Track teams head to state meet this weekend
By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
There will be no shortage of East Troy High School representation at this weekend’s Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 2 State Meet on the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse campus.
The Trojans made sure of that last week with a pair of strong sectional meet showings, as both teams posted second-place overall finishes.
East Troy’s boys and girls each advanced to state, which begins Friday and continues Saturday, in eight events.
Senior Jake Wendt led the way with a pair of sectional championships.
Wendt was first in both the discus (158-1) and the shot put (54-4 1/2).
Also picking up sectional titles were junior Billy Dominski in the 110-hurdles (15.04) and junior Evan Harding in the 800 (1:58.78).
Dominski was second in the 300-hurdles (39.48).
Three relay teams also advanced for the Trojans, led by the 1,600-team of Dominski, sophomore Eli Leising, Harding and senior Jake Remsza, third (3:27.19).
Finishing fourth were the 800-team of junior Allen Olson, Remsza, Leising and freshman Miles McCarthy (1:31.51) and the 3,200-team of Harding, Leising, junior Kelcye Demara and Remsza (8:13.64).
Sophomore Ethan Sweet was seventh in the 400 (53.03) while Olson was eighth in the triple jump (41-2 1/2).
Wisconsin Lutheran won the team title with 119.5 points, followed by East Troy with 67, Catholic Memorial with 59, Kettle Moraine Lutheran with 43 and Grafton with 42.
Leading the girls were a pair of first-place sectional finishes, as junior Hope Schneider won the high jump (5-6), and senior M.E. Dodge brought home a regional title in the discus (123-3).
East Troy’s 3,200-meter relay team of senior Amanda Bustillos, freshman Morgan Bartlett, freshman Mackenzie Lindow and junior Maddie Rosin was second (10:01.17).
Also moving on with top-four efforts were junior Tori Miller, third in the 100-hurdles (15.72); freshman Rachel Bottum, fourth in the 40 (59.3); the 1,600-relay team of senior Katrina Santos, Dodge, Schneider and Bottum, fourth (4:05.8); and Santos, fourth in the triple jump (34-8 ¼).
Santos was fifth in the high jump (5-2), but was added to the field as a special qualifier.
Also scoring points for the girls were junior Hannah Buchholtz, fifth in the pole vault (9-0) and Dodge, sixth in the shot put (34-6).
Wisconsin Lutheran was first in the team standings with 89 points, followed by Lakeside Lutheran with 79, East Troy with 60.5, Kettle Moraine Lutheran with 56 and Catholic Memorial with 50.
State up next
Here’s a look at where East Troy athletes are seeded this weekend:
- Wendt, seeded third in the shot put and will compete in the second flight of the finals. Jefferson senior Landon Ellingson and Wrightstown senior Nathan Biening are tied at 55-4 1/2 for the top seed.
In the discus, Wendt brings the fifth-best sectional toss into the meet, and he will compete in the second flight of the finals. Ellingson is the top seed at 184-03.
- Dominski, 110- and 300-hurdles: will compete in the second heat of the preliminaries in the 110-hurdles. The top seed is Hayward junior Devon Kuykendall (14.93).
In the 300-hurdles, Dominski will run in the first heat of the preliminaries; the top seed is Arcadia senior Jim Hoesley (39.04).
- Harding, 800: will run in the second heat of the timed finals; the top seed is Berlin senior Jacob Caswell (1:55.56).
- 800-relay: will run in the second heat of the preliminaries; the top-seeded team is Luxemburg-Casco (1:29.45).
- 1,600-relay: will compete in the second heat of the preliminaries; the top seed is the Kiel team (3:22.12).
- 3,200-relay: will compete in the first heat of the timed finals; the top seed is Monroe (8:04.2).
On the girls side, Schneider enters the state meet tied for the top spot with Lakeland sophomore Emily Scott, both at 5-6. Santos is tied with seven other athletes with the fifth-best qualifying jump.
Other seeds include:
- Dodge, discus: will compete in the second flight of the finals; the top seed is Baldwin-Woodville junior Destinee Haas (142-6).
- 3,200-relay: will compete in the first heat of the timed finals. The top seed is Brodhead-Juda (9:40.61).
- Miller, 100-hurdles: will compete in the second heat of the preliminaries. The top seed is Lakeside senior Meghan Pingel (15.36).
- Bottum, 400: will compete in the second heat of the preliminaries. The top seed is Cambridge senior Sydney Currie (58.4).
- 1,600-relay: will compete in the second heat of the preliminaries. The top seed is Wittenberg-Birnamwood (3:59.95).
- Santos, triple jump: will compete in the first flight of the finals. The top seed is Altoona junior Kristi Springer (37-1 1/2).
