Five straight regional titles

Raider girls win D-3 regional at Tigers Stadium

By Casey Krautkramer

Marathon’s varsity girls track and field team technically captured its fifth consecutive WIAA Division 3 regional championship on Monday in Stratford. The Red Raider girls won regional titles in 2018 and 2019 before the 2020 track season was cancelled. Marathon has since won regional championships in 2021, 2022 and now, 2023.

Red Raiders senior Jersey Lobner feels fortunate to play a part in her team’s regional title success.

“It just feels really good and it’s bittersweet because I am nearing the end of my last year,” she said. “I love my team so much and I wish I could stay.” The Marathe Marathon girls accumulated a team high 123 points at the Stratford regional. Loyal took second place with 100 points followed by Phillips in third with 96 points. Edgar placed fourth with 88 points, Stratford was fifth with 81, Abbotsford sixth with 61 and Athens was seventh with 59-1/2 among 12 teams competing in the regional.

Current Marathon girls track head coach Curt Miller said former girls head track coach Erin Bornbach guided the 2018 squad to a regional cham-pionship to start the winning streak. Miller took over as head coach in 2019 and he’s personally led the team to four straight regional titles.

“This is a meet where you don’t try to set it up to win but yet you win with depth and we have a lot of girls who contribute,” Miller said. “I”m really happy for them.”

The top four girls who placed in each regional event advance to the sectional meet this Thursday, May 25, in Marathon.

Marathon senior Chloe LaValley won the long jump with 15 feet, 8-1/4 inches. Edgar senior Morgan Schnelle took second place with 15 feet, 3-1/2 inches and Edgar senior Rachel Schneider was third with 15 feet, 2-1/2 inches.

Red Raiders senior Grace Kahon won the 100-meter dash in 13 seconds and Red Raiders freshman Madelyn Volkman was fourth in 14.20 seconds. Marathon sophomore Shilo Blake took second place in the 800-meter

run in two minutes, 34.94 seconds. Stratford sophomore Breleigh Skaya placed third in 2:37.74 and Edgar senior Gretchen Brewster was fourth in 2:38.88.

Edgar senior Amber Skrzpcak won the 100-meter hurdles in 16.81 seconds and Marathon junior Alisha Blenker took second place in 17.83 seconds. La-Valley of Marathon placed fourth in 17.57 seconds. Schnelle of Edgar won the 200-meter dash in 26.85 seconds.

Stratford freshman Dawnyel Martin won the 300-meter hurdles in 51.86 seconds and Marathon sophomore Jayden Henrichs took second place in 53.91 seconds. Edgar freshman Skye Pospyhalla placed fourth in 54.99 seconds. Stratford sophomore Kayla Casperson won the two-mile run in 12:40.97 and Athens sophomore Brianna Sheahan placed fourth in 13:10.44.

Edgar junior Kyra Anderson won the discus with 112 feet, five inches and Marathon junior Ashley Gertschen took second place with 105 feet, 10 inches. Athens freshman Sy’ Rih Hartwig won the shot put with 35 feet, 10 inches and Stratford senior Chloe Schafer was fourth with 31 feet, two inches. Sheahan of Athens won the one-mile run in 5:53.15 and Stratford sophomore Samantha Mielke placed third in 6:03.69. Athens freshman Ava Ford took second place in the pole vault with eight feet, six inches.

Athens junior Katlyn Schreiner won the triple jump with 34 feet, 10-1/2 inches and Edgar senior Rachel Schneider took second place with 32 feet, 3/4 inch. Marathon freshman Leah Dodson placed third with 31 feet, 11-1/4 inches. Stratford sophomore Kassedy Downey placed fourth in the 400-meter dash in 1:05.79.

Edgar’s 4x100-meter relay team of juniors Malana Koehler and Brooke Imhoff with Schnelle and Skrypcak took second place in 51.48 seconds. Marathon’s 4x100-meter relay of seniors Jersey Lobner, Grace Kahon and Chloe LaValley with junior Alisha Blenker took third place in 51.69 seconds.

The Wildcats’ 4x200-meter relay squad of Imhoff, Koehler, Schnelle and Skrzpcak took second place in 1:49.29. The Red Raiders’ 4x200-meter relay of freshman Lindsay Putnam and junior Ava Krueger with Lobner and Kahon placed fourth in 1:54.03.

Marathon’s 4x400-meter relay team of junior Lena Putnam and sophomore Addie Molepske with Lobner and Krueger took second place in 4:20.83. Stratford’s 4x400meter relay of junior Sadie Weigel, sophomore Kasseday Downey and freshmen Dawnyel Martin and Kaylie McHugh placed third in 4:21.38. Edgar’s 4x400-meter relay of senior Gretchen Brewster, juniors Natalie Thompson and Amelia Gajewski and sophomore Addisyn Trawicki placed fourth in 4:38.20.

Stratford’s 4x800-meter relay team of senior Ella Heidmann, sophomores Breleigh Skaya and Kayla Casperson and freshman Kaylie McHugh took second place in 10:23.98. Marathon’s 4x800-meter relay of sophomores Addie Molepske, Shilo Blake and Calyse Fieri with freshman Mya Yach placed third in 10:45.71.

MARATHON GIRLS TRACK CELEBRATE REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN STRATFORD- It was dark outside at the end of Monday night’s WIAA Division 3 regional track and field meet in Stratford, but the Marathon girls were shining bright after capturing their school’s fifth consecutive regional title, not including the 2020 season that was cancelled because of the coronavirus. Marathon senior Jersey Lobner is lying down on the Tigers Stadium track holding the team’s regional title plaque. Girls team members pictured kneeling, from left to right, are Ava Krueger, Addison Baeseman, Alyssa Sessions, Shilo Blake, Caly Fieri and Kennedy Blake. Girls team members standing, from left to right, are Lindsay Putnam, Alisha Blenker, Izzy Vardon, Addisen Molepske, Mya Yach, Halle Laabs, Lena Putnam and Leah Dodson.STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER