By Morgan Rode sports@newmedia-wi.com
Leader file photo Shawano’s Parker Pues competes in the long jump at last year’s state meet in La Crosse. Pues and the Hawks are scheduled to open the season on Saturday in Wausau.
Leader file photo Shawano’s Carrie Young, right, sprints towards the finish line in the 400-meter dash at sectionals last year. Young is hoping to make her senior year her best one yet.
Leader file photo Shawano’s Michael Klement tries to clear the bar in the pole vault at sectionals last year. Klement hopes to end his junior season competing at state.
The Shawano Community High School track and field team is eager to get its season underway after turning in a strong season last spring.
While the temperature is still cold and there’s plenty of snow on the ground, track and field teams around the state have already been practicing for a week. Many teams, including Shawano, will compete in invitationals this week.
Shawano ended the 2018 season on a high note, with three individuals — Atty Wagner, Payden Buck and Parker Pues — competing at state.
Pues is the only one that is back this season. Shawano coach Dave Hanssen says the senior hopes to break school records in both the long jump and 100-meter dash.
After competing in the long jump at state and just missing state in the 100, Pues made sure to stay busy during the offseason.
“During the offseason, I decided to join soccer to keep myself active, and I’ve done offseason workouts to keep my running form from changing,” Pues said.
Junior Michael Klement is the team’s top returning pole vaulter. He qualified for sectionals last season, and is hoping to take the next step this spring.
“Some goals that I have set coming into this season is trying to make it to state and jumping 14 feet while continuing to help others learn the sport of pole vaulting,” he said.
Sophomore Reef Anthony just missed qualifying for sectionals in the pole vault last year and gives the Hawks a strong 1-2 vaulting duo.
Senior Crede Timm will compete in the high jump and long jump and likely be a member of relay teams, while sophomore Gage Timm is the Hawks’ top returning triple jumper.
Senior Nathan Krizan is the boys top thrower, while sophomore Ethan Chelberg is the top distance runner. Freshman Elliott Lowney and sophomore Carter Schmidt give coach Hanssen two solid options for the 400.
Shawano returns three girls sectional qualifiers from a year ago.
Senior DePerry made sectionals as a high jumper. She also was on the team’s 4x100 relay team at regionals.
“After making it to sectionals last year and not state, that makes me more motivated to want to make it to state this year,” DePerry said. “I want to leave my mark as a Shawano Hawk and go to state in my best event which is high jump. It’s going to take a lot of patience, hard work, and listening to my head coach in order to get there due to his numerous amount of years of experience with the field event.”
Senior Carrie Young was a sectional qualifier in the 400. Coach Hanssen says Young could compete in any of the sprints, making her a valuable asset to the team.
“After last year in the 400, I definitely have high standards set for myself, Young said of the upcoming season. “I have also been working really hard in the 300-meter hurdles, so it should be fun to see which one I excel in to get me the farthest this season. Being a senior has put more drive in me because I want to make my last season my best.”
Sophomore Lydia Beyer turned plenty of heads in her first season on the track last spring. Beyer served as a long distance runner and finished her season at sectionals, competing in the 1,600.
Like Young, Beyer was also on Shawano’s conference-winning girls cross-country team in the fall. Members of that team — freshmen Grace Beyer and Odessa Arce, sophomore Claire Guenther and senior Alice Hoffmann — will handle the distance events this spring, while also joining forces in the 4x800 relay.
“Having the cross-country girls doing track will definitely help us do well — we know what each other can do and we know that we can push each other to do the best we can and meet our goals,” Lydia Beyer said.
Sophomore Rachel Reed returns as a sprinter, while sophomore hurdler and long jumper Aubree Zastrow also returns to the fold.
Shawano is scheduled to open its season on Saturday at Wausau West High School. The Hawks are slated to host an invitational on May 9 and a thrower’s invite on May 16.
Shawano will compete in the Wisconsin Rapids Regional on May 20, with qualifiers advancing to the D.C. Everest Sectional on May 23.
The state meet is scheduled for May 31 and June 1 at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium in La Crosse.