Peel will pole vault for D-2 UW-Parkside

By Casey Krautkramer

The recent pipeline of Athens High School track and field graduates competing for Division 2 UW-Parkside in Kenosha continues with Ryan Peel signing his National Letter of Intent last Wednesday to pole vault for the Rangers.

He’ll be college teammates with Athens track and field alumni Johnathon Nowacki and Conner Sheahan who are distance runners for the UW-Parkside men’s track and field squad. Nowacki graduated from Athens High School before Peel entered but he was high school teammates with Sheahan.

“Conner talked to me about coming down to UW-Parkside, Peel said at high college signing ceremony in the Athens middle/high school library. “I think it’s going to be fun because I competed with Conner for three years in high school and we were very successful together, so hopefully we can have the same amount of suc- See COLLEGE SIGNING/ page 12

SIGNING ON THE DOTTED LINE- Ryan Peel, who graduated from Athens High School this spring, is shown signing his National Letter of Intent last Wednesday in the Athens middle/high school library to pole vault for the UW-Parkside men’s track and field team. Pictured, from left to right, are: Malaina Telschow, Athens pole vaulter; Ryan brother Kyle and his parents Tim and Shanon Peel.

STAFF PHOTOS/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER

SUPPORT FROM HIS ATHENS COACHES- New UW-Parkside pole vaulter Ryan Peel thanked his Athens coaches for their guidance over the years in helping him develop into a college athlete. Pictured, from left to right, are: Cheryl Strunk, who was a longtime head coach of the Athens boys and girls varsity track and field squads before retiring at the end of this spring season; and Ken Kraft and Cade Ellenbecker, who were Peel’s Athens pole vault coaches from sixth grade until graduating. College signing

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cess together in college.”

Peel finished this spring’s WIAA Division 3 state track and field championships in La Crosse with another silver runner-up medal on the podium. He also placed second in the pole vault during his sophomore high school season. He took third place in the pole vault at state last season.

Peel fell in love with UW-Parkside. “They reached out to me and I went down there for a visit and really liked it,” Peel said. “I think that I’ll be able to start pole vaulting as soon as I get down there. I am excited for it and ready to begin the next steps.”

Ken Kraft was Peel’s Athens pole vaulting coach from when he was in sixth grade until halfway through his sophomore high school season. Kraft said at Peel’s college signing ceremony that he was ambitious to learn the craft of pole vaulting.

Cade Ellenbecker was Peel’s Athens pole vaulting coach from halfway through his sophomore season until he graduated from high school this spring. He is proud of Peel for continuing his pole vaulting career in college.

“It’s pretty cool,” Ellenbecker said. “He definitely worked hard for this. I’ve seen him improve every step of the way and this is a big accomplishment for him.”

Ellenbecker was a pole vaulter at Division 3 UW-Oshkosh after graduating from Athens High School. He’s given Peel some advice on what he should expect in college.

“I tell him all the time that college is going to be different, because there’s a lot of extra work that you need to do,” Ellenbecker said. “You have coaches pushing you to succeed in high school but in college it’s more on you. They give you a plan and if you follow it then you’ll have success and if you don’t, well then you are going to struggle. He just needs to keep working hard.”

Peel realizes what he needs to do in college to accomplish his goal of becoming a Division 2 college pole vault national champion.

“I need to get faster and become stronger to reach higher heights in the pole vault,” he said.

Peel will major in kinesiology at UWParkside toward his career goal of working as an athletic trainer. He has sought advice from Athens High School athletic trainer Maddie Oleksy on what it all takes to be an athletic trainer, and he feels that he is prepared on what to expect. He will need to attend an athletic training college after earning his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from UW-Parkside.