in the event at 43.29 seconds.
"It's exciting to see what we can do at state," Kowalski said. "To see all these teams going PR at such a high level and then us not get a PR, it gives me hopes that we'll shock some teams on Friday."
"I expect some teams to be surprised," added Olcikas. "If we can perform to the best of our ability, I think some people could be shocked at what we can do."
Lawrence's new life
It was a crazy 20-plus hours for Lawrence as she waited to learn her state meet fate in the high jump. Sectional meet officials told her she had qualified for state, but an error in how they adjudicated tie-breaking positions left Lawrence on the outside looking in despite her jump of 5 feet, 2 inches last Thursday in Mosinee.
Luckily for her, that jump was tied for the fifth-best mark overall in the state in Division 2, which allowed her to get into La Crosse as a special qualifier.
Kraemer said it was poetic justice.
"She made 5-2. She deserves it," Kraemer said. "Hopefully she can make it to state, jump a PR at 5-4 and then go for a school record."
The school record in girls' high jump was set seven years ago by Taylor Wissbroecker and it came in La Crosse as she cleared 5-4 in a sixth-place finish in the Division 1 field.
State meet info
The boys' 4x100 and 4x200 relays will run their preliminary races Friday morning. The top eight teams following Friday's preliminaries will return Saturday for the finals.
Lawrence will compete Saturday morning in the D2 girls' high jump, with the event beginning at 10 a.m.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
Comments:
You must login to comment.