Marcell state runner-up in discus

By Casey Krautkramer

Marathon sophomore Chris Marcell improved on his placement in the state discus from his inaugural trip to the WIAA Division 3 state championships as a freshman last year. Last season at state, he placed eighth with a throw of 144 feet, three inches. On Friday, he was state runner-up with a throw of 170 feet, eight inches.

Junior Andrew Gahan of Living Word Lutheran won the Division 3 discus state championship with a throw of 172 feet, six inches. Marcell knew that he could’ve won the state discus title had he at least matched his personal career best throw of 180-1/2 feet that he achieved earlier this season. He came close to breaking Marathon’s boys discus record of 181 feet set by Austin Kaiser in 2009.

“I’m pretty disappointed in myself,” Marcell said on Friday night at the state tournament. “I didn’t perform as well as I wished I had. I was 10 feet under my personal record so I know that I could’ve done better but my head just wasn’t in it today.”

Marcell described what he needs to do in the offseason to prepare to win the discus state championship next season.

“I need to lift weights harder, throw better and work on my form all year,” Marcell said. “I gotta be in it to win it next year.”

Marathon senior Jacob Smith on Friday took seventh place in the pole vault at state with a height of 12 feet, six inches. He just missed making it onto the state podium which is for the top six individuals and relays in each event. Red Raiders junior River Stanecki placed 11th in the pole vault with 12 feet, six inches.

Both of Marathon’s boys 4x400 and 4x800-meter relays failed to place in the top 10 during preliminaries on Friday to advance into Saturday’s finals.

The 4x400-meter relay team took 11th place in three minutes, 30.72 seconds and included juniors Levi Krautkramer and Logan Rohland and freshmen Garrett Bracewell and Brady Annis. Alternates were senior Andrew Glenn and freshman Fred Tylinski.

Marathon’s 4x800-meter relay placed 13th in 8:30.14 and included sophomore Ethan Huebsch with Annis, Krautkramer and Rohland. Alternates were senior Jacob Smith and freshman Logan Peters.

Bracewell just barely missed qualifying out of Friday’s preliminaries 110-meter hurdles to Saturday’s finals. He took 11th place in 16.15 seconds.

Red Raiders senior Alisha Blenker also didn’t qualify out of Friday’s preliminaries 100-meter hurdles into Saturday’s finals. She took 14th place in 17 seconds.

CONCLUDING HIS HIGH CAREER AT STATE- Marathon senior Jacob Smith is shown returning from his pole vault attempt on Friday at the WIAA Division 3 state championships in La Crosse. STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER