Colby boys, girls track sets eyes on titles

The 2022 edition of the Colby Hornets boys and girls track and field team could be even better than last year. That’s saying something, considering both the boys and girls teams won a WIAA D-6 regional title in 2021, and the girls also took home the Eastern Cloverbelt crown.

But a quick glance at both teams shows a ton of talent returning, as well as some new faces that should make both teams even stronger. For the Colby girls, their track season is off to a white hot start, with the ladies winning a pair of indoor meets at Marshfield and UW - Stout.

That has the whole team buzzing, and dreaming about more, with a ton of conference champions and state qualifiers returning to Colby in 2022.

“I think we’re all doing really, really well this year,” junior Willow Oehmichen says. “A lot of our 4x400 and 4x800 team is coming back, and we’re hitting the same PRs from where we were ending last season. So that makes me really excited for how the rest of the season will go so we can be more competitive when we get to state.”

That 4x800 relay team of Oehmichen, Daisy Feiten, Mercedes Sarkkinen and Trinity Severson is all back, and eager to do better than their ninth place result at last year’s state meet. What has been truly encouraging is the amount of new personal records that have already been set so early in the season.

“Last year it took us so long to get to where we are starting off now, and I think that gives us a bit of an advantage towards the end of the season to reach new heights,” Feiten said. “There’s a lot of girls breaking PRs, a lot of freshmen coming in that are doing really well already. I think we are off to a really great start.”

New heights is appropriate wording considering Oehmichen has already set a new school record in the pole vault, ascending to nine feet, six inches in the indoor season. That bodes well for the athletic junior, who also placed tenth in that event at the state meet last June.

“Don’t get me wrong, it definitely felt awesome to break that record,” Oehmichen said. “But, I’m almost unsatisfied. My end goal is . . . to reach higher heights. I’m excited to see what I can do, especially at state. This season I am kind of obsessed with it, and it feels really special, but I don’t want to break it by just three inches. I want to crush that record.”

The Colby girls have an excellent chance to not only repeat all of last year’s feats, but to make podium at several events at the state tournament in May. Severson and Oehmichen competed as individuals and at relays, and Feiten, after taking top honors in the Cloverbelt Conference Championships for crosscountry, has a great shot to qualify in the one mile and two mile.

“I think I just learned the layout and what state was like so we’re not coming in so scared and inexperienced like last year,” Severson says. “We’re going to know what is going on.”

Also returning this year are state qual- ifiers Kaylee Podevels in the high jump, and Malayna Rieck in the shot put. Lydia Decker, Jazmyn Heeg and Hayden Willner will bolster the sprints and hurdle events. The girls will also likely compete for points in the conference meet in the relays and distance events.

But this season is more than just the medals and the plaques and the trophies. Above all, the Hornets want to instill a love of track and field in their younger competitors, and keep growing the sport in Colby.

“I think a lot of things I’d like the freshman to learn is we’re all here to have fun,” Severson said. “If you don’t get along, it’s not going to be worth it. We want to see a lot of team bonding.”

On the boys side, while their numbers are down, and they will be missing the likes of state qualifying distance runner Chase Oehmichen to graduation, the Hornets do bring back talented distance runners Max Adams and Richard Streveler, who were both all-conference in cross-country in the fall. Also spending time at distance and relays this year will be Brandon Voelker. All three have a strong chance to finish near the top of the Eastern Cloverbelt.

“For me, my personal goal is to get all-conference this year,” Streveler says. “And as a team, we want to win conference and regionals again.”

The Hornets throwing team has lost a bit of production, with seniors Brent Jeske and Mason Voss opting to skip their final season, and senior Cory Steen recovering from surgery. It will be up to Derek Jeske to carry the team in the discus and shot.

“I think for me personally, I’d like to make it down to the state meet this year,” Jeske says. “I think that’s a realistic goal. I’ve definitely been improving a lot this year, put a lot of time in the weight room.”

If there’s one Hornet who knows a thing or two about state, it’s junior Caden Healy. Healy took ninth in the long jump in last year’s state meet, but is already eclipsing his PRs from last season. He’s taken special aim at the school record for the 100-meter dash, a record that has stood for 51 years.

“A good goal is to make it to state, and to set the school record in every event I do,” Healy says. “That would be marked as a good season in my book, and then do it again next year.”

Healy is the defending conference champion in the 100-meter, 200-metere and long jump. He’s also been throwing the shot put, taking first place at the Marshfi eld Tigers Indoor meet earlier this year. But he’s not the only sprinter coming back, with Erik Martinez and Caden Kleparski likely to join him in the relays and sprints.

Jay Irizarry gives the Hornets depth at hurdles, and Carter Roth, Braylon Schoelzel and Joe Streveler bring in needed versatility to a much younger Colby squad.

“I think a realistic goal this year is going for regionals,” Jeske said. “We got a much younger team this year, so some guys are going to have to step up right away.”

Much like the girls team, the boys are hoping to grow the sport and teach athletes it’s more than just medals and plaques. It’s about getting the most out of yourself.

“I’m just trying teach them it pays off to come in and be willing to work hard,” Streveler replied. “I just want them to do their best every day in practice, and let them know that when you work hard you’ll see the results.”

COLBY GIRLS TRACK TEAM -The 2022 Colby Hornets girls track and field team is, front row, left to right, Elizabeth Winters, Trinity Severson, Willow Oehmichen, Kaylee Podevels, Daisy Feiten and Mercedes Sarkkinen. In the second row, left to right, is Hayden Willner, Sophia Fontoria, MaKenna Hermann, Casey Reynolds and Viola Dommer. In the third row, left to right, is Anna Kroll, Lydia Decker, Tori Underwood, Aldina Becker, Jazmyn Heeg and Payton Roth. In the fourth row, left to right, is Olivia Krause, Malayna Rieck, Brittney Meyer, Reagan Schraufnagel and Veronica Mateer. In the back row, left to right is, Alexis Vanderhoof, Jenelle Ertl, Thalia Campa, Dakota Hoeper, Allie Robida and Pearl Feiten.STAFF PHOTOS/ROSS PATTERMANN