Former Arcadia standout inducted to track hall of fame

As fast as Maya (Vazquez) Arseneau is, she has never been able to outrun the spotlight.

Arseneau helped lead the Arcadia High School girls track and field team to two Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association State Championships, while winning six gold medals, six silvers and two bronzes — giving her top-three finishes in 14 out of a possible 16 events — from 2007 to 2010.

With that, came the uncomfortable aspect of being in the spotlight. It’s something she has mostly avoided since her track career ended, but recently found her again as she was inducted into the Wisconsin Track Coaches Association Hall of Fame earlier this year.

“I was surprised,” Arseneau said in an e-mail interview she reluctantly agreed to. “It had been 13 years since I graduated high school and nine years since I have done anything track related so this was the last thing I was expecting.”

After leaving Arcadia, Arseneau went on to run for University of Wisconsin -La Crosse. There, she ran on the 400-relay team that won the National Collegiate Athletic Association National Championship and set a new school record with a time of 45.97 in 2013.

But, the anxiety that came from competing nearly forced her away from the sport.

Her former high school track coach, Lynn Sonnentag, noted the pressure that Arseneau was under following in the footsteps of two other track standouts in her own family, brothers Ben and Isaac. It was almost too much, Arseneau was ready to give up the sport before her sophomore year and, instead, join the Arcadia softball team. Arseneau said it was Arcadia softball coach Dave Bjorge who convinced her to stick with the sport she had already shown so much potential in.

Arseneau was glad she did.

The Raiders won the state championship her sophomore year as she took first in the long jump and the 400, second in the 200 and third in the 100 to score 34 of the team’s meet-best 45 points, edging West Salem and Brown Deer — both finished with 38 points — for the title.

Arseneau and the Raiders did it again the following year. As a junior, she claimed individual titles in the long jump, 100 and 200, while taking second in the 400 to score 38 of the team’s 57 points as they won the state title, again edging West Salem, which had 51 points. 

Coming from such a strong program that already had multiple state championships before she had ever stepped foot on the track helped ease her mind. 

“Seeing that there were teams that had already accomplished something like that really made me believe that we could do it too,” Arseneau said. “It made the task feel less daunting which gave me the freedom to do my best and not have to worry about the pressure of being the ‘first’.”

She might not have been the first, but Arseneau was clearly unique. As storied as the Arcadia track and field program is with 12 team state championships between the Arcadia boys and girls programs, Arseneau is the first athlete to be inducted into the WITCA Hall of Fame. 

“Maya was one of the most naturally talented athletes I have ever coached,” Sonnentag, a five-time state champion coach and fellow WITCA Hall of Fame member, said. 

Arseneau recognizes that being the first Arcadia athlete to be inducted into the hall of fame is an accomplishment, but wasn’t willing to pat herself on the back.

“I’m happy to have been able to positively represent Arcadia and hope that the tradition lives on and that lots more kids get to have great experiences like I had representing the Raiders,” she said. “I also hope that my family, friends, teammates and coaches and everyone who was along for the ride, feel pride in this recognition because of their contributions.”

Sonnentag said that Arseneau’s special talent also made the coach’s job more challenging, but her personal attributes made it possible to maximize her athletic ability. 

“It was difficult not to push her too hard but keep her challenged enough to keep her interested,” Sonnentag said. “She was very coachable and had a great attitude.”

It wasn’t just what Arseneau did individually that helped the team succeed, Sonnentag also noted how good of a teammate her standout athlete was, often helping those around her. 

“At practices and in meets, she worked well with all the girls on the team — helping them, coaching them, cheering for them and encouraging them. That ‘team’ atmosphere helped the other girls to improve their times and distances which in the long run contributed to our success.”

Sonnentag noted the joy of watching such a high-caliber athlete compete. “She was fun to watch and always amazed us — when we thought she had peaked and couldn’t improve her times or distances...she somehow dug deep and did it.”

Life is different without the spotlight. Arseneau lives in Minneapolis where she and her husband, Austin, have two daughters — ages two and three. 

When she looks back at her career, she doesn’t think about standing on the podium or hoisting the state championship plaque above her head. Instead, she thinks about how she didn’t get to compete for a state title in the 400 as a freshman because of a false start. 

She thinks about the anxiety she felt as she was getting into her blocks and the relief once the race was over.

She remembers often seeing a friendly face in Arcadia resident and longtime track meet official Carl Bisek before races. 

She remembers the time in eighth grade when she went to the track to race, standing in the eighth lane before suddenly realized she didn’t have anyone to hold her blocks. A high school student — Cory Semling — jumped over the fence and gave her some “colorful pre-race encouragement” then she went on to break what was the high school record in the 400. 

“I have a lot more memories like this of people from our community and even from surrounding communities and our conference being so kind and supportive,” Arseneau said. “You couldn’t get too far off the track without someone’s mom patting you on the back saying, ‘good job’ or a random coach walking by with a ‘hey, great race.’” 

Some might say it’s the little things Arseneau remembers the most. Then again, Arseneau could argue those memories were the most important part of her journey to the state hall of fame.