June 7, 2012 at 2:42 p.m.
Sigg ends career with 5th at state in track
Sigg ran an incredible 5:12.15 4 in the WIAA Division 3 state championship race.
Winning the event was Molly Seidel of University Lake School with a time of 4:54.81; and second place honors went to Breanna Colbenson of Spring Valley in 5:04.93 8; 3rd was Emma Anderson of Shell Lake in 5:06.66 and placing fourth was Isabel Seidel of Univ Lake School in 5:11.58 5.
Also running in State finals, another Pec-Argyle senior, Wyatt Massey, posted a 2:01.41 in the 800 meter race, good enough for tenth place in the entire state in D-3.
Running Friday in the preliminaries, Pecatonica/Argyle's 4x400 meter relay team of four placed tenth, in a time of 3:32.20 and sending themselves into the state finals a day late and late Saturday afternoon.
Running Saturday in the finals, they posted a time of 3:33.90, good enough for an impressive seventh place in the entire state in WIAA D3.
The four runners in the relay and the order in which they ran their individual legs included Kyle Zwicker, Marcus Rubio, Cameron Colson and Nathan Loyd.
Head coach Cathy Francois was ecstatic about the performance of her Pec-Argyle athletes.
"For four seniors there's no better way to end their season than running at the state track meet in LaCrosse. The memories will last forever," emphasized Francois.
"We had beautiful weather all weekend. Wyatt Massey ran yet another amazing 800 meter run on Friday. After his race and talking with him, I was so proud of all of his accomplishments in the past years of coaching him."
"Our boys 1600 meter relay team-we came in knowing that we have to make the finals."
"After watching the first heat of the relays, I really got a knot in my stomach. I knew they had to give it all to make finals. Placing tenth in preliminaries put us in!"
"Now, the goal became to place as high as we can in Saturday's race. Coming home in seventh place in state is fantastic! My fast man out of the blocks - Kyle Zwicker had an outstanding weekend running. He ran probably two of the fastest 400 meters he has ran all year. Marcus Rubio, Cameron Colson - my other fast man - Nathan Loyd, were also amazing. They had great team spirit before and after the race. We even joked after finals about how well they did with two having shin splints and one with an aching hamstring from Friday night's race," commented Francois.
"Losing my two seniors, Kyle and Cameron, in the relay is huge. I know Pecatonica-Argyle produces some fast boys so I'm sure there are a couple young men out there who can replace them and bring this team back to La Crosse some day."
"Our girls 1600 meter fifth place finisher, Kendra Sigg... what can I say but that she is awesome! Only a second off the school record and her time - it was her personal best. Kendra always has such a great positive attitude and is always such a great role model for all under classmates on the team. This is her fourth time at the state meet. She too will carry the memories of state forever. All year, I just told the team we may be small, but we are mighty. I drove home from La Crosse a very proud coach."
"I thought back about our season, how I gave up my shoes for an athlete so she could compete because she forgot hers so I ran around in her flip flops! - And, I thought about all the bad singing on the bus rides home. Good thing this van has a radio!"
One of Pecatonica-Argyle's assistant coaches, Pat Hardyman - who is also the co-op's cross country coach, weighed in on the performances at La Crosse - with a bit of historical perspective.
"I believe we took no one to the State Track and Field Meet in 2003 and their was one year in the other 19 (since) where we (Pec-Argyle teams) did not take home a medal!"
"Kendra's previous best of 5:21.95 was set in her 6th place finish at State in 2010," added Hardyman. "Elise's (Elise Sigg, now an NCAA D-1 runner at Illinois State University) school record was set at State in 2009 where she placed fifth with a time of 5:11.64. Kendra placed 9th that year with a time of 5:28 - when she was just a freshman! Wyatt's time was not quite a PR, but it was his best 800 meter time in his three appearances at state in the 800. It was the first time he went under 2:02 at state. The boys' 1600 relay prelim time at state of 3:32.2 was their PR for this group," added Hardyman.
