Buchmann back on podium at state

Rhinelander’s Libbey Buchmann almost did not get a chance to get back on the podium in the discus at the WIAA Division 2 state track meet on Saturday. When she did, she fell on her next attempt. Yet it only takes one good throw to have success in the event and Buchmann made it count. 

    Rhinelander’s Libbey Buchmann stands on the podium after placing fourth in the D2 girls’ discus at the WIAA state track and field meet in La Crosse Saturday, June 1. (Brett LaBore/Lakeland Times)
  

With a throw of 123 feet, 8 inches, Buchmann took fourth and returned to the podium at the state track meet in La Crosse. That’s 6 1/2 feet, and two places better than Buchmann did as a freshman, when she placed sixth in the event.

“I’m OK with it,” Buchmann told the River News afterward. “I know that I can do better but, with the conditions given, it was my best.”

Buchmann’s performance was the highlight for the Hodag girls down at the state track meet. Aila Bergman competed in the preliminaries of the 100-meter hurdles on Friday, missing Saturday’s finals. The same held true for the team’s 4x100 relay of Lena Timphus, Violet Biolo, Olivia Ruetz and Lexi Bishop. 

Despite some mixed results in La Crosse, coach Aaron Kraemer said the experience more than made up for any disappointment. 

“The experience was great. Any time you get to come down to a college campus, spend some time and then go to the best meet in the state, that’s something that we all fight for, we all work for,” he said. “The girls deserved their opportunity. They took their opportunity. Everyone got times, everyone got distances. It always sucks when you work hard, get to the end and felt like you could have done better but, overall, I was really, really proud of all of the performances this weekend.”

Buchmann came into the state meet seeded fifth in the discus based on her sectional performance and had a throw (134-9) during the regular season that was further than anyone threw in the tournament. Yet rainy, wet conditions greeted the throwers Saturday morning, which made footing — and keeping the disc in bounds — a challenge.

“The disc was really slippery. A lot of people were slipping. One or two people actually fell. It wasn’t the best,” Buchmann said.

Buchmann fouled on her first throw and then put up a toss of 112-10 on her second throw. After failing to improve that mark on her third and final toss of the preliminary round she sat in the 10th and final transfer spot into the finals. From there she had to wait out a few tense moments as top seed Casidi Pehler from Arcadia had yet to throw, while simultaneously competing in the pole vault. 

After a foul and a weak second toss, Pehler mustered only a 109-11 in her third throw, keeping Buchmann in 10th and giving her three more chances in the finals. 

“You never wish for anyone to fail, but you’re like, ‘please, please, please let us get through,’” Kraemer said. “It sucks for Casidi for sure, coming in as the 1-seed and then not being able to make it to the finals, but we were definitely excited that Libbey made it through. From there, it was just let’s have the best throw we can.”

The slippery conditions got the best of Buchmann as she fell down and fouled on her fourth attempt, but she made her next throw count. 

“I needed to reset. On my fourth throw I did slip and fall, which was embarrassing, but then I came back on the last one and threw it in,” she said. “(I just had to) keep the champion’s mindset. Don’t give up even if you have a bad throw or barely squeak by because one throw can change everything.”

Her throw was good enough for third following five rounds but was eclipsed by Fox Valley Lutheran’s Emma Nilson (124-8) in the final round.

“She’s got the flair for the dramatic, that’s for sure. Last year was kind of the same thing,” Kraemer said of Buchmann, whose final throw in the preliminaries last year ultimately got her to the finals and landed her sixth overall. “It’s not fun for a coach to watch but, at the same time, it is exhilarating. She definitely deserves to be considered one of the best in the state in Division 2. She earned that for sure.” 

Sydney Whitehouse of Notre Dame Academy went 127-2 in the first round and that held up to win the state title. Colby’s Daelyn Rieck was second with a throw of 126-7, recorded in Round 2.

The Hodags hoped to have more athletes competing alongside Buchmann on championship Saturday in La Crosse, but that wasn’t meant to be based on Friday’s preliminaries. 

    Rhinelander’s Aila Bergman races Brodhead/Juda’s Addison Yates in the D2 girls’ 100-meter hurdles during the WIAA state track and field meet in La Crosse Friday, May 31. (Brett LaBore/Lakeland Times)
  

Bergman entered as the ninth-fastest qualifier in the 100 hurdles but was unable to match her sectional performance as she took eighth in her heat, and 16th overall, with a time of 16.37 seconds. That ended up being 0.35 seconds away from making the finals.

“She said after she was done she felt like she was soft out of the start. That kind of put her back,” Kreamer said. “It’s disappointing for Aila, but what I told her was don’t you dare be embarrassed, upset and don’t you dare look down on yourself for what happened here today. You deserved to be here. We’re going to make it back and we’re going to be stronger next year. I know she’s determined to do that. She’s got two more great years in front of her.”

    Rhinelander’s Violet Biolo hands the baton to teammate Olivia Ruetz in the D2 girls’ 4x100-meter relay during the WIAA state track and field meet in La Crosse Friday, May 31. (Brett LaBore/Lakeland Times)
  

The 4x100 relay did achieve goals of improving their seed position and time from sectionals. The group finished 15th overall with a time of 51.01, 0.03 seconds faster than their fourth-place run at sectionals. 

“They improved their seed and 51.01, close to 50 (seconds), is a really good time, Kraemer said. “It’s the best that I’ve seen since I’ve been here, and we’ve had some pretty good girls’ 4x1 teams in the past. Just making it here is tough. You know how I feel about the 4x1, it’s the hardest event in track. For them to be in it and have a chance to go for the finals, that was special.

“That’s all you can ask, to run your best race. I tell the kids all the time, your best is good enough. They ran their best race.”

Thanks to Buchmann’s performance, Rhinelander finished tied for 36th out of the 84 teams that were represented in the D2 girls’ meet. Rice Lake and Freedom tied for the state title with 45 points and three of the top five teams in the state (Osceola 4th, Bloomer 5th) came out of Rhinelander’s sectional.

Kraemer said it was exciting for the team to end the season in La Crosse. The Hodags have had at least one representative at state in each of his five seasons at the helm. Considering that five of the six athletes who competed over the weekend are underclassmen, Kraemer said there’s plenty of excitement for the future of the program.

“It’s a good problem to have, when you have a lot of young kids who get to have another opportunity,” he said.

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].