May 25, 2023 at 7:55 a.m.
Hodag track advances 16 entries to sectionals
Hodag track advances 16 entries to sectionals
At least it wasn't a lonely ride.
The Hodags sent 16 entries through to the sectional by virtue of performances in a regional track meet Monday in Colby. Rhinelander took fifth in the boys' division of the eight-team meet and seventh in the girls' division.
"It's always good to take a bus to the sectional," coach Aaron Kraemer said. "It was a good day for us. In a lot of events we didn't even expect, we got quite a few kids through and the ones we expected to go through, for the most part we were successful. We had performances that were near school records and any time your finishing strong like this, it's a good feeling."
The Hodags had two regional champions among their 16 sectional qualifiers. The top four finishers in each event made it through to Thursday's sectional, which concluded after press time for today's edition.
Truman Lamers won the boys' high jump for Rhinelander while Aila Bergman came within a couple of tenths of a school record as she won the girls' 300-meter hurdles. Bergman also advanced individually with a runner-up finish in the 100 hurdles.
Others placing in the top four and moving on were: Greyson Gremban in the boys' 3200 meters, Eva Heck in the girls' high jump, Kaleb Winter in the boys' pole vault, Cody Ruetz in the boys' 400, Gussie Gruett in the girls' 400, Libbey Buchmann in both girls' discus and shot put, and Bo Stott in the boys' shot put.
Additionally, the Hodags advanced five relays on to the next round.
Lamers hoped to make it in three different field events, but he missed out on the finals in the long jump and wound up sixth in the triple jump. The high jump, however, proved to be his event on Monday. He was the only athlete to clear six feet, outdueling Lakeland's Maverick Metzger and Tomahawk's Presley Gutbrod for the regional title.
"To jump 6-foot and to be able to continually jump 6-foot, I said was the mark. You jump 5-10 in a regional or a sectional, you put yourself in an opportunity to jump 6-foot. You make 6-foot, no matter how you make 6-foot, you can go through," Kraemer said. "We're extremely proud of him. He was one place away from sectionals last year as a freshman in D1. Now he's on to sectionals and I'm very proud of him. I know he's very excited."
As she did for the Great Northern Conference title, Bergman edged Mosinee's Taelyn Jirschele in the 300 hurdles. Bergman led most of the way and finished with a time of 47.25 seconds. Bergman added a runner-up finish in the 100 hurdles (17.20) was part of a runner-up finish in the girls' 4x400-meter relay.
"She had the best race she's had all year in the 300 and, apart from one stutter in the race, she looked like a champion the whole way round," Kraemer said. "For her to win her region and set herself up to make it in the sectional and on to state, that's really something for a freshman to be able to do that."
Two athletes came from seemingly nowhere to smash personal records and make it through to the sectionals. Heck's leap of 4 feet, 8 inches in the high jump was four inches higher than her personal best and good enough for the runner-up spot on Monday.
"Eva, it's all been about technique for her," Kraemer "For her when she gets her run down and she takes off and, again, it's confidence for her, she's another one it really wouldn't surprise we if she jumps 4-8, maybe 4-10 and she's got the potential to do a lot of things too. I'm very proud of her and what she was able to accomplish today. For her, it's the best time you have your PR."
The same held true for Stott in the shot put as he launched a throw of 41 feet, 7 inches in the finals - more than 3 1/2 feet further than his previous best mark - and snuck into sectionals in fourth place, two inches ahead of Tomahawk's Joey Reiter.
"Bo's just extremely strong and his form is getting there. The biggest thing for him is that he's gaining confidence and his throw today was unbelievable," Kraemer said. "It's something I knew was possible for him ... It wouldn't surprise me if he throws 42 or 43 (feet) coming up. He's just gaining in confidence and the more confident he gets, he's already a great athlete."
Freshman Libbey Buchmann advanced in both throwing events for the Hodag girls. She had a personal-best toss of 117-5 in the shot put, taking third and advancing with ease. She took the final transfer spot in the shot put, coming in fourth with a toss of 31-4.
"Her and I worked this weekend on the discus," Kraemer said. "She had a PR there and in the shot, she's growing in confidence in the glide. Once she gets that glide down and she's really proficient at it, she's going to be a mid 30s thrower, if not further than that by the time she's a senior."
Gremban set a personal record in the 3,200 meters, coming home in 10:26.38 for the runner-up spot. Winter took third in the pole vault, clearing 11 feet, 6 inches. Ruetz (54.26) and Gruett (1:04.02) were third in their respective 400-meter races.
Gussie Gruett and Bergman were both on the 4x400 team with Reese Gehrig and Luna Grage that cruised into the sectionals with a runner-up finish (4:25.30). Gehrig, Lexi Bishop, Millie Gruett and Violet Biolo qualified with a third-place finish in the 4x100 (54.74).
Rhinelander took the final transfer spot in the boys' 4x800, 4x200 and 4x400. The 4x200 had the most drama as freshman Jackson Fuss edged out Tomahawk's Ryan Larson by 0.18 seconds over the final 200 to advance. Ruetz, Gremban, Olin Slette and Shawn Denis made up the qualifying quartet for the Hodags in the 4x800. Ben Olson, Daniel Gillingham, Fuss and Ruetz made up Rhinelander's fourth-place team in the 4x400.
"We haven't really seen our best relays come through because, a lot of the times, what we've been doing is stacking our individual events with our best athletes. It was good to see, finally, what we were capable of in our relays," Kraemer said.
Lakeland edged Stanley-Boyd by four points for the boys' title in an eight-team field that included all of the GNC with the exception of Antigo. Northland Pines edged Mosinee by 5 1/2 points in a competitive girls' field where all eight teams were separated by only 40 points.
Qualifiers from the Colby regional joined those from the Rice Lake, Durand-Arkansaw and West Salem regionals at Thursday's sectional in Arcadia. The top four finishers in each event, plus anyone outside the top four who has a performance among the eight best in the state overall, will make it to the WIAA state track meet in La Crosse next weekend.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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