Trojans sweep North Division, take first and second at invite
By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
The focus for both the East Troy boys and girls track teams is quickly changing.
Now it’s just about time to really lock in.
East Troy took huge steps toward doing just that last week with a pair of standout efforts, first at the Rock Valley Conference North Division Meet last Tuesday, followed by the annual Beloit Daily News Invitational on Friday.
The Trojans won the boys’ team title on Friday, while the girls were second – which came on the heels of a clean sweep at the North Division Meet three days earlier.
All the training that’s been done is about to pay off as the meets take on even bigger importance, East Troy coach Reid Oldenburg said.
“I am very happy with the progress our kids are showing,” he said. “Friday night at the (Beloit Daily News Invitational) was a great way for us to see how strong our team is.
“(On) Thursday, we had one of our more difficult practices, yet our kids ran really strong Friday night. I think we are continuing to get better and (I) am excited to see what happens when we start the tapering process.”
The East Troy boys won five individual titles and swept the relays in Beloit.
Picking up individual victories were Evan Harding in the 800 (2:01.31); Nate Fox in the 1,600 (4:50.99); Billy Dominski in the 110-hurdles (15.48); Eli Leising in the 300-hurdles (42.66); and Allen Olsen in the long jump (18-11).
Victorious relay efforts were turned in by the 400-team of Miles McCarthy, Leising, Olson and Dominski (45.75); the 800-team of McCarthy, Leising, Olson and Dominski (1:31.98); the 1,600-team of Harding, Ethan Sweet, Dawson Kruse and Nathan Mack (3:32.01); and the distance medley team of Fox, Mack, Sweet and Harding (11:22.84).
The Trojans’ relay efforts were strong from top to bottom, Oldenburg said.
“We wanted to put together a fast (800) and (400),” he said. “The handoffs need to continue to get better, but it was fun to see the boys drop some pretty fast times.
“Our distance medley and (1,600-relay) also ran well and highlighted some boys that aren’t typically in the relays.”
Placing second were McCarthy in the 200 (23.32); Sweet in the 400 (53.13); Calvin Collins in the 3,200 (11:15.18); and Olson in the triple jump (40-8 ½).
The boys finished the 10-team meet with 172.5 points, ahead of Clinton’s 113.5, Beloit Turner’s 103, Brodhead-Juda’s 96.5 and Parkview’s 64.
On the girls’ side, the Trojans won four individual titles and three relays.
Finishing first individually for East Troy were Callie Vogel in the 200 (28.0); Ella Rondeau in the 400 (1:03.76); Hope Schneider in the high jump (5-0); and Michaela Evans in the pole vault (9-0).
Picking up relay victories were the 800-team of Christina Nolting, Schneider, Rachel Bottum and Vogel (1:50.96); the 1,600-team of Nolting, Morgan Bartlett, Schneider and Bottum (4:14.63); and the distance medley team of Nolting, Vogel, Madison Rosin and Rondeau (13:32.9).
Rosin was second in the 3,200 (12:22.64).
The biggest highlight for the girls, Oldenburg said, came from the effort of Sami Mudlaff in the 100-hurdles – and it had nothing to do with her overall finish.
Mudlaff hit a hurdle and took what Oldenburg described as “one of the hardest falls” he had seen as a coach or an athlete, but still was able to qualify for the finals.
Because of the possibility she may have a broken hand, Mudlaff did not compete in the finals, but she plans to be available for the RVC Meet, Oldenburg said.
“This was such a gutsy effort that I loved to see come from one of our kids,” he said.
Brodhead-Juda won the girls’ title with 146.33 points, followed by East Troy with 132.5, Clinton with 89, Parkview with 77 and Turner with 68.83.
Both squads competed at the Elkhorn and Clinton invitationals Tuesday and Thursday, followed by the RVC Meet on Saturday at Evansville.
North Division sweep
The boys won seven events, while the girls won four en route to a pair of team titles May 2 at the RVC North Division Meet at Jefferson.
Finishing first for the boys were Dominski in the 200 (23.48), the 110-hurdles (15.42) and the 300-hurdles (41.02); Harding in the 800 (2:01.44); the 800-relay team of McCartthy, Pallanich, Mack and Kruse (1:35.45); the 1,600-team of Leising, Mack, Sweet and Harding (3:34.42); and the 3,200-team of Sweet, Nolan Dallas, Kelcye DeMara and Fox (8:33.79).
The boys finished with 158 points, ahead of McFarland’s 113, Jefferson’s 105, Edgerton’s 76.33, Whitewater’s 48.66 and Evansville’s 48.
Winning titles for the girls were Bottum in the 400 (1:01.85) and the 800 (2:32.54); the 1,600-team of Vogel, Evans, Mackenzie Lindow and Schneider (4:24.65); and Vogel in the triple jump (33-2 ½).
East Troy tallied 156 points, ahead of Jefferson’s 141, Edgerton’s 76.5, McFarland’s 67 and Evansville’s 43.5.
“I was very happy with both (teams) and how they competed,” Oldenburg said. “We had a few races that we really wanted to focus on and planned our lineup around that.
“Both of the boys and girls showed how tough they are. The girls were disappointed to lose to Brodhead, but they are excited to see them again Saturday at our conference meet.”
