Tiger boys capture home regional

Stratford last won regional in the 2003 season

By Casey Krautkramer

Members of the Stratford boys track team’s 4x100-meter took turns autographing a gold baton after Monday’s home meet. Although Stratford took second place to Spencer in the event, the 4x100-meter relay team’s time of 44.15 seconds still broke the school record of 44.30 seconds set in 2008.

The significance of the 4x100-meter relay team breaking the school record is its relay coach, Derek Joswiak, was a senior on the school’s 2008 relay squad that held the previous record. This season’s Stratford 4x100-meter relay team members are junior Payton Glenn, sophomore Jett Schoenherr, freshmen Colton Breit and Austin O’Neil.

Glenn was ecstatic after Monday’s meet that his 4x100-meter relay team broke the school’s record that stood for 15 years.

“It feels amazing,” he said. “It was our goal this whole season to break our coach’s old record.”

The Tiger boys had another big reason to be excited after the conclusion of Monday’s home WIAA Division 3 regional track meet. Stratford’s entire team won the regional championship for the first time since 2003. Stratford amassed 138 team points, putting them ahead of regional runners-up Marathon with 101. The Edgar boys took third place with 85 points. Athens placed fifth with 73 points. Stratford track alum and head coach Nate Heeg was all smiles on Monday night after discovering the Tiger boys won the regional on the new Tigers Stadium track.

“It was a team effort because it takes a lot of guys advancing to the next round, and they did it,” Heeg said. “They did it in style without being cocky. They were a team that knew what every one of them needed to do and they delivered. It’s just a special thing to win the regional at home.”

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

Schoenherr won the 100-meter dash in 11.69 seconds and Glenn took second place in 11.88 seconds. Edgar sophomore Austin Schreiber placed third in 12.17 seconds and Edgar sophomore Ty Schnelle was fourth in 12.24 seconds. Stratford senior Connor Weigel won the 400-meter dash in 51.56 seconds.

Glenn won the high jump with 20 feet, four inches and Breit took second place with 19 feet, three inches. Marathon senior Parker Mathwich placed third with 19 feet, two inches. Mathwich won the 200-meter dash in 23.54 seconds while Schoenherr took second place in 23.55 seconds.

Stratford senior Benjamin Zuelke won the high jump with six feet and Stratford sophomore Xander Curtice took third place with five feet, nine inches.

Edgar junior Teegan Streit won the triple jump with 42 feet, 11-3/4 inches. Weigel of Stratford took second place with 42 feet, 4-1/4 inches. Stratford sophomore Brandon Knetter placed third with 40 feet, 4-1/4 inches and Stratford freshman John Buck was fourth with 39 feet, six inches.

Marathon senior Griffin Treankler won the 300-meter hurdles in 42.77 seconds and Curtice of Stratford took fourth place in 44.52 seconds. Treankler won the 110-meter hurdles in 16.23 seconds.

Edgar’s 4x400-meter relay team of Teegan Streit, senior Avery Normington, junior Kohlbe Weisenberger and sophomore Leyton Schuett won the event in three minutes, 30.52 seconds. Marathon’s 4x400-meter relay squad of seniors Matthew Annis, Mathwich and Treankler and sophomore Levi Krautkramer took second place in 3:33.00. Stratford’s 4x400-meter relay team of senior Lance Krieg, sophomore Garrett Zuelke, Curtice and Weigel placed third in 3:37.73.

Stratford’s 4x800-meter relay squad of sopohomores Cree Defoe and Ethan Heeg with Krieg and Zuelke took second place in 8:37.31.

Edgar’s 4x200-meter relay team of Normington, Schuett, Weisenberger and Teegan Streit won the event in 1:32.33. Stratford’s 4x200-meter relay squad of freshmen Mason Miller and Zander Zawislan with Breit and O’Neil took third place in 1:36.41.

The Wildcats’ 4x100-meter relay of juniors Karter Butt and Teegan Streit with Normington and Weisenberger took third place in 44.97 seconds. Marathon’s 4x100-meter relay of freshmen Chris Marcell and Nathan Hoenish with Annis and Krautkramer placed fourth in 45.62 seconds.

Bluejays shine

Athens senior Aiden Janke won the discus with a throw of 168 feet, four inches. Marcell of Marathon took third place with 133 feet, eight inches and Marathon freshman Mitchell Zemke placed fourth with 127 feet, five inches.

Janke won the shot put with 52 feet, 10 inches. Stratford junior Koehler Kilty took second place with 45 feet, four inches. Zemke of Marathon was third with 43 feet, five inches and Edgar senior Carver Higgins was fourth with 42 feet, two inches.

Athens junior Ryan Peel won the pole vault with 13 feet, six inches and Athens sophomore Kyle Schreiner placed second with 12 feet, six inches. Athens senior Connor Sheahan won both the mile run in 4:28.73 and the two-mile run in 9:58.50.

Marathon senior Drake Carlson won all four of his regional wheelchair events.

STRATFORD BOYS TRACK CROWNED REGIONAL CHAMPIONS AT TIGERS STADIUM- On Monday night, the Stratford varsity boys track and field team won the school’s first WIAA Division 3 regional title since 2003. Coach Joe Drexler is laying down in the team photo with the regional championship plaque. Team members kneeling, from left to right, are coach Derek Joswiak, Payton Glenn, Ethan Heeg, Conner Weigel, Koehler Kilty, Xander Curtice, Coltan Breit and coach Tiny Michalski. Team members standing, from left to right, are head coach Nate Heeg, Garrett Zuelke, John Buck, Cooper Bosmans, Brandon Knetter, Ben Zuelke, Lance Krieg, Derek Weise, Austin O’Neil, Cree Defoe, Jett Schoenherr, Reid Miller, Kaden Foster and coach Robyn Jarocki-Hughes.PHOTO BY DEREK JOSWIAK