Assistant steps up to lead Grafton

A new leader has taken over the Grafton High School track and field programs, but the philosophy isn’t changing much.

Jason Meinen had worked as an assistant handling jumps under coach Kevin Kriegel for the past five seasons. When Kriegel left the program, Meinen decided to step up to head coach.

“I felt like it probably would be best for everybody to make it as seamless a transition as possible,” Meinen said.

Meinen was an assistant coach under Jerry Gosa in Kewaskum for 12 years before being head coach for one. After spending a year in California, where his wife got a job, he came back and was hired in Grafton.

Meinen teaches physical education and health at John Long Middle School, so he already knows some of his athletes and can pique youngsters’ interest in the sport early.

“We may add a little more of a track unit in spring at John Long,” he said with a laugh.

Meinen is a 1996 graduate of Cedar Grove-Belgium High School. Back then, the school had a grass oval and his coach was Steve Moore, Grafton Athletic Director Kevin Moore’s father.

The Rockets won the conference in Meinen’s sophomore through senior seasons, and he was part of a 3,200-meter relay that won the state title. He also ran the 800, 1,600 and 3,200.

At the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Meinen competed in the steeplechase, then was a volunteer assistant coach at Omro High School for a year before coming to Kewaskum.

Meinen said he was inspired by his uncle, who ran track at Cedar Grove-Belgium High and qualified for state.

“I went to state meet as a third-grader and I saw how cool that was. I always wanted to go,” he said. “For me, track was a big deal.”

When he started participating himself, Meinen said he discovered he was good at it, and his passion boomed.

“I think I want to share that experience with the kids,” he said.

Teams’ strengths run the gamut

Grafton has a large boys’ team with 55 members. Sprints, relays and some of the field events are expected to be the big point-getters, Meinen said.

The boys had five entries at state last season — the 400, 800, 1,600 and 3,200 relays, and Nathan Baker in the 3,200 run — and of those, four members are back: Chris Kalies, Zack Schmidt, Silvio Lanza and Keymonta Cook.

“The kids are motivated to go back,” Meinen said.

Girls look for more state hardware

Grafton’s girls return most of their runners from the 400 relay that earned a sixth-place medal at state last season.

Ava Wilmanns, Natalie Manuel and Gwen Grumley are back. Sophia Scolman graduated.

The 800 relay state-qualifying relay team also returns everyone: Manuel, Wilmanns, Grumley and Grace Viesselmann, and Camille Mirek is back after qualifying in the high jump.

About 33 girls are on the team, Meinen said.

One goal for both teams, he said, is to have an A relay group of experienced runners and a B group of younger ones so they can be taught and push each other. That way, he also can pluck one out as needed to fill in, which happened in the opening meet last Friday. Amber Schilling stepped into the 800 relay team “and we didn’t really miss a beat,” Meinen said.

In the North Shore Conference, Grafton, the smallest school in the league, hopes to improve upon last season’s performances.

The boys scored 31 points and finished eighth of 10 teams. The girls scored 27 points and finished eighth.

That tough competition, Meinen said, will help come the postseason when the Hawks face Division 2 schools closer to their size.

Black Hawk girls bolt out of the gates

Grafton’s girls scored 39 points and tied for fourth place with Jefferson in the Nelson Daniels Classic in Whitewater on Friday. For many, Meinen said, it was their first indoor track meet. The indoor season was canceled last year and all spring sports were canceled in 2020, both due to the pandemic.

Stoughton won the 19-team meet with 64 points. Fort Atkinson had 51, and Madison Edgewood had 45.

Viesselmann won the high jump by clearing 4 feet, 10 inches.

The 800-meter relay of Manuel, Viesselmann, Schilling and Grumley was third in 1 minute, 56.35 seconds.

The 1,600 relay of Manuel, Viesselmann, Maddy Wille and Grumley was fourth in 4:33.74.

The 3,200 relay of Ava McLaughlin, Keira Bryhan, Rachel Swenson and Wille was fifth in 11:26.89.

Bryanna Mursch was fourth in the shot put with a throw of 29 feet, 9 inches.

Grumley was fifth in the 55 dash in 7.74 seconds.

Manuel was sixth in the triple jump with 32-4.5, and Mirek was sixth in the high jump by clearing 4-6.

Boys go the extra lap

The Black Hawk boys scored 21.5 points and finished 12th of 19 teams at the Nelson Daniels Classic on Saturday. Jefferson won with 53 points. Madison Edgewood had 49 and Pewaukee had 48.

The 3,200 relay was the most interesting. Officials miscounted the laps, and the third runner for each team ran five laps instead of four. To make up for it, the fourth runners ran only three laps.

“You could definitely tell no one had been at indoor meets for a while,” Meinen said.

The Hawks’ team of Lance Greicar, Ian Mitchell, “poor Sam Thompson” (the five-lapper), and Kalies (three laps) ended in third in 9:26.45, Meinen said.

The 800 relay of Lanza, Schmidt, Matt Schirger and Cook was third in 1:40.93. The 1,600 relay of Mitchell, Kalies, Schirger and Cook was third in 3:44.14.

Taylor Holmes was seventh in the 400 in 58.73, and Greicar was eighth in the 800 in 2:21.06. Schmidt was 10th in the long jump with 19-3.75.

The Hawks didn’t schedule any meets this week due to spring break. The girls compete Tuesday, March 29, at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. The boys and girls compete Thursday, April 14, at Homestead.