Leader Staff
Bonduel High School sophomore Emily Sorenson will try to follow her sectional long jump title with a state title in this week’s WIAA Division 2 state finals for girls track and field in La Crosse.
Sorenson (17 feet, ½ inch) won the sectional at home Friday and will open state competition in the second flight Friday. The flight also includes Mount Horeb’s Nadia Williams (18-10), who is the only state qualifier to break the 18-foot threshold.
Marion senior Cassidy Detert will try to follow her sectional titles in the discus and shot put with Division 3 state titles. Her discus toss of 130-9 and shot put effort of 40-9.25 were both top marks in the Rosholt sectional.
Clintonville and Wittenberg-Birnamwood, meanwhile, have multiple competitors at the D2 state meet.
Clintonville senior Allison Johnson (2 minutes, 16.94 seconds) won the sectional title in the 800 at Bonduel. She will be joined at state by fellow Truckers seniors Chrissy Betz and Jessica Petruzates; Betz (16.26) qualified in the 100-meter hurdles and Petruzates (12:00) is in the 3,200.
Wittenberg-Birnamwood will have a full bus on its way to the state final after its performance at the sectional in Amery on Friday. Maddy Pietz won both the 100 (12.49) and the 200 (25.84), along with a qualifying finish in the long jump (16-8). She also helped the 1,600 relay team to a first-place finish. Emily Norrbom, Mikayla King and Paige Norrbom joined Pietz to finish in 4:08.25 to win the event and qualify for the state final.
The Chargers also qualified Alexis Balliett (12:11.15) in the 3,200, Micah Nier (35-4) in the triple jump, Paige Norrbom (5-1) in the high jump and Anna Hartman (107-9) in the discus. They also qualified multiple relay teams.
Samantha Kasprak, Maykayla Verkuilen, Nier and Emily Norrbom (52.76) qualified in the 400 relay; Kasprak, Kylie Linke, Nier and Paige Norrbom (1:49.64) qualified in the 800 relay and Balliett, Nier, King and Emily Norrbom (9:57.82) qualified in the 3,200 relay.
Lakeside Lutheran leads all schools in Division 2 with representation in 12 events, including relays. Wittenberg-Birnamwood has the second-most event entries with 11. Osceola is third with nine, and Dodgeville/Mineral Point is next with eight.
In Division 3, Newman Catholic has athletes competing in 13 events, including relays. Cuba City has qualified competitors in 12 events, and St. Mary’s Springs is entered in 11 events.