Abby athletes compete in La Crosse
Six athletes from the Abbotsford track and field team made their way down to Veterans Memorial Stadium in La Crosse to participate in the WIAA D-3 state championships. Taking place over two days, the meet’s preliminary events took place on Friday, June 3, with the finalists moving on to compete on Saturday.
Representing the Falcons boys team were senior Ty Falteisek in the 400-meter dash, junior Marcus Bohl in the discus and the 4x100-meter relay of sophomores Sommer Brodhagen, Briseida Escalara and Sydney Falteisek and freshman Chloe Cihlar.
Looking to improve on his state finish in the same event in 2021, Ty Falteisek entered the championship with a sectional time that looked to put him right in the thick of things in the 400-meter dash. The senior had been dealing with lingering injuries throughout the season but managed to battle through to find himself back at the state meet. While he placed fourth in Mondovi, his time of 51.93 seconds seemed to put him within striking distance of a podium finish.
Falteisek couldn’t quite repeat his sectional performance, however. His time of 53.02 seconds in the preliminary race left him outside the top ten spots that would qualify for the finals. He finished 16th overall in the event.
Like his teammate, Bohl also had experience at the state meet heading into the event on Friday. It had initially appeared that Bohl might not have a chance to return to La Crosse after he finished just outside the top four needed to qualify for the championships at the sectional meet in Mondovi. However, his fifth place throw in Mondovi was good for eighth amongst all four sectionals, allowing him to qualify under the division’s extra qualifying standards. Once it was clear that he would be moving on, the preparation for the state meet began.
With school being out and most of the team not competing at the state meet, practicing over the final week of the season can be a bit difficult for some. Luckily for Bohl, he would have some help.
“Marcus and our awesome throws coach, Lance Bloch, worked on their own schedule but tried to fine tune some things that they get to come out in practices, and transfer them to the meet,” head coach Jake Knapmiller stated.
Prepped and ready, Bohl took on seventeen other athletes from across the state in the discus. His furthest throw measured 142 feet, eight inches, which netted him ninth place, two spots higher than he had finished at last year’s championships.
Unlike their counterparts on the boys team, the girls’ relay team of Brodhagen, Escalara, Cihlar and Sydney Falteisek did not have any prior experience to draw on when it came to competing on the state’s biggest stage.
“Ty and Marcus are outwardly pretty cool and calm even if they are nervous,” Knapmiller said. “The girls were a [little] different because they all have different awesome skills and personalities. None of them had competed at state and I think only one of them had been there to watch. We had to battle some nervousness and overthinking throughout the season but the biggest thing with these girls is they competed as a team. They held themselves accountable but also picked each other up and enjoyed the experience at the same time.”
The emphasis on teamwork was one of the reasons that this particular relay had seen such success over the season. This was especially evident over the final five meets of the season, a time span during which they dropped almost two seconds off their time. This constant improvement would lead them to their final destination, the state championships.
The idea that this relay was truly a team effort was only magnified when one looked at the Falcons’ opponents in La Crosse.
“Uniquely none of our girls were in the state caliber times to run in the individual sprints, racing against other teams who sometimes had two girls running those times,” Knapmiller stated. “Our focus on technique and details was right on and allowed us to be competitive with other great teams in the state.”
The relay would continue to show off that ability to compete with the best in the state by beating out several teams seeded ahead of them prior to the meet. Their final time of 51.94 seconds was six-tenths of a second better than their sectional showing and earned them an 11th place finish.
While the members of the Falcons’ 4x100-meter relay will have ample time to continue to improve on their performances in the years to come, the completion of the state tournament signaled the close to several high school track careers.
“We are going to miss our three seniors and I thank them for sticking it out,” Knapmiller said when asked about those who have graduated. “They went through some tough springs with the track program and it takes a lot of toughness to stick it out. We had a lot of kids that walked away, but Dana [Bloch], Ty and Bridgett [Pogodzinski], thank you!”
Looking ahead to the 2023 season, the Falcons will likely lean on a young core that had already begun to establish themselves this season.
“The future is always full of uncertainty but the hope is to improve with our big numbers all being in the sophomore and freshman classes,” Knapmiller stated. “Our numbers should improve and I think our performances will too. We have a solid group of eighth grade boys and a few eighth grade girls that could boost our programs next spring.”
While the bar has been set high by those who competed at this year’s state meet, it is certainly a goal worth pursuing for next year’s squad.
LAST HANDOFF -Sommer Brodhagen passes the baton off to teammate Chloe Cihlar in their final 4x100-meter relay of the season.STAFF PHOTO/CHEYENNE THOMAS
