Norse, Wildcats run in Onalaska, open DC season

The Blair-Taylor and Whitehall track and field teams got two meets in together last week running against some larger schools in Onalaska before beginning Dairyland Conference competition.

The teams struggled a bit in the Knight Invite, hosted by Luther with mostly larger schools competing last week Tuesday. On Thursday, they saw some more normal competition with the Dairyland Conference East Invitational hosted by B-T. There, the B-T girls took first, ahead of the Whitehall girls while the boys squads from both schools tied for second.

The Wildcats competed again on Saturday in Cashton. Both teams competed in the Trempealeau County meet in Independence on Monday and both are set to compete in a DC meet at Cochrane-Fountain City on Tuesday. 

Knight Invite

The West Salem teams ran away from the meet as Whitehall and B-T competed against larger schools.

Paige Kelly had a standout showing for the Wildcats, winning both the 100 dash and the 300 hurdles, while also running on the fourth-place 1600 relay team to help score 25 of B-T’s 44 points.

Avery Sonsalla was second in the triple jump for the Whitehall girls, while Olivia Killian took third. Sonsalla added a fourth-place finish in the 200, as did Mia Sygulla in the 100 hurdles. 

Kevin Carroll had the top finish for the Whitehall boys, taking second in the 1600. Brian Flores had fourth-place finishes in the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles. The 1600 relay team was also fourth.

B-Ts 400 relay team took third with Riley McAdams, Ethan Kniseley, Caden Kruse and DaVonne Turner. 

The West Salem boys finished 3.5 points better than the host school, while the West Salem girls scored 107 more points than any other team. The B-T girls took seventh, Whitehall tied with Alma/Pepin for eighth. The Whitehall boys were seventh and the B-T boys were 10th. 

Boys track, Knight Invite, April 19, 2022 at Luther High School, Onalaska

West Salem 142.5 Luther 139 BR Falls 93 A/P 60 Aquinas 58 Mel-Min 53.5 Whitehall 46 Sparta 39.5 C-FC 39.5 B-T 25

B-T top three finishes

Thirds — 400 relay (McAdams, Kniseley, Kruse, Turner), 48.25

WHS top three finishes

Seconds — Carroll, 1600, 4:42.26

Girls track, Knight Invite, April 19, 2022 at Luther High School, Onalaska

West Salem 189 Sparta 81.5 BR Falls 76 Luther 69.5 C-FC 63 Aquinas 50.5 B-T 44 A/P 36 Whitehall 36 Mel-Min 32.5 Providence Academy 7

B-T top three finishes

Firsts — Kelly, 100, 13.62; Kelly, 300 hurdles, 53.58

WHS top three finishes

Seconds — Sonsalla, triple jump, 30-7.5

Thirds — Killian, triple jump, 30-0

DC East Meet

Kelly and McKenzie Brandenburg both had two individual first place finishes to lead the B-T girls to the team title.

Kelly won the 100 dash and 300 hurdles, while Brandenburg took the top spot in the 800 and 1600. The team also got first-place finishes from Sara Steffenson in the high jump and Josie Waldera in the discus. 

The Wildcats finished well ahead of the pack with 118.666 points, Whitehall was second with 91.33.

Olivia Killian took first in the 400 and the shot put for the Norse, which also got top finishes from Mia Sygulla in the 100 hurdles and Avery Sonsalla in the triple jump. 

The Whitehall and B-T boys were both a part of a three-way tie for second place behind Melrose-Mindoro. 

DaVonne Turner led the Wildcats with three individual first place finishes, winning the 100, 200 and long jump. He added a third-place finish in the high jump. 

Isaac Payne won the discus for the Wildcats.

Kevin Carroll and Ben Mohan took first for Whitehall with Carroll winning the 400 and Mohan the high jump. 

Boys track, DC East Meet, April 21, 2022 at Blair-Taylor High School, Blair

Mel-Min 93 B-T 80 Whitehall 80 Augusta 80 AC Lincoln 19

B-T top three

Firsts — Turner, 100, 11.9; Turner, 200, 24.75; Turner, long jump, 18-2.5; Payne, discus, 93-4

Seconds —Kruse, high jump, 5-6

Thirds — McAdams, 100, 12.37; Flynn, 800, 2:40.87; 800 relay (Ga. Armitage, Gr. Armitage, Nehring, Lien), 1:54.46; Turner, high jump, 5-6; Elvaker, discus, 85-11

WHS top three 

Firsts — Carroll, 400, 54.21; Mohan, high jump, 5-8

Seconds — Mohan, 1600, 5:29.99; Flores, 300 hurdles, 20:96; 1600 relay (P. Thompson, Johnston, Mohan, Thorn), 3:47.08; 3200 relay (Carroll, Pank, Flores, Herrick), 9:44.33; N. Thompson, pole vault, 8-6; Jacobson, shot put, 36-5.75

Thirds — Thorn, 1600, 5:30.33; Flores, 110 hurdles, 20.96

Girls track, DC East Meet, April 21, 2022 at Blair-Taylor High School, Blair

B-T 118.666 Whitehall 91.333 Mel-Min 72 Augusta 60 AC Lincoln 27

B-T top three

Firsts — Paige, 100, 13.32; Brandenburg, 800, 2:55.42; Brandenburg, 1600, 6:34.28; Paige, 300 hurdles, 53.0; Steffenson, high jump, 4-4; Waldera, discus, 77-7

Seconds — 1600 relay (Kelly, Halverson, Castrique, Steffenson, 4:42.58; Castrique, high jump, 4-4; Waldera, shot put, 26-10.75; Kling, discus, 75-05

Thirds — Steffenson, 100, 13.99; S. Kidd, 400, 1:13.05; Walentin, 100 hurdles, 21:47; Walentin, 300 hurdles, 1:01.7; 400 relay (Close, Edie, Cudok, Waldera), 1:03.53; 800 relay (Close, Edie, Cudok, Walters), 2:16.61; Kelly, discus, 70-6

WHS top three 

Firsts — Killian, 400, 1:08.97; Sygulla, 100 hurdles, 19:45; Sonsalla, triple jump, 31-1.75; Killian, shot put, 29-5

Seconds — Sonsalla, 200, 20.03; Pirk, 100 hurdles, 21:10; Herber, pole vault, 6-0; Correa, long jump, 13-9; Killian, triple jump, 30-7

Thirds — Correa, 200, 30.21; 1600 relay (Pirk, Correa, Youngbauer, Killian), 4:50.05; Sonsalla, long jump, 12-4.5; Correa, triple jump, 30-3