Menomonie girls track and field brings home three Division 1 state championships

LA CROSSE — The Menomonie girls track and field team captured three Division 1 state titles over the weekend at the WIAA State Track and Field Championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Lauren McCalla earned two individual championships, running to impressive victories in the 800- and 1,600-meter runs on Friday before sophomore Bree Barfknecht, freshman Lauren Ohman, sophomore Addison Schuler and senior McCalla took home the 3,200 relay title on Saturday.

The relay team led for much of the eight-lap race before McCalla retook the lead by passing two competitors with a sub one-minute lap on lap seven before closing out the first relay state championship in Menomonie girls program history with a time of nine minutes, 4.13 seconds.

“Even before the race we were talking about not setting limits on our splits,” Barfknecht said. “We just pushed as hard as we freaking can. To stay in first the whole time and to keep on pushing and not to give up — it’s easy in this heat to let it get to you — we didn’t let that happen.”

McCalla, Schuler and Barfknecht also ran on the school’s girls cross country team that finished fourth last fall at the Division 1 state championships which McCalla won in record time.

McCalla took two individual championships on Friday, starting with a win in the one mile in 4:38.54 and smashing the previous division state meet record of 4:43.20 set in 2001 by Kaukauna’s Brooke Novak. The victory came by more than six seconds over Whitefish Bay freshman Karstin McCabe (4:44.98). McCalla entered state with the goal of beating the record and the 4:40 mark.

“I’m fortunate to have good teammates that help me train,” McCalla said after the win. “I work with the boys a lot, we’re good friends and my coaches have been motivating me.”

The University of Washington signee didn’t have much time to rest, but came back to secure the 800 win in 2:08.68 to win by nearly three seconds over Kettle Moraine’s Lola Schwartz (2:11.42). Barfknecht finished 22nd in the 800 (2:24.12).

Overall the Mustangs earned more state championships during the weekend (3) than the program had entering the weekend (2) with the most recent title being Stefani Friedenfels’ triple jump championship in 2012.

Senior Bennett Schmitt was 13th in the 3,200 run in 11:16.18 where McCabe won in 10:24.22. Senior Isabel Sorensen finished 17th in the triple jump with a top leap of 34-feet, 6-inches and sophomore Ellie Arndt was 18th in the discus with a top toss of 112-0.

Overall the Menomonie girls finished seventh in the team scoring with 30 points as Arrowhead (76) earned the team championship over Neenah (42).

In boys action for the Mustangs the 3,200 relay team of Owen Pelzel, Evan Olson, Luke Ray and Noah Winder finished 10th in Friday’s final with a time of 7:58.66 as Homestead won in 7:43.00.

Division 2

Senior Allie Robel capped her Elk Mound career by finishing ninth in the girls 300 hurdles. Robel was ninth in both the preliminaries and finals of the event, timing in at 46.37 in Saturday’s finals as Osceola senior Elletta Uddin won in 42.33 to break her own state meet record in the win. In addition, Robel finished 11th in the 100 hurdle preliminaries in 15.57. Uddin also went on to win that championship as well, also smashing her own previous state meet record in 13.44.

Elk Mound sophomore Adam Roder finished 10th in the boys 300-meter hurdles finals. Roder timed in Saturday’s finals with a time of 52.21 seconds, stumbling over one of the hurdles. On Friday the sophomore was sixth in preliminaries with an effort of 39.57 which advanced him to the final race. Hayward senior Lucas Hansen won the state title with a time of 37.81.

Sophomore Derek Frinack finished in a tie for 10th place in the high jump for the Mounders. Frinack successfully made his first jump attempts at 5-10, 6-0 and 6-2 before bowing out after three unsuccessful attempts at 6-4. Breck Anderson of Edgerton won the event with a height of 6-8.

Division 3

Boyceville junior Liam Moore-Girard earned a podium finish in the boys discus with a best toss of 168-5.

Liam-Girard’s best toss of Friday’s competition came on his second attempt of the first round while fellow Bulldogs junior Isaiah Romero took 16th place with a best effort of 127-9. Marathon senior Chris Marcell secured the state championship with a top throw of 201-6.

The Boyceville girls 1,600 relay team of senior Chelsi Holden, senior Halle Tonn, junior Elliana Kietzer and freshman Jaycie Oberle finished just off the podium in seventh with a time of 4:06.07 as Cameron (3:57.80) captured the championship. Senior Ashlyn Maska, freshman Katy Maska, junior Ellie Engeman and sophomore Blake Jeske teamed together to come home 12th in the 3,200 relay in 10:08.07 as Cochrane-Fountain City finished first to set a new state meet record in 9:21.29. Oberle was also ninth in individual competition in the 1,600 run in 5:15.00 as Cochrane-Fountain City’s Addy Duellman won in 4:55.52.

Colfax sophomore Veronika Leavens was 15th in the girls 300 hurdles preliminaries on Friday, timing in at 48.52. Bangor junior Jaycee Michek was fastest in prelims and went on to capture the state championship in a state meet record time of 43.58.