June 6, 2022 at 8:56 a.m.
Worrall narrowly misses finals at state
Worrall narrowly misses finals at state
Worrall finished 14th in the preliminaries of the 110-meter hurdles and 15th in the 200-meter dash at UW-La Crosse.
Despite the results, Worrall said Friday's competition was an overall positive ending to his high school career.
"I'm not disappointed at all where I placed, even if I didn't qualify for finals," he said. "I still made it to state and got to run in it. I think it's a happy way to end my career, being the only one going to state this year and being able to represent my team and my community down here is a blessing."
Coach Aaron Kraemer echoed the sentiment.
"I'm not upset because Cole is such a great kid and he's going to have some great experiences moving forward," he said, alluding to Worrall's upcoming collegiate track career at UW-Whitewater. "This was one of those days about celebrating him. First, I was happy he was able to be there, second that he was able to improve on some of the things he wanted to do."
Worrall posted a time of 15.416 seconds in the 110 hurdles, finishing fourth in his heat and roughly 0.22 seconds outside the top 10, which advanced to Saturday's finals. He ran in the second of three heat races and a sudden shift in the wind seemed to affect that particular heat.
According to online results, the wind at the finish line was hurting at a rate of 2.0 meters per second (4.47 MPH) in Worrall's heat. The first and third heats each had a helping wind. The wind in heat 1 was listed at plus-2.7 m/s (6.04 MPH), and a plus-3.7 m/s (8.28 MPH) in heat 3. Only one runner out of Worrall's heat advanced to the finals.
"It kind of circled around the stadium and when it picked up, we didn't get a tailwind, instead it was a side headwind, which is my least favorite wind," Worrall said. "Not only is it pushing you to the side, but you also have a headwind to run into."
"I do think that is a factor since you're talking tenths and hundredths of a second in that top 10," Kraemer added. "I do think that had a factor and that's one of the reasons I'm not necessarily too bummed out about the hurdles, because they can be that way."
Worrall stated leading into the state meet his goal was to go under 15 seconds in the event for only the second time in his career.
"Overall, I wasn't too disappointed in the 110s. I haven't been able to clear 15 this year, but we have time in college to do that kind of thing," he said. "15.4 overall, I'm not too disappointed with. It could have been faster but it could always be faster, that's the biggest thing."
Worrall followed later with a time of 22.57 seconds in the 200, placing sixth in his heat. That ended up 0.18 seconds outside the top 10.
"I took the opportunity when it came and 15th for state in 200 meters when I've only ran it four or five times, that's quite a lot," Worrall said.
"I didn't think he felt there was more to give," Kraemer added. "That's all I can ask for. He said, 'Boy, there's a lot of great kids I just raced against.' I reiterated with him that he made the entire city and our community and our track program and everyone that follows the Hodags proud today."
Friday's competition wrapped up the 2022 track season for the Hodags, and a decorated career for Worrall and Rhinelander's senior class. Rhinelander's boys' team won two conference titles during their tenure, breaking a 52-year title drought. Rhinelander has also had multiple state qualifiers during the last four years.
"They have changed the way the program has been viewed," Kraemer said. "With the help of this senior group and a few groups before them, we've changed the culture of this program. This senior group was probably the largest part of it because the change started in 2018-19 and it's just continued to snowball since them. It is bittersweet but, at the same time, you look back at all the accomplishments, it's been a really, really fun ride."
Track MVPs named
Worrall was one of five honored by the Hodag track program last week as one of the team's most valuable athletes. Worrall share the boys' track athlete of the year award with fellow senior Caleb Olcikas. Senior Brock Snyder was the boys' field athlete of the year. Junior Gussie Gruett and senior Emma Germain were the team's girls' track and field athletes of the year, respectively.
The awards were presented last Tuesday during the team banquet in the RHS commons.
In addition to his performances at the state track meet, Worrall was the Great Northern Conference's male track athlete of the year, winning the 110 hurdles, the 300 hurdles and the 200 meters at conference.
"He's the consummate professional athlete," Kraemer said. "He has the talent and I know he's driven to do a lot of special things moving forward. He's already done a lot of special things in this program as an athlete, as a hurdler, as a sprinter and just as a teammate in general."
Worrall shared the award with Olcikas, the GNC's fastest athlete as the winner of the 100-meter dash. Olcikas came within 0.02 seconds from joining Worrall at state and qualifying in the 100.
"He's someone who is the fastest athlete in the GNC. He is the strongest sprinter we have," Kraemer said. "He is somebody that's been extremely successful for the program and we wouldn't have been able to win any conference championship without him."
Snyder earned multiple all-conference awards in the shot put and discus during his four-year career at RHS and will compete in track and field at UW-River Falls.
"He's one of the strongest people that I've been able to coach. He's someone who's constantly in the corner of the weight room working out," Kraemer said. "That work ethic's going to be missed but, at River Falls, he is going to excel and we're going to see the best out of him going into his college career."
Germain was a two-time conference champion in the triple jump and a key member of Rhinelander's 4x100 and 4x200 meter relays that earned all-conference recognition.
"Track was her thing. She was a triple jumper and a sprinter through and through," Kraemer said. "Every year she got better in the triple jump. Every year her splits and her times got better in the 100 and 200. When I talk about the attitude of a track athlete, she's the person that you want. That's the attitude that you want."
Gruett burst on to the scene this year, helping the Hodags in the 4x200 and the pole vault before qualifying for WIAA sectionals in the 400-meter dash.
"She's got a different style to her but, when I see a consummate athlete, while I see someone who just is dedicated and loves what they're doing, you see the joy on their face when they perform. I couldn't say anything more about her than that smile," Kraemer said.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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