Grafton sends 18 entries to sectional meet

By MITCH MAERSCH

Ozaukee Press staff

Several Grafton High School track and field entries inched closer to their goal of a trip to the state meet in La Crosse on Monday.

They didn’t have to go far to take their first steps. The Black Hawks hosted a Division 2 regional on its new facility, and a few set personal records in advancing to the Milwaukee Vincent sectional on Thursday, May 25.

Senior Jared Sudbrink cleared 6 feet, 4 inches in high jump, enough to win the event and come within one inch of the school record.

“I wasn’t expecting it going into today. We were just thinking get through, top four,” Sudbrink said.

Coach Jason Meinen said Sudbrink only jumped three times, so he suggested his star try 6-4.

“That was pretty awesome. I think that will be good going into sectionals,” Meinen said.

Sudbrink came one inch from qualifying for state last year. He wants that and the school record this season, and he got help to do it.

“My form wasn’t the best last year and I’ve definitely been a lot better about it, especially with all the new workouts we’ve implemented. I’ve got to thank coach Meinen and all the coaches for that,” he said.

Junior Natalie Manuel reached a personal record in the triple jump by 8.5 inches to total 34 feet, 7.5 inches, good for third.

“I’m glad that I broke 34. I’ve been waiting for this since freshman year,” she said.

“I’ve really been focusing on lengthening my phases. My first and second phases have been so good,” she said.

Her teammate Josie Gasser got through by taking fourth with 34-3-7.5 She also took second in long jump with 16-0.

“I’m excited for Thursday. Last year, I was fifth at regionals by an inch, so I’m glad I’m on the other end of that,” Gasser said.

The pair encourage each other at practice.

“We do all our drills together. It’s nice to bounce ideas off the drills and really push each other and tell each other how they can improve,” Manuel said.

The 400-meter relay won in 50.12 seconds, a season best by .32 seconds. The team of Manuel, Emily Sewell, Grace Viesselmann and Gwen Grumley hopes to qualify for state and medal. Three runners are back from last year’s team that placed third at state, when it finished in 50.01.

“We were happy with it because they were third, but deep down, 49.99 sounds so much better,” Meinen said.

The 800 relay of the same lineup won in 1:45.89 and is shooting for the school record, Manuel said.

Sophomore Tatum Wiedenhaft won shot put with 37-3.5.

“I’d rather get through today and Thursday without a personal record. State is when I give it my all,” she said.

Teammate Bryanna Mursch was third with 34-5. She was fifth until she came through in the clutch with her final throw.

“It’s nice having some team bonding and having someone to talk to during practices,” Wiedenhaft said.

Claire Wille won the 800 in 2:24.76, and the 1,600 relay of Marissa Morgan, Josie Gehrke, Wille and Emily Sewell won in 4:07.19 after not running together for a couple of weeks due to injury.

“It was nice to see that they can still put it together. I still think they can go a lot faster,” Meinen said.

Other girl qualifiers include Callie Faust, 1,600, 5:35.95, third; Gehrke, 200, 27.91, fourth; and Evelyn Schmit, 3,200, 12:40.42, fourth.

For the boys, besides Sudbrink, Jackson Heinle won the discus at 147-4, which Meinen called “awesome.”

The 1,600 relay of Ian Mitchell, Sudbrink, Gavin Lempke and Matt Schirger was second in 3:31.25.

Jack Marti cleared 5-10 and joins Sudbrink in high jump by taking fourth. The Hawks got three other fourths: Jackson Konzen, pole vault, 10-6; Seva Belousov, 400, 53.7; and the 3,200 relay of Mitchell, Vikram Bangalore, Colin Garvey and Trevor Nauta, 2:12.

The top four sectional finishers qualify for state.

Port qualifies 16 combined entries

Ben Fritsch won two events to lead Port Washington at the Sheboygan South Division 1 regional on Monday.

Fritsch won the long jump with 20-6.25 and the triple jump with 41-6.75.

Kaiden Schumacher was second in pole vault by clearing 12 feet.

The 3,200 relay of Alexis Luna, Judah Meeks, Jayden Lathrop and Gabe Hingiss was second in 8:47.18.

Port got three fourths: Alex Anewenter, 3,200, 10:16.65; Josh Arnold, triple jump, 40-3; and the 1,600 relay of Zach Cox, Hingiss, Lathrop and Meeks, 3:35.33.

For the girls, Peyton Keller finished second in high jump with 5-0 and in triple jump with 33-9.75.

Abbey Lotz was second in the 3,200 in 12:06.18.

The 400 relay of Carolyn Lippe, Jennacy Wille, Keller and Madelyn Rasmussen was third in 52.81, and the 3,200 relay of Lotz, Toni Walters, Rachel Krueger and Braeya Thomas was third in 10:45.07.

Ava Lentz was third in discus with 98-10.5, Emma Kasza-James was third in the 1,600 in 5:53.3 and Grace Baumann was third in pole vault with 9-0.

Kasza-James was fourth in the 3,200 in 12:23.58.

Port competes at the West Bend East sectional on Thursday. The top three finishers qualify for state.

Grafton girls win two NSC events

The Grafton girls won two events at the North Shore Conference championships at Homestead on May 16.

Wiedenhaft won the shot put with 37-8.5, and the 800 relay of Manuel, Sewell, Viesselmann and Grumley won in 1:48.63.

The 400 relay of the same lineup was second in 50.83, and the 1,600 relay of Viesselmann, Gehrke, Wille and Sewell was second in 4:12.36.

Mursch was third in the shot put with 34-5.

For the boys, Sudbrink won high jump by clearing 6-3, and the 1,600 relay of Mitchell Sudbrink, Mason Volkman and Schirger was third in 3:35.21.

For Port, Fritsch was second in long jump in 21-1.5. Schumacher was third in pole vault with 12-6.

For the girls, the 3,200 relay of Lotz, Walters, Krueger and Thomas was third in 10:19.33, and Baumann was third in pole vault with 8-6.