Falcon vets looking for strong season
By Nathaniel Underwood
The Abbotsford Falcons track and field team will be looking to build off of a successful 2024 campaign that saw the squad send athletes to compete in 14 different events at sectionals and set numerous school records over the course of the season. While this year’s Falcons may be short some of those athletes who helped them reach such heights last year, they will also be bringing back a number of returners who will be looking to lead the 2025 Abbotsford squad to similar heights.
Of those returners, senior Azul Diaz represented the Falcons last season at the state meet as the only Abbotsford athlete to qualify out of a tough sectional field. In her junior season, Diaz set the school record in the 3200-meter run, the recordbreaking performance propelling her to the state finals. She was also part of the 4x800-meter relay team that also broke a school record last year.
Diaz is slated to continue to hold down the long distance events for the girls’ squad, though they may have to look for depth from newcomers. That will be a common theme across events for the Falcons this season as they look to retool after losing a number of perennial contributors from last year’s senior class.
Senior Margo Pogodzinski and junior Celia Schindler joined Diaz in the Abbotsford record books during the 2024 season and will be back for the Falcons this year. Senior Chloe Cihlar will also bring some state experience to the squad after competing in La Crosse as part of the 4x100-meter state relay team in 2022.
Pogodzinski, much like last year, will continue to be the centerpiece of the Falcons’ efforts in the throwing events. Coming off a regional title performance in the discus, where her throw of 118 feet not only earned her the top spot at regionals but also set a new school record, and also qualifying for sectionals in the shot put, the senior will once again be in the mix for a potential state berth.
Cihlar was a key part of Abbotsford’s 4x100-meter and 4x200-meter teams that made it to sectionals last season. Mere tenths of a second separated the 4x100meter team from a state berth last year, and while replacing some of the athletes from that team may be difficult for the Falcons this year, Cihlar will still be in the hunt for another trip to La Crosse. The senior appears set up once again to be a key part of the Falcons’ strategy in the sprints.
“Our senior girls this year have lots of experience with Azul Diaz being a school record holder in 3200-meter run and the 4x800-meter relay and Chloe Cihlar returning in sprints and Margo Pogodzinski returning in throws, each with expectations to be competing for a trip to state in their events,” head coach Jake Knapmiller said. “Celia Schindler also returns from a record 4x800 team and looks to focus on jumps and sprints this year.”
Schindler, meanwhile, was part of the record-setting 4x800-meter squad and also competed at sectionals in the triple jump and the 4x200-meter relay. The junior is slated to once again provide versatility for the Falcons as she looks to build off of her sophomore campaign.
Finding pieces to fill in around these key veterans will be key for a girls’ squad that took third at the tightly contested Marawood conference meet last season. Knapmiller noted that some of that help may be in the form of newcomers to this year’s squad.
“Our freshman girls have talent and we look to Lauryn Harris, who set our middle school record in the long jump, to step up in our jumps and sprints as one of the leaders of the group,” he said.
“Our girls will score points as we have some really top level athletes in certain events but lack some depth in the sprints,” Knapmiller added when asked about the outlook of the Marawood conference this season. “Bigger, more well rounded teams will be tough to match up to for us.”
The Falcon boys look to have similar circumstances heading into the 2025 season. Headed by a number of athletes with experience but still fielding a relatively young team, the Abbotsford boys’ squad will look to their more veteran members to lead them.
Junior Chase Boller and sophomore Carter Cihlar were the only athletes to represent the Falcons last year at the boys sectional competition, both of whom re-
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FOURMENS
2025 ABBOTSFORD GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD TEAM - This year’s 2025 Abbotsford girls track and field team is, in the back row, left to right, Chloe Cihlar, Kate Sheahan, Kinsley Kalepp, Lauryn Harris, Lexie Searer, Daryana Rodriguez, and Alyra Olson. In the front row, left to right, are Azul Diaz, Ana Flores, Esmerelda Altimirano, Hazel Flink, Emily Gonzalez and Monse Ochoa. Missing from the picture are Celia Schindler, Jenny Monroy, and Margo Pogodzinski. The Falcons head coach is Jake Knapmiller.
STAFF PHOTO/SAMANTHA YOCIUS Abby track preview
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turn. However, bad luck hurt the squad late last season, something that Knapmiller hopes the team is able to avoid in 2025.
“Our boys return some really talented and experienced guys in all events,” he said, “We didn't have any state qualifiers last year but battled some injuries late in the year. We look for Christian Fuentes and Chase Boller to be leaders in our sprints and jumps and Marcus VanLuven in the throws. Carter Cihlar should lead our vaulters as well.”
Boller grabbed a spot at the sectional meet after taking second at the regional meet in Gilman as a sophomore and will be looking to make a repeat bid. He was also one of Abbotsford’s top options in the triple jump last season.
Fellow junior Fuentes had his season cut early last year but is looking to bounce back in his 2025 campaign. Consistently near the top in the long jump and sprinting events during 2024’s first half of competition, Fuentes will be aiming for similar success this year.
Meanwhile, VanLuven was the Falcons’ top thrower last season down the stretch, just missing out on a sectional meet appearance after placing fifth in the shot put in Gilman.
Cihlar saw rapid improvement in the pole vault over the course of his freshman season, putting forth his best performances in the postseason. He grabbed a seventh place finish at the sectional meet by reaching a height of 12 feet.
With the Falcons’ top distance runner Jack Schindler having graduated, the Falcons will be looking for a new face to lead the group. There will also be plenty of fresh faces looking to fill in the gaps.
“We are looking for our large group of boys distance runners to step up and compete this year with Jack Sheahan being one we hope takes a jump forward,” Knapmiller said. “Our boys have a lot of first year track athletes and we will look for them to grow as the year goes on.”
A number of strong Marawood teams will make competing for a conference title an uphill battle for a still relatively young Abbotsford team.
“Our conference is so tough and Stratford is maybe untouchable on the boys side with depth and talent,” Knapmiller noted. “But we think that we have potential to have some kids that can put themselves in a position to be at sectionals and our relays could be very competitive.”
The Falcons first indoor meet was on Tuesday afternoon at UW-River Falls. Results from the meet will be in next week’s issue. The girls will be back in action as they travel to Marshfield on Thursday, March 27 while the boys will have a bit more time off, returning to the indoor scene on Thursday, April 3 at UW-Stout. The meet in Marshfield will begin at 4:30 p.m.
2025 ABBOTSFORD BOYS TRACK AND FIELD TEAM - This year’s 2025 Abbotsford boys track and field team is, in the back row, left to right, Gunner Graves, Tyler Yeske, Jovanny Cruz, Kamron Krueger, Marcus VanLuven, Jack Sheahan, Irvin Davila, and Chase Boller. In the front row, left to right, are Carter Cihlar, Carlos Beltran, Kevin Guitierrez, Van Tran, Preston Belanger, Angel Tzintzun and Guillermo Puente. Missing: Christian Fuentes, Frank Zavala, Marco Garcia, Tavo Diaz, Josue Tzintzun, Caleb Kulesa and Luis Lujan.
STAFF PHOTO/SAMANTHA YOCIUS
