Edgar girls win the Stratford invite

Teams know what to expect at conference meet

By Casey Krautkramer

The majority of local varsity track and field teams, except for Marathon which competed in Waupaca, got a feel on Thursday of what it’s like to compete on the new track and location for the field events at Stratford’s updated sports complex.

Edgar girls track and field athletes helped the Wildcats win the 51st annual Stratford Invitation with 115-1/2 points, ahead of runners-up Loyal with 103. Stratford took third place with 99-1/2 points and Athens was fifth with 62-1/2 points out of 12 teams at the meet.

Wildcats head coach Greg Streit commented on the girls team capturing the Stratford Invitational championship.

“It was a great night to be a Wildcat,” he said. “Our kids performed great and we really are having fun and getting better each day!”

Teams will spend a lot more time in Stratford during the next few weeks because the Marawood Conference championship meet begins at 3:30 p.m. this Monday, May 15, in Stratford and the WIAA Division 3 regional starts at the same time exactly one week later on Monday, May 22, in Stratford. The WIAA Division 3 sectional meet is in Marathon at the same time on Thursday, May 25.

Edgar senior Amber Skrzypcak won the 100-meter hurdles in 16.20 seconds. Her Edgar teammates Kaitlyn Harnady finished third in 18.20 seconds and Skye Pospyhalla was fourth in 18.30 seconds. Skrzypcak placed third in the 300-meter hurdles in 51 seconds.

Wildcats senior Morgan Schnelle won the long jump with 16 feet, three inches. Schnelle placed second in both the 100-meter dash in 12.73 seconds and the 200-meter dash in 26.49 seconds. Edgar junior Brooke Imhoff took second place in the triple jump with 31 feet, 8-1/4 inches and her teammate Rachel Schneider was fourth with 30 feet, two inches.

Edgar has always been known for having great track relay teams and Thursday was no different in Stratford. The team’s 4x200-meter relay team of Brooke Imhoff, Malana Koehler, Amber Skrzypcak and Morgan Schnelle won the event in one minute, 49.20 seconds.

The Wildcats 4x400-meter relay squad of Olystra Baumann, Amelia Gajewski, Addisyn Trawicki and Gretchen Brewster won the event in four minutes, 37.95 seconds.

Stratford

Tigers sophomore Kayla Casperson won the two-mile run in 12 minutes, 35.53 seconds. Sophomore Breleigh Skaya took second place in the mile run in five minutes, 55.56 seconds and she was third in the 800-meter run in two minutes, 39.84 seconds. Stratford senior Ella Heidmann placed fourth in the one mile run in two minutes, 42.24 seconds.

Stratford’s 4x800-meter relay team of Kaylie McHugh, Casperson, Heidmann and Skaya took first place in 10 minutes, 59.85 seconds. Dawnyel Martin placed second in the 300-meter hurdles in 50 seconds and Billie Hoffman was third in the triple jump with 30 feet, 10-1/2 inches.

Athens

Bluejays freshman Sy’ Rih Hartwig won the shot put with 37 feet, four inches at Thursday’s Stratford Invitational. Katlyn Schreiner of Athens took first place in the triple jump with 33 feet, 1-3/4 inches.

Athens sophomore Breanna Sheahan placed third in the mile run in five minutes, 58.82 seconds and fourth in the two-mile run in 12 minutes, 59.84 seconds. Malaina Telschow and Ava Ford of Athens tied for second place in the pole vault with eight feet.

Marathon in Waupaca

Marathon’s girls track and field team took second place on Thursday at the Waupaca meet with 108 points, behind the Division 2 squad from New London, which won the championship with 118 points.

The Red Raiders’ 4x100-meter relay squad of Madelyn Volkman, Jersey Lobner, Lindsay Putnam and Grace Kahon won the event in 53.53 seconds. The 4x200-meter relay team of Alyssa Sessions, Halle Laabs, Anika Kolka and Leah Dodson took third place in one minute, 58.47 seconds.

Marathon senior Jersey Lobner won the pole vault with seven feet, six inches and freshman Madelyn Volkman was second with seven feet, six inches. Junior Alisha Blenker tied for fourth place with six feet, six inches.

Red Raiders freshman Lindsay Putnam placed fifth in the long jump with 14 feet, three inches and freshman Leah Dodson as fifth in the triple jump with 28 feet, 9-1/2 inches. Marathon sophomore Shilo Blake took third place in the two-mile run in 13 minutes, 10.59 seconds and senior Ava Buchberger was fifth in 14 minutes, 14.32 seconds. Freshman Mya Yach placed sixth in the mile run in six minutes, 24.54 seconds. Sophomore Jayden Henrichs placed fifth in the 300-meter hurdles in 54.90 seconds.

Marathon junior Ashley Gertschen took fourth place in the discus with 99 feet, four inches and senior Ava Krueger was seventh with 9.0 feet, five inches. Krueger placed fourth in the shot put with 30 feet, 7-1/2 inches and Gertschen was fifth with 30 feet, 4-1/2 inches.

BLUEJAYS 4X200-METER RELAY IN ACTION - Athens senior Addyson Zettler hands off the baton to sophomore Danica Delis in the 4x200-meter relay on Thursday at the 51st annual Stratford Invitational. The relay team, which also has members Aleah Frahm and Sy’ Rih Hartwig, took eighth place in the event.STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER