Hornets leave rivals in the dust

The Colby Hornets track and field teams both took over the competition at Gilman on Tuesday, and nearly repeated the feat in Pittsville two days later.

The ladies won Gilman 199 to Prairie Farm’s 143.5, and then dominated a field filled with Cloverbelt rivals in Pittsville on Thursday, topping Loyal 150.5 to 130.

The boys dominated at Gilman, winning with 199 points to second place Newman Catholic’s 143.5. They met their match on Thursday, taking second to Neillsville, 160 points to 131 points.

The Colby boys track program continues to gain in confidence through the season. On May 18, the Hornets saw multiple athletes finish in the top five of their respective events in Gilman.

Sophomore Caden Healy put his stamp on a meet once again. Healy won the 100-meter dash in 11.79 seconds. Mason Voss placed fourth in 12.34. Healey won the 200-meter dash in 24.20, and Voss earned third in 25.00 seconds.

Three Hornets finished inside the top five of the 400-meter dash. Chase Oehmichen took first in 54.64 seconds. Caden Kleparski and Carter Roth were third and fourth in 1:03.73 and 1:05.74.

Oehmichen picked up another victory in the 800-meter dash in 2:12.53. Roth recorded a new PR in the 800-meter, finishing fifth in 2:33.90. Talon Severson and Josiah Bridger added points in the 1,600-meters. Severson was fourth in 5:47.21. Bridger was fifth in 6:29.23.

Jay Irzarry and Ivan Haemer took third and fifth in the 110-meter hurdles in 20.95 and 22.46 seconds.

Bridger was fourth in the 300-meter hurdles in 53.50 seconds, a new PR. The 4x100-meter team of Seth Hopperdietzel, Erik Martinez, Haemer and Healy placed fourth in 1:07.20.

Colby took top two in the 4x800. In first in 9:46.91 was Oehmichen, Richard Streveler, Brandon Voelker and Severson. The team of Max Adams, Bridger, Roth and Parker Johnson was second in 10:44.13.

Corey Steen swept the shot put, placing first with a throw of 38-07. Derek Jeske finished fourth with his throw of 35-10. Steen added second in the discus with a heave of 107-03. Voss placed third with his toss of 106-06, a PR.

Oehmichen made it a hat-trick of victories when he took the pole vault with his height of 10-06. Hopperdietzel was fifth in the same event in 7-06.

Healy nabbed his third events when the athletic sophomore captured the long-jump with a leap of 19-08. Voelker used a PR in the triple jump to finish fourth with his leap of 34-04.75.

Jazmyn Heeg placed third in the 100-meter dash in 14.26. Heeg added another third in the 200-meters in 29.95. Kaylee Podevels was fourth in the 200-meter dash in 30.69. Lydia Decker was right behind, taking fifth in 31.26 seconds.

Trinity Severson, Hayden Willner and Daisy Feiten finished second, third and fifth in the 400-meters in times of 1:04.14, 1:05.03 and 1:08.39. Feiten and Severson set new personal bests with their times.

Severson and Willow Oehmichen went second and third in the 800-meter dash, completing the race in 2:37.98 and 2:38.72. Both ran new personal bests.

Three Hornets placed inside the top five of the 100-meter hurdles. Severson was second in 17.42, Willner was third in 17.63 and Courtney Johnson was fourth in 20.64 seconds. Lydia Decker was fourth in the 300-meter hurdles in 1:03.04.

Emma Kroll, Podevels, Heeg and Willner took first in the 4x100 in 57.12. The 4x200 team of Elizabeth Winters, Johnson, Anna Kroll and Olivia Krause was second in 2:06.76. Feiten, Oehmichen, Mercedes Sarkkinen and Reagan Schraufnagel finished second in the 4x800-meter relay in 11:10.67.

Katrina Gosse and Malayna Rieck both won points in the throwing events. Gosse was second in the shot put and third in the discus with throws of 30-06 and 76-08. Rieck captured the discus with a heave of 107-05, a new PR, and took third in the shot with a throw of 30 feet.

Podevels’ strong day carried over into the jumps. A state qualifier in the high jump in 2019, Podevels took second in that event with a height of 4-08. Decker was third in 4-06.

Ohemichen and Sarkkinen placed second and fifth in the pole vault with heights of 7-06 and six feet. Severson won the long jump with a leap of 15-00.5. Willner was second with her leap of 14-11.5.

Pittsville Invite

The Hornets faced their sternest test of the season on Thursday, squaring off against a deep and talented field that included Neillsville and Auburndale.

Both teams got a taste of what the upcoming Cloverbelt Championships might have in store for them next month.

Hayden Willner was fourth in the 200-meters in 28.44 seconds. Mercedes Sarkkinen was second in the 800-meter dash in a time of 2:43.06, a new PR.

Willow Oehmichen and Payton Roth placed first and fourth in the one mile in 6:01.85 and 6:47.04. Colby swept the top two spots in the two mile. Oehmichen was first in 13:30.74. Regan Schraufnagel was second in 13.56.57. Both were PRs.

Trinity Severson and Willner dominated the hurdles. Severson was second in the 100-meter hurdles in 17.02, and Willner was third in 17.56. Severson captured the 300-meter hurdles in 48.01 seconds.

Emma Kroll, Elizabeth Winters, Anna Kroll and Olivia Krause placed fifth in the 4x100 in 59.21 seconds. Kroll, Krause, Kaylee Podevels and Jazmyn Heeg were third in the 4x200 in 2:01.04. Feiten, Oehmichen, Schraufnagel and Sarkkinen were second in the 4x800 in 11:21.59.

Malayna Rieck swept the throwing events, taking first in the shot with a throw of 32-01, and the discus with a toss of 104-02. Katrina Gosse was second in the shot put with her throw of 32-00.75.

Podevels and Decker were second and fourth in the high jump in identical heights of 4-06. Oehmichen was fifth in the pole vault in eight feet. Willner was third in the long jump in 14-08.50.

Boys

After Thursday, Colby knows it’s likely a two way race for first in the Cloverbelt between them and Neillsville.

Colby was down one of its more explosive athletes in Brent Jeske, but the Hornets very nearly pulled off the victory.

Healy continues to shine in the sprints, taking third place in the 100-meter dash in 11.51 seconds. Healy then took second in the 200-meter dash in 24.23. Mason Voss went fifth in the 200-meter in a time of 24.89 seconds.

Chase Oehmichen dueled it out with Taytor Lowry of Neillsville all day, and took second behind Lowry in the 800-meters and one mile in 2:05.50 and 4:47.03.

Jay Irzarry overcome a broken hurdle to finish fourth in the 110-meter hurdles in 19.87, a new personal best. Voss, Healy, Richard Streveler and Caden Kleparski took third in the 4x100 in 49.04 seconds.

Joseph Streveler, Ivan Haemer, Seth Hopperdietzel and Kleparski were third in the 4x200 in 1:48.21. Oehimchen, Talon Severson, Richard Streveler and Brandon Voelker won the 4x800 in 9:35.07.

Cory Steen took the shot put with a personal best throw of 39-09.75. Derek Jeske was fifth in 34-11. Steen finished second in the discus with a throw of 10602. Jeske was fifth in 92-05.

Brody Decker was fifth in the high jump with a new best leap of 5-02. Decker took fourth in the pole vault in 10 feet, and Oehmichen was third in 10-06. Healy won his third straight long jump competition, posting a new PR with a distance of 20-08.

TEST YOUR MIGHT - Cory Steen puts all his power behind his throw in the shot put in Pittsville on May 20.STAFF PHOTO/ROSS PATTERMANN