By Dan Truttschel
Sports correspondent
The final phase of a long season has arrived for six members of the Big Foot boys and girls track and field teams.
And now it’s their time to truly shine.
The Big Foot girls are sending five athletes in three events to this weekend’s WIAA Division 2 State Meet at UW-La Crosse, while the boys will be represented by Jackson Enz, who qualified in both hurdle events.
Joining Enz on the trip to La Crosse from the girls’ squad are the 1,600- and 3,200-meter relay teams of Gloria Esarco, Alexandria Demco, Grace Gillingham and Brooke Wellhausen and Wellhausen and Esarco in the 800.
With the state berths now cemented, it’s time to bring it home, Big Foot coach Greg Lueck said.
“Our goals are very high (for both groups),” he said. “We are looking to be at the top of the podium. … The journey has been fun.”
The 3,200-relay, which won last year’s state title, finished first at the sectional in 9:37.56. Big Foot enters the state meet as the top seed, ahead of Madison Edgewood’s 9:37.77.
“(They) are right on schedule,” Lueck said. “It has been a little different this year with East Troy pushing us in the regional and sectional. We have been forced to run faster in those events this year than we did last year. We came in as a dark horse last year.”
Lueck said he expects plenty of competition at state, but at the same time, knows his group has what it takes to bring home their second straight state title.
“We have a target goal that we think it will take us to win again,” he said. “We are on schedule to hit that goal. The goal is a little faster than we ran last year, so we think we can do it again.
“They are very competitive. When the competition ramps up, they have always met the challenge.”
The same foursome finished second in the 1,600-relay in 4:02.29 and enters state seeded third overall.
Defending state champion Wittenberg-Birnamwood, which returns all four girls to the relay this year, is the top seed in 4:02.25.
“They performed very well,” Lueck said. “They ran the fastest time for the group ever, not counting state last year. We have a target time that we think we can get to win state. We are focused on hitting that time.”
Big Foot was second in the 1,600-relay a year ago – and all four girls are focused on moving up one spot this time around, Lueck said.
“(That) has been the fuel to keep these kids going,” he said. “We have thought a lot about this race.”
Wellhausen won the 800 (2:20.52) at the sectional, while Esarco was fourth (2:28.8). Wellhausen is seeded seventh, while Esarco is seeded 17th.
Viroqua’s Jillian Weston enters as the top seed with a sectional time of 2:16.74.
“It’s a new event for Brooke after qualifying in the 400 the past three years,” Lueck said. “I think she is positioned to make the medal stand. We really don’t know yet what her potential is because she has not run this event very much. The sky is the limit.
“Gloria has qualified for this race the past two years. She has had a terrific run, and I hope she can get to the medal stand. She has had an outstanding career.”
On the boys’ side, Enz won the 300-hurdles (38.96) and was second in the 110-hurdles (14.86) to punch his state tickets with a pair of school-record efforts.
“Jackson had a terrific night,” Lueck said. “He looks to be in good form heading into the state meet.
“It has been a challenging spring for Jackson. It has been a whirlwind with the scholarship offers that have come in for football. It has been an exciting time, but I think this past week, he has been able to concentrate more on track and the state meet. It shows in his performance.”
Enz is seeded third in both hurdle events. The top seed in the 110-hurdles is Luxemburg’s Sam Larson in 14.79, while the top seed in the 300-hurdles is Lodi’s Robby Hatch in 38.59.
Other sectional results
Also competing at the sectional for the girls were Demco, fifth in the 400 (59.67); Wellhausen, fifth in the triple jump (34-1); Payton Courier, seventh in the shot put (32-5 ½); Makenzie Lueck, seventh in the discus (98-8); the 800-meter relay team of Claire Beyers, Annie Rowe, Reagan Courier and Eliza Lopez, 10th (1:53.78); Olivia Briggs, 11th in the 100-hurdles (17.71); and Gillingham, 16th in the triple jump (30-5).
On the boys’ side, David Marin was fifth in the 110-hurdles (15.42), seventh in the 300-hurdles (41.48) and seventh in the triple jump (40-6 ¼). Other finishers were Mike Petkoff, 10th in the high jump (5-10); Manuel Bernal, 11th in the 1,600 (4:49.24); and the 800-relay team of Hunter Sharpe, Petkoff, Connor Kirk and Trevor Rambatt, 12th (1:36.26).
The girls were third in the overall team standings with 45 points, behind East Troy’s 86 and Milwaukee Lutheran’s 55. The boys finished ninth with 26 points. Catholic Memorial won the team title with 90 points, while East Troy was second with 77.5 and Kewaskum third with 59.
