Boys tie with Palmyra-Eagle for fourth
By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
The key to success at a multi-team track and field invitational usually comes to down to which team has better depth.
Enter the East Troy High School girls.
The Trojans earned four first-place finishes, but it was a slew of other top-five efforts that helped them to the overall team title at last week’s nine-team Don Albright Invitational at Parkview.
East Troy finished with 131 points, ahead of Palmyra-Eagle’s 121, the Home School Eagles’ 111, Kenosha St. Joseph’s 96 and Johnson Creek’s 63.
On the boys’ side, East Troy and Palmyra-Eagle tied for fourth with 76 points. Parkview was first with 144, the Home School Eagles with 107 and St. Joseph’s with 91.
“I was very pleased with this weekend on both sides,” East Troy coach Reid Oldenburg said. “The depth of our girls team really showed. We had a lot of young athletes step up and have some nice performances.”
The East Troy girls had two individual champions and to first-place relay finishes.
Winning individually were Izzy Martino in the high jump (4-8) and Allison Slusar in the pole vault (7-6). The 400-relay team of Mackenzie Lindow, Morgan Bartlett, Maddie Desing and Alexis Olson was first in 58.29, as was the 3,200-team of Lindow, Addy Lomen, Desing on Olson (10:55.83).
“I was especially pleased with our girls 400-meter relay finish,” Oldenburg said. “If you look at the names of the girls that ran, you usually see the 800, mile or two mile after it. I purposefully put these girls in a sprint relay to work on their turnover and speed. To say that I was surprised and excited to have them not only compete well, but win, would be an understatement.
“The other winners, I was really proud of as well. Their efforts were great all-around.”
East Troy also had four runner-up finishes, as Emma Scuric in the 300-hurdles (54.28), Haley Shepherd in the discus (95-11), Nikki Miller in the high jump (4-4) and the 800-relay team of Kristen Crum, Bartlett, Slusar and Julie Chase (2:00.05) all were second.
Other top-five efforts came from the 1,600-team of Scuric, Miller, Abby Manthy and Grace Lehnert, third (4:38.34); Manthy, third in the high jump (4-2); Chase, fourth in the 200 (30.08) and fifth in the long jump (13-7 ½); Lomen, fourth in the 800 (2:46.75) and fifth in the 400 (1:06.65); Desing, fourth in the 1,600 (5:49.13); Miller, fourth in the 300-hurdles (56.04); Lehnert, fourth in the discus (82-03); and Crum, fifth in the 200 (30.68).
Smith leads boys
Jake Smith picked up the lone boys’ title, as he was first in the 3,200 (11:04.28). Smith also placed fourth in the 400 (47.45).
“Jake ran great (in the 3,200),” Oldenburg said. “I know he really wanted to break the 11-minute mark, and he was really close, but I fully expect him to do that in the near future.”
Finishing second for the Trojans were Hunter Cliffgard in the 200 (24.6) and the long jump (18-9 ½); Jake Price in the high jump (5-10); Tommy Larson in the pole vault (10-6); and the 3,200-team of Aiden Coen, Andy Kerr, Jack Lehocky and Smith (9:42.21).
The 1,600-team of Coen, Cliffgard, Lehocky and Larson was fifth (4:02.83).
“I was really happy with the boys,” Oldenburg said. “Again, we had many kids compete at a high level and got a taste of some varsity action. It was nice to see them outside running against good talent.”
East Troy hosted its own invitational Wednesday and will travel to the Middleton Invitational on Friday at 4 p.m.
The goals this week remain the same as always, Oldenburg said.
“These are two meets where we see some really good competition,” he said. “I am hoping to see some great matchups with other teams, and I plan on putting kids into events where they will see success.
“I want our kids to compete at a high level, but as always, have the end of the season in mind.”
