Raiders hoping for state trips

Teams won their region last season

Marathon’s varsity girls track and field squad captured both the Marawood Conference and WIAA Division 3 regional championships last season. The Red Raider boys, meanwhile, also won a Division 3 regional crown. The Red Raider boys and girls are thus looking to achieve even more success this season.

Curt Miller, now in his fourth season as the Marathon girls coach, has several returning top senior athletes back this season. They are: Jenna Aschbrenner, long and high jumper, pole vaulter and sprinter; Alyssa Hall, shot put and discus thrower; Laci Hoeksema, high jumper and middle-distance runner; sprinter Alex Kraimer; Vanessa Krueger, sprinter and pole vaulter; Regan Lobner, sprinter and distance runners McKinnley Marks and Julianna Thurs.

“We have a really nice core group of seniors who have and will continue to provide excellent leadership to all of our new athletes to the program,” Miller said. “We will definitely be leaning on that group to help keep us focused and motivated throughout the season.”

Other top contributing Red Raider girls track and field athletes returning from last season are: juniors Grace Kahon, sprinter, Chloe LaValley, hurdler and jumper, Jersey Lobner, pole vaulter and sprinter and Ashley Seliger, high jumper and sophomores Alisha Blenker, hurdler, Ashley Gertschen, shot put and discus thrower and Ava Krueger, sprinter.

Coach Miller is excited to have good shot and discus throwers Gertschen and Hall back in 2022. They are hoping to compete in the WIAA Division 3 state tournament this spring like Hope Krautkramer, who graduated in spring, accomplished last season.

“Our throws program has been first class for many decades with lots of athletes going to state,” he said.

Miller and EJ Otto, who is Marathon’s boys track and field coach, share the same high school varsity assistant coaches this season including Eddie Ikert, Emily Wise, Preston Wirkus, Brad Bernarde, Jeff Schneider and Ted Knoeck. Marathon boys and girls middle school track and field coaches are Tera Fieri, Lena Mohr, Rhianna Sweo, Mark Meyering and Stephanie Miller.

Coach Otto has several top returning Red Raider boys track and field athletes this season. They are: seniors Tanner Hanke, sprinter, Owen Marks, distance runner and Brett Gertschen, shot put and discus thrower; juniors Mathew Annis, sprinter and jumper, Ian Blake, distance runner, Drake Carlson, wheelchair, David Duberstein, sprinter and Jaron Gage, distance runner and Parker Mathwich and Griffin Treankler, sprinters and jumpers; sophomores Joe Garcia, sprinter and jumper, Brandon Gitzlaff, distance runner, Jacob Smith, distance runner and jumper and Braydon Sturm, shot put and discus thrower.

The following are top newcomers to the Marathon varsity boys team in 2022: juniors Brandon Jorgenson and Michael Thomson, shot put and discus throwers; sophomores Andrew Glennon, distance runner and Aiden Lang, sprinter and freshmen Ian Hunter, shot put and discus thrower, Levi Krautkramer, Wilson Marks, River Staneki and Logan Witberler, sprinters and jumpers.