Schneider takes second in high jump
By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
The East Troy High School boys and girls track and field teams put the finishing touches on the indoor season at Saturday’s Wisconsin Track and Field Association’s State Meet on the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus.
East Troy finished ninth overall with 17 points. Team scores were combined between the boys and girls.
Bay Port was first with 64 points, followed by Racine Park with 40, Freedom with 36, Wisconsin Lutheran with 23.5 and Holmen with 22.
In order to qualify, athletes had to hit specific times or distances in previous indoor meets.
The East Troy boys brought home three state medals.
Leading the way was senior Charlie Kutschenreuter, who was second in the 400 (50.94), in what coach Josh Herrell said may be the fastest indoor time in that event in school history.
“Charlie is already the outdoor 400 school record holder, and his goal is to become the WIAA state champion this year in that event (after he was sixth last year),” Herrell said.
Senior Miles Kilpin and junior Jake Wendt threw lifetime bests in the shot put to finish fourth and sixth, respectively. Kilpin had a toss of 53-3 1/4, while Wendt threw 51-2 3/4.
“Those tosses are good for the second- and third-best throws in East Troy track and field history,” Herrell said. “Coach (David) Dodge really had them both dialed in well during trials and finals, as they kept getting stronger as the competition went along.”
Other top efforts were turned in by senior Nate Nguyen, eighth in the 400 with a personal-best time of 52.79; Kutschenreuter, 13th in the long jump (19-5 1/2); sophomore Truman Kent with a semifinal qualifying time of 8.64 in the 55-high hurdles; and sophomore Evan Harding with a personal-best time of 2:09.44 to finish 30th in the 800.
Also competing were the 800-meter relay team, 16th (1:38.7); the 1,600-relay, 13th (3:47.83); Allen Olsen, 26th in the triple jump (35-4 1/2) and 42nd in the long jump (15-9 1/2); and Nguyen, 21st in the triple jump (36-0).
Schneider leads girls
Sophomore Hope Schneider led the East Troy girls, as she was second in the high jump at 5-2, the fourth straight meet she has surpassed that height.
“Hope has really trained hard this year in the weight room, and it is really paying off for her,” Herrell said.
Schneider also was 36th in the long jump (13-10).
Other top efforts came from sophomore Tori Miller, who dropped a half second off her previous best in the 55-hurdles, qualified for the semifinals and ran a 9.24 to finish 10th overall, along with seniors Erin Parr and Katie Hodges, who set career indoor best times in the 800 of 2:31.63 and 2:31.22, respectively.
“Both (Parr and Hodges) have competed in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association state meet in the past and look well on their way to returning there,” Herrell said.
Hodges was 22nd in the 800, while Parr was 26th.
Also competing Saturday were Katie Zewiske, 40th in the 400 (1:07.21) and 44th in the triple jump (28-8); Heather Vivian, 59th in the 800 (2:39.45); Jenna Hodges, 74th in the 800 (2:55.01); Carly Atchison, 29th in the 1,600 (5:40.73); the 800-meter relay team, 18th (1:54.01); the 1,600-team, 11th (4:20.58); Katrina Santos, 18th in the long jump (14-11 3/4) and 19th in the triple jump (31-10); Callie Vogel, 15th in the triple jump (32-1) and 20th in the long jump (14-10 3/4); and M.E. Dodge, 24th in the shot put (33-1 1/2).
Both squads were back in action Tuesday with a triangular at Jefferson and will travel to the Clinton Invitational Saturday morning.
