Morgan Rode sports@wolfrivermedia.com
Leader photo by Morgan Rode Shawano’s Parker Pues competes in the long jump at the Bay Port regional on Monday.
A year ago, the Shawano track team sent a total of four athletes to sectionals.
This year, the Hawks saw nine individuals plus one relay team qualify for sectionals after placing in the top-four finishers at the Division 1 Bay Port regional on a cold and rainy Monday evening.
Both the boys and girls teams earned fifth-place finishes, scoring 62 and 56 points, respectively.
With less-than-ideal weather conditions, Shawano coach Dave Hanssen told his athletes to do whatever it takes to make it to sectionals. The team was less focused on earning first-place finishes and more determined to avoid injuries.
Despite the cautious approach, the Hawks still turned in a handful of standout performances, led by Payden Buck’s first-place finish in the pole vault.
Parker Pues turned in a pair of second-place finishes in the long jump and 100-meter dash, while Atty Wagner (high jump) and Michael Klement (pole vault) each placed third in their respective events. The boys 4x200 relay team of Pues, Buck, Crede Timm and Wagner took third.
On the girls side, Tori DePerry (high jump), Carrie Young (400) and Hannah Wendorff (pole vault) each earned second-place finishes. Lydia Beyer ran to a third-place finish in the 1,600 meters, while Onalee Siegfried topped her seed mark to finish fourth in the pole vault.
“These kids are working towards their goals, stepping up and doing a great job,” Hanssen said. “It was cold, it was raining really hard and they worked right through it. I couldn’t be more happy for all of them.”
Despite poor weather conditions, Shawano athletes knew they still needed to come out and compete with their seasons on the line. The pressure and magnitude of the regional meet was both intimidating and motivating for the competitors.
“I feel like the meet puts more pressure on some than it does others,” Buck said. “Like for me and Atty, we both were seeded pretty high, so we just wanted to get to where we could get into sectionals. It was a good kind of pressure.”
“It’s obviously a lot of pressure, so you kind of have to pysch yourself out before you do your events,” Pues added. “Try to imagine yourself standing on the podium at state and know that you can get there. That’s all that it takes to propel yourself forward.”
For Beyer, the lone Hawks’ freshman to qualify, leaning on the advice of her teammates helped her turn in a memorable night.
“A lot of the distance girls helped me out and made sure I was doing OK,” Beyer said. “They were all really supportive. I was expecting a lot of hype with all the fans and even the people competing. Their excitement moves into you and gets you excited, too.”
The athletes offered mixed feelings about how the weather affected competition on the night.
“You get cold and then start to get stiff,” said Wagner, who was satisfied with getting into sectionals with a third-place finish in the high jump, despite having all three of his jumps left. “It was a little bit of a challenge, but we all dealt with it pretty well.”
“The weather made competing pretty hard tonight,” Young said. “The wind on the back stretch was pretty hard, especially while running the 400. But in my opinion, I run better in the cold. Running in the rain is hard, but it gives me a little more adrenaline.”
Regardless of which place they finished, the sectional qualifiers are thrilled to be able to compete in at least one more meet this season.
The group of athletes will gear up for the Ashwaubenon sectional, which will be held Thursday at St. Norbert College. The meet is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.
Girls team scores: 1. Green Bay Preble 160.5; 2. Bay Port 149; 3. Pulaski 129; 4. Notre Dame Academy 87.5; 5. Shawano 56; 6. Green Bay Southwest 52; 7. Green Bay West 39; 8. Green Bay East 22.
Boys team scores: 1. Green Bay Preble 175; 2. Bay Port 163; 3. Pulaski 78; 4. Notre Dame Academy 72; 5. Shawano 62; 6. Green Bay East 52; 7. Green Bay Southwest 44; 8. Green Bay West 37.