Whippets fall to track teams at dual meet
By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
As the calendar turns to May, the time quickly is arriving for the competitions that really matter.
And for the East Troy High School boys and girls track teams, it looks like both are ready to make plenty of noise before the book is closed on 2015.
The East Troy girls finished first and the boys were third at their own home invitational Friday afternoon. The Trojans easily won the girls’ title with 131 points, well ahead of second-place Riverside’s 93.
Riverside has won two of the last three Division 1 state titles – so this definitely was a monumental victory.
“This was probably our most successful week this season,” East Troy coach Josh Herrell said. “(The girls winning the meet) was incredible to watch.”
East Troy brought home five title, led by sophomore Hope Schneider’s first-place finish in the high jump at 5-2. Schneider beat defending Division 2 state champion Brooke Blazei, a sophomore from Martin Luther.
That was a big moment in the meet, Herrell said.
“This was Hope’s first time beating (Blazei) and really raised her confidence level,” he said. “I was so proud to see her hard work pay off, especially because it was 45 degrees out and raining at the time.”
Other first-place finishes were tuned in by the 3,200-meter relay team of Erin Parr, Amanda Bustillos, Katie Hodges and Charlotte Plehn (10:14.87); the 800-team of Schneider, Callie Vogel, M.E. Dodge and Katie Zewiske (1:54.36); the 400-team of Schneider, Vogel, Dodge and Hannah Buchholtz (53.77); and Parr in the 800 (2:27.73).
Also placing in the top five for the girls were the 1,600-meter relay team of Katrina Santos, Hodges, Plehn and Carly Atchison second (4:19.96); Dodge, second in the discus (119-11); Santos, second in the long jump (15-8) and the triple jump (32-11); Tori Miler, third in the 100-hurdles (17.19); Hodges, third in the 400 (1:03.03); Vogel, fourth in the triple jump (31-11); Kelly Flynn, fourth in the 3,200 (13:24.26); Sydney Scadden, fourth in the 300-hurdles (54.15); Heather Vivian, fifth in the 800 (2:40.18); and Buccholtz, fifth in the 100-hurdles (18.12).
Finishing behind East Troy and Riverside in the 12-team meet were Badger with 84 points, Indian Trails Academy with 81 and South Milwaukee with 68.5.
On the boys’ side, Oak Creek was first in the 12-team meet with 111 points, followed by Badger with 105, East Troy with 100, Milton with 96 and West Allis Central with 78.5.
The Trojans’ two titles came from the throwing duo of junior Jake Wendt in the shot put and senior Miles Kilpin in the discus.
Wendt finished first with a toss of 53-11, while Kilpin won the discus at 157-6. Wendt’s effort broke former standout Nate Dodge’s school record, Herrell said.
“All Jake’s hard work in the off-season in the weight room really paid off,” he said. “I was so proud to see him achieve this incredible feat.”
Other top-five finishes were recorded by Charlie Kutschenreuter, second in the 400 (51.62); the 3,200-tam of Nathan Nguyen, Kutschenreuter, Jacob Remsza and Evan Harding, second (8:26.35); Anthony Leahy, second in the high jump (5-10); Kilpin, second in the shot put (51-11); Wendt, second in the discus (155-6); Nguyen, third in the 400 (52.25); the 1,600-team of Kutschenreuter, Nguyen, Harding and Remsza, third (3:34.9); Harding, fourth in the 800 (2:09.43); Brody Kazik, third in the 3,200 (10:30.14) and fifth in the 1,600 (4:47.55); and Billy Dominski, fifth in the 110-hurdles (17.54).
Kazik’s effort was another highlight, Herrell said.
“It was Brody’s best racing day he’s ever had in the past four years running for us,” he said. “He is really starting to come into his own.”
East Troy was back in action Tuesday afternoon against Edgerton, followed by a trip to the Elkhorn Invitational Thursday. The Trojans travel to the Princeton Invitational Saturday.
Trojans sweep Whippets
East Troy opened the week with a pair of North Division dual wins over Whitewater. The boys posted a 91-55 victory to improve to 4-0, while the girls won 98-47 to move to 3-1.
Highlighting the boys’ effort were first-place finishes by Kutschenreuter in the 100 and 400, Kilpin in the shot put and discus, Nguyen in the 200, Harding in the 1,600, Kazik in the 3,200, Truman Kent in the 300-hurdles and Zach Zewiske in the triple jump.
Winning events for the girls were Parr in the 1,600, Hodges in the 400, Bustillos in the 3,200, Santos in the triple jump, Schneider in the high jump, Dodge in the shot put and discus and all four relay teams.
“It was an extremely cold and windy day, but our kids competed extremely well,” Herrell said. “They are very aware of our rivalry with Whitewater. I never expected that we would win by such large margins, (but) both teams are really coming together well.”
