Morgan Rode sports@wolfrivermedia.com

Leader photo by Morgan Rode The Wittenberg-Birnamwood girls track team claims its second straight Division 2 state title, earning 50 team points. The team consists of, back row, left, coach Nick Mechelke, Lauren Dombeck and coach Mike Balliett; front row, Alyssa Meverden, Emily Norrbom, Paige Norrbom, Maddy Pietz, Chloe King, Kylie Linke and coach Cathy Easker.
With the weather forecast’s prediction of rain and potential thunderstorms on the minds of all, the 2018 WIAA State Track and Field Championships final day of action at Veterans Memorial Stadium in La Crosse was hurried along.
The bad weather never arrived, and the cooler temperatures couldn’t diminish what turned into a thrilling, record-breaking Saturday for high school competitors from across the state.
The Wittenberg-Birnamwood girls team claimed several podium finishes to win a second straight Division 2 title. The Chargers scored 50 points, easily topping Xavier (36), Catholic Memorial (33), Jefferson (28) and Lakeland Union (26), which rounded out the top five.
Maddy Pietz led the way for the Chargers, winning the 100- and 400-meter dashes Saturday to accompany her fifth-place finish in the long jump Friday. Her strong finishes racked up 24 team points.
The senior followed up her record-breaking performance (11.98 seconds) in the 100 prelims on Friday with a time of 12.23 seconds to take first in the finals Saturday. In the 400 finals, Pietz improved her time to 56.91 seconds to win the title.
Witt-Birn’s Paige Norrbom earned eight points by taking second in the 300 hurdles. The senior finished the event in 45.51 seconds. Emily Norrbom, another senior, leaped to a distance of 32 feet, 8.25 inches in the triple jump to finish 16th.
The Chargers’ state-qualifying 4x200 relay team featured Paige Norrbom, Chloe King, Emily Norrbom and Kylie Linke. The senior quartet took second, finishing with a time of 1 minute, 44.92 seconds.
The Chargers’ 4x400 relay team of Paige Norrbom, Linke, Emily Norrbom and Pietz also competed at the state meet and was the last event of Saturday’s finals.
While the Chargers already had the state title wrapped up, even if they didn’t finish in the top eight in the final relay, Witt-Birn coach Mike Balliett had a brief chat with the group before their last high school race.
“I went over to the tent before the 4x4, and I just said to the girls — because I know how those seniors are — that ‘I know if you lose this 4x4, it’s going to take some of the luster off the state championship. So go out there, and go out the right way.’”
The relay team took their coach’s words to heart and put an exclamation point on their high school careers, winning the event in 3 minutes, 54.94 seconds. The time crushed the previous state record of 3 minutes, 56.66 seconds, set by the same girls as sophomores in the 2016 state meet.
“I didn’t really have an idea that they were going to break their own record and run really, really well,” Balliett said. “As a group of seniors, I don’t know how much better you can go out.”
“Today has been amazing to win in the 1 (100) and 4’s (400),” Pietz said Saturday. “Those were personal goals of mine. To get a state record today in the 4x4 was just icing on top of the cake. Coach said to go out with a bang, and I think we definitely did that.”
Wittenberg-Birnamwood sophomore Kobe Miller took part in the boys long jump competition Saturday. Miller leaped to a distance of 20 feet, 5.25 inches to take eighth place.
Clintonville’s Allysin Booth finished up the 300 hurdles with a third-place finish in the finals. Her time of 15.21 seconds was identical to what she ran in the prelims Friday and good enough for a third-place finish.
“I expected to do better, as anyone would,” said Booth, a junior. “It’s still awesome to be at state. I love hurdles; it’s everything to me. I just want to train harder because I really want that first-place finish (next year).”
Payden Buck made his first state appearance, marking the third Shawano individual to compete at state this year. Buck turned in one of his top performances of the season, reaching a height of 14 feet, 6 inches to take sixth in the pole vault.
The senior made the most of the state meet and arguably had the most fun of any athlete at the UW-La Crosse stadium. Before competing in his event, Buck could be seen jamming out to the music being played through his headphones and smiling from ear to ear.
When it was time to compete, though, Buck’s demeanor became focused and determined. His finish at state is one that won’t soon be forgotten.
“It was the best meet experience I think I have ever had, and yes, I had a lot of fun,” Buck said. “It’s an incredible memory knowing that I am one of the top pole vaulters in the state. Super thankful I was able to compete and have a great time.”