June 28, 2021 at 7:59 a.m.
Wet and weary
Hodags struggle in rain-plagued state track meet
Wet and weary
Rhinelander struggled in a water-logged D1 state track meet, failing to crack the top 10 an any of their events. Senior Rebecca Lawrence had the best finish, tying for 13th in the girls' high jump. Junior Cole Worrall was 15th in the 110-meter hurdles and 23rd in the 300 hurdles and junior Jaden Beske didn't place in the boys' high jump, after failing to clear the opening height.
To say rain played a factor would be a gross understatement. According to the National Weather Service in La Crosse, an inch and a half of rain fell during the six-hour state meet at Veterans Memorial Stadium, making life miserable for spectators, officials, athletes and coaches alike.
"It just seemed like every time we were about to jump or about to start a race, the weather started to pick up and rain a little bit harder. When that happens, you just have to buckle down in your mentality," Hodag coach Aaron Kraemer said. "We preach E(vent) plus R(esponse) equals O(utcome). We talk about that challenge, but this was a pretty big E today, for every single kid today. It wasn't just a big E for our kids. It was a big E for every kid in the state. It's unfortunate you didn't get to see the best out of D1 today but, at the same time, everybody had to handle it the same way. It is what it is there."
Worrall came in with the third-fastest qualifying time in the 110 hurdles but was not able to get out of his opening heat. He took fourth in his heat with a time of 15.871 seconds. Only the three heat winners and the next seven fastest times overall made it to the finals. Worrall ended up missing the main event by 0.22 seconds.
"It was raining pretty hard when Cole got to the starting line. By the end he said, 'I'm running with 10 extra pounds, coach,' because he was sopping wet," Kraemer said. "He said he had a bad start which, in the hurdles, can cost you. You have a bad start and you're behind. A lot of the momentum you get between the hurdles comes from the your seven- or eight-step start. He said that cost him today and he was always chasing from behind."
Worrall was in the slowest of the three heats in the 300 hurdles after qualifying 20th at sectionals. He went 42.88 in the event to take sixth in the heat and 23rd overall.
Lawrence went into the weekend with aspirations of tying Taylor Wissbroecker's school record of 5 feet, 4 inches in the high jump, but never got the chance as the skies opened during her event. She cleared the opening height of 4-10 on her first jump, but missed on all three attempts at 5 feet. As it turned out, had Lawrence matched her personal best of 5-2, it would have gotten her into the top six and on the podium. Waunakee's Kyla Saleh won the event, clearing 5-4.
"As soon as she went to jump 5 feet, the heavens opened up again and it started to rain a lot harder. It made it difficult for her to get over that next height," Kraemer said. "I thought when she jumped 5 foot the first attempt she had made it. She hit the bar, but it bounced straight up. I looked like it was going to stay and then it just fell off. The second two jumps weren't as good as the first one, but she still had an opportunity to make it."
Lawrence finished as a two-time state qualifier, finishing second in the D2 girls' high jump in 2019. Saturday's meet was a bittersweet way to end her RHS career.
"I can't wait to see what Rebecca's going to do with her life and where she's going to go moving forward," Kraemer said. "The type of person that she is, she's going to have a great college career, and whatever she decides to do in life, she's going to be successful. She's got a great attitude and she's a great person. I'm sad to see her go. I got choked up quite a bit today as she finished up."
As for Beske, who may have gotten the worst of the weather conditions, he tried and missed three times to clear the opening height of 5 feet, 10 inches.
"It was an inch and a half of standing water he was dealing with," Kraemer said. "I think he dealt with more than the other two did just because of how badly it was raining."
Kraemer said the Hodags were humbled by Saturday's experience - between battling the large D1 field and the weather - but he was proud of all three athletes for earned to chance to compete on the state's biggest track and field stage.
"Just to make it there in Division 1 is a thing to be proud of in itself. Then to compete against the best in the state in the state meet and, unfortunately, have the rain play a gigantic factor, that's disappointing but, at the same time, I couldn't be more proud of the three competitors," he said.
While Lawrence bids farewell, both Worrall and Beske will have one more crack at state next year. They will be back along with 2019 state qualifier Caleb Olcikas to form the core of what Kraemer figures will be another formidable Hodag track team next year.
"I'm really excited not only about their events but how they're going to lead our team," he said. "I told you already that I think we're going to be competing for the conference championship again nest season and we'll see. We're a junior-heavy team - both for the girls and the boys. Next year is going to be a very emotional season for me to watch these kids who started with me their freshman year now finish their career as competitors."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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