RHS track finishes mid-pack in Ashland

ASHLAND — Some of the top athletes on the Rhinelander High School track team picked up right where they left off last year Tuesday in their first competition of the season. 

Junior Truman Lamers won the triple jump and high jump as the Hodag boys scored a fourth-place finish, while sophomore Aila Bergman swept the 60- and 200-meter hurdles to help the Hodag girls nab fifth in the eight-team Oredocker Large School Indoor Invite in Ashland.

It was the first meet for both athletes, who were not available last week during spring break for the Wisconsin Rapids Indoor. Once again the Hodags did not have a full lineup as virtually all of the team’s freshmen missed the competition due to a class trip, Much like last week’s meet, Hodag coach Aaron Kraemer said Tuesday was about getting the first marks of the season for as many athletes as possible.

“We knew we weren’t going to have freshmen, which adds a whole other layer of intrigue with our crew, but for today it was just about getting those opening marks, seeing different kids doing different events and it’s good to have everybody back,” he said. “There’s more of a buzz in the air than there was last week. Not saying it wasn’t fun, it was a ton of fun in Wisconsin Rapids, but it was fun today.”

Lamers came out of the gates flying in the triple jump with a career-best leap of 41 feet, 3 inches — a distance that would have been far enough to qualify for the WIAA Division 2 state meet last year. He did not even make it to the sectional round in that event last year, taking sixth at regionals.

“He’s powerful, he’s explosive, he’s fast coming off the basketball season and jumps in the 41s right away off the bat,” Kraemer said. “He’s excited about it and how that can transfer outdoors as he gets stronger and we work on some of his technical abilities and things he’s got to fix and tweak in the triple.”

    Rhinelander’s Truman Lamers approaches the high jump during the Oredocker Large School Indoor Invite in Ashland Tuesday, March 19. Lamers won the event as well as the boys’ triple jump as Rhinelander took fourth in the eight-team meet. (Jeremy Mayo/River News)
  

Lamers matched his regional-championship leap in the high jump, clearing 6 feet and narrowly misses on all three attempts to clear 6-2.

“In the high jump, he was literally a hamstring away from 6-foot-2. When you look at the film, he was over 6-foot-4 probably,” Kraemer said. “He needs to understand it’s the technique part of things. He is plenty athletic to do special things — make it to sectionals, make it to state. It’s just the little things now for him we’ve got to work on.”

Bergman was dominant in the hurdle events for the Hodag girls. She took the 60-meter hurdles (10.26) by a full second over runner-up Keylee Bigboy of Ashland and cruised to a 0.82-second win in the 200 hurdles (31.85) over Hayward’s Brianna Hexum. Bergman added a fifth-place showing in the long jump (14-9 1/4). 

“Aila in the hurdles, she’s picking up where she left off last season. I think (hurdles coach) Rod (Olson) would say the same thing, it’s about management for her,” Kraemer said. “She’s constantly doing things — dance, ski. We’ve got to take care of her as the season goes on.”

Senior Payton Campbell scored a pair of runner-up finishes for the Hodags, taking second in the long jump (19-3 1/2) and second in the 200 meters (25.49).

“Payton, today was the second or third time he’s long jumped. We haven’t had a lot of work this season,” Kraemer said. “To be able to pop into the 19s right away, that’s pretty good to start the season. He’s a kid, after last year, has done everything I’ve asked him to do for himself to get better — not only here, but in football. He’s been working his tail off and you can see it, not only in the long jump but the 200, taking second place, it’s amazing to see him do that.”

The Hodags added a runner-up showing in the 4x400 relay with Zach Germain, Lamers, Ben Olson and Sam Zwaard. Germain added a third-place run in the 60 meters while sophomore Myles Eagleson took third in the triple jump.

“Zach’s a big, powerful athlete. Last year we were asking him to long jump and he’s explosive, but those explosive events coming off the winter season for him, are tough right away,” Kraemer noted. “We’ve got to load manage Zach early on, get him into the fast-twitch movements, get his body ready. He’s as explosive as the come so this race, the 60, is one of his best. As we get outdoors, you’ll see him open up a little more and the 100 and 200 is where he ends up living this season.”

Abe Barlog scored fifth-place finishes in both the 60 and 200 hurdles, Jackson Fuss was fifth in the 400 and Olson took sixth in the 60.

    Rhinelander’s Libbey Buchmann throws the shot during the Oredocker Large School Indoor Invite in Ashland Tuesday, March 19. Buchmann finished second in the event. (Jeremy Mayo/River News)
  

On the girls’ side, sophomore Libbey Buchmann scored another top-three finish in the shot put, coming him second on Tuesday was a toss of 30-7 1/2.

“Libbey’s learning something new. Last year we started the season with a three-step stepback and a modified glide,” Kraemer said. “Now she’s spinning and if she can utilize the technique and spin she uses in the disc, in the shot she’s just going to continue to get better. I think this is the basement of what you’re going to see from Libbey and she’s just going to keep climbing up.”

The Hodags took third in the 4x800 with Brynn Teter, Maria Hubler, Zoey Walker and Luna Grage. Grage was also on a fifth-place 4x400 team with Nicole Long, Kyleah Hartman and Millie Gruett. Violet Biolo and Lexi Bishop finished sixth and seventh, respectively, in the 60 meters.

The Hodags had the top-finishing boys’ team of the three Great Northern Conference schools in attendance. Lakeland finished sixth and Tomahawk was seventh. Tomahawk was second on the girls’ side, only 13 points behind first-place Hayward. Lakeland finished seventh. 

In addition to a look at some of the team’s conference rivals, Rhinelander also got a look at a number of teams it will see in WIAA regional competition — Hayward, Ashland and Northwestern. Those three schools swept the top three spots on the boys’ side. Ashland was third in the girls’ standings with Northwestern fourth. 

Rhinelander returns to action next week at the Merrill Indoor. The Hodag boys will compete on Tuesday with the girls running on Thursday.

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].