June 2, 2011 at 10:57 a.m.
Several D-P runners head to D2 state
The ups were that a group of runners found their way to state. The downs were that the sectional was full of talent and some who had been figured to make it to state didn't.
Going on for the Dodge-Point team and trying to get on the podium for a state medal are: (boys) Payton Hanson, 100M; Trevor Wunnicke, 3200M; T.C. Smith, 300M Hurdles; 4X200M Relay, T.C. Smith, Mark Schmitz, Austin Whitlatch, Payton Hanson; (girls) Molly Hanson, 800M; Mairin Cahill, 1600M; Shelby Owens, Abby Philipps; 3200M; 4X800M Relay, Mairin Cahill, Abby Philipps, Macy McConnell, Molly Hanson.
For the boys, Payton Hanson finished third in the 100 in 11.29. He posted the 11th fastest time going into state.
Trevor Wunnicke came in third in the 800 in 9:41.87 in a race won by Michael Christianson of LaCrosse Aquinas in 9:37.63. His time is the fourth fastest at state.
T.C. Smith hit the final hurdle, wend down and literally crawled across the finish line to take second in 41.63. His time is the 12th fastest at state.
The 4x200 relay team was timed in 1:32.24 in a race own by West Salem in 1:30.11. Dodge-Point goes into state with the 12th best time posted at sectional.
Other finishes for Dodge-Point were: 800-Joseph Lawinger 11th 2:06.45, Mark Schmitz 15th 2:11.71; 3200-Brett Hottmann 6th 9:52.86 (note-his time beat four others that made it to state); 110 hurdles-Austyn Whitlatch 10th 16.38; 4x100-5th 44.6 (Smith, Whitlatch, Shane Kieffer, Hanson); 4x800-7th 8:20.35 (Lawinger, Wunnicke, Hottmann, Schmitz); Alex Steil competed in the high jump, but failed to make the qualifying height.
The 4x100 relay team was about one-half second out of second place, but a ways behind West Salem's winning time of 43.01. The 4x800 team was a hopeful to get to state, but Belleville-New Glarus blistered the course in 7:58.35 to win that event.
In team scoring, La Crosse Aquinas won with 68 points. Dodge-Point totaled 34 for ninth and River Valley had 10.5 for 21st.
River Valley finishes were: 100-Gale DeVita 16th 12.38; 400-Junior Morgan 8th 52.93; pole vault-Seth Liegel 6th 12'6"; long jump-Morgan 6th 19'7", Nick Radlinger 10th 19'3"; 4x200-11th 3:36.7 (Matt Honer,, Liegel, Payton Scallon, Radlinger).
The Dodge-Point girls claimed the winning 4x800 relay team with a time of 9:37.02, eclipsing the school record by 10 seconds or so. They have the fastest D2 state qualifying time by two seconds.
Alternates on the 4x800 team are senior Shelby Owens and junior Rachel Pope.
Junior Molly Hanson took second in the 800 with a time of 2:16.23. Madeline Haupert of Aquinas won in 2:15.66. They have the top two times of the state qualifiers.
Freshman Marian Cahill finished fourth in the 1600 in 5:12.09 with Platteville's Tricia Serres a place in front of her in 5:08.5. Cahill's time is the 6th fastest in the state qualifiers.
Owens and junior Abby Philipps both qualified in the 3200. Owens finished third in 11:29.85 while Philipps took fifth and earned the state trip via her time of 11:32.58. Their times were the fifth and seventh fastest at any D2 sectional.
Other sectional finishes for the D-P girls were: 4x400-11th 4:20.47 (Hanson, Rachel Pope, Cahill, McConnell); discus-Melissa Seman 14th 83'.
As a team, Dodge-Point posted 33 points and finished ninth while River Valley took 24th with seven points.
" It was a fantastic night for the Dodge-Point track and field program. I believe this may be the highest number of athletes and events in the program's history that we have been able to get through to the State Championships in La Crosse," said Dodge-Point coach Joe Hanson.
"With two relays and seven individual events for a total of 13 athletes making the trip to sectional, along with the entire coaching staff, I was really impressed with the focus and effort our athletes displayed throughout the entire competition".
"This particular sectional is without question the most competitive one in the entire state, including every Division 1 sectional. Personally I find it unacceptable that the athletes in the Boscobel sectional have a much more difficult time making it to the state meet than the Division 1 athletes around the State" I can agree with the WIAA's philosophy about regional representation at the state championships but to leave so many outstanding competitors at home, when they can facilitate more, as they do for the Division 1 athletes, is wrong."
"All the athletes who made it through and several who didn't, lifted their competitive drive to the next level under tremendous amounts of pressure from the competition and the atmosphere of a sectional final."
"How fast is Payton Hanson? Pretty fast as he must be the first State qualifier in the 100 meters for the program in decades."
"The girls 4 x 800 relay displayed a cool, calm and collected attitude as they ran down Edgewood's foursome to win the event in a school record time."
"Only a freshman, Mairin Cahill ran with the experience of a veteran as she ran a perfect race to place forth and move on to the state championships."
"The boys 4 x 200 came through with their fastest time of the year and placed 4th to make it to La Crosse.
"As T.C. Smith pulled away from the competition in the 300 hurdles and looked to win easily, he clipped the last hurdle and fell to the track and in an unbelievable display of pure athleticism and reaction time, crawled and dove across the finish line in second place."
"Molly Hanson ran her best 800 of the year as she placed 2nd in 2:16.23, but for the first time beat SWC and Platteville rival, Tricia Serres."
"In what was possibly the most exciting races of the night, Shelby Owens, Abby Philipps and Trevor Wunnicke all had fantastic finishes and qualified to the State Championships."
River Valley finishes were: 100 hurdles-Jenna Alt 8th 17.46; 800-Kelsi Wermuth 7th 2:28.34; 300 hurdles-Alex Mahoney 7th 48.63; 4x200-11th 1:52.05 (Mahoney, Alt, Julia Tankel, Morgan Johnson); 4x400-10th 4:20.38 (Jordan Wahl, Alt, Courtney Pulvermacher, Wermuth); 4x800-16th 11:12.7 (Abagail Miller, Madeline Miller, Lioba Klaas, Grace Conway) ; high jump-Pulvermacher 10th 4'8"; pole vault-Jaelin Crook 7th 9'.
