'These guys are my brothers': SPASH boys win Division 1 state track and field title to highlight central Wisconsin athletes at state
LA CROSSE – Big moments are best shared with family.
That’s the mantra of the Stevens Point boys track and field team, and it paid off in a big way Saturday at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
The Panthers tied Hartland Arrowhead with 47 points to share the Division 1 team championship at the WIAA state track and field championships.
It is the first boys track and field title for SPASH since it shared the Class A title with Milwaukee King in 1955. SPASH also was runner-up in 1996 and 2001.
“These guys are my brothers and I’m willing to do anything for them and they’re willing to do anything for me,” said junior Bode Erickson, who won the 1,600-meter run Saturday in 4 minutes, 15.19 seconds. “That’s why SPASH fought well today. That’s why we got tied for first. Because we scratched through every single event and did everything we could.”
The Panthers’ other victory came in the 3,200 relay late Friday night just before a lengthy rain delay. The team of Tate Bruckhart, Ethan Olds, Aloysius Franzen and Erickson won in 7:46.64.
Erickson also finished third in the 3,200 in the early hours of Saturday after the delay pushed the first day’s events past midnight. Matthew Eiden was fourth in the 400 and eighth in the 200. Nick Tuchscherer was fifth in the long jump and seventh in the triple jump. Franzen was fifth in the 1,600 and seventh in the 3,200, and Tate Bruckhart took sixth in the 800.
“It’s been just a great experience. (Friday) night was a little crazy obviously, but the team is like having a big family. We’ve got the boys team, the girls team, we’re all friends. Just hanging out having a great time and running really fast and it’s been so much fun,” Bruckhart said.
Franzen said his teammates are “truly” his brothers.
“I spend 90% of my time with them,” he said. “Considering the fact we haven’t won a state track title since 1955, this is just huge to not only our team but our community as a whole. It’s a surreal feeling right now really.”
Franzen said the Panthers were able to maintain a winning outlook despite weather delays and extreme heat forcing schedule changes.
“It’s nothing close to conventional, but honestly our guys embraced it really well,” he said. “There was never a moment when we just kind of gave up and said, ‘Hey, just because it’s not going our way doesn’t mean we can’t run well.’ Everybody was always hyped up to run. We didn’t really change our mindset even though the weather was on and off. It went well.”
Erickson persevered through stomach issues and an ailing quad to be there for his teammates, just as they were there for him.
“It’s so special. To win for SPASH, we’re a family. To be able to win like that, it’s unreal,” Erickson said.
Athens' Janke wins again
Athens senior Aiden Janke won his second Division 3 state title of the weekend when he took first in the discus Saturday. Janke had won the shot put Friday.
Janke’s winning discus throw was 159 feet, 6 inches, which he did on his second attempt. Ryan Whittlinger of Fall Creek was second at 154-9.
“I just wanted to come out here and do my best and try to win again,” Janke said. “I got a good night’s sleep last night, so that helped.”
Janke, who won the shot put and finished fourth in the discus last year, will compete in college at UW-Milwaukee.
Finishing with two titles this year and three in his high school career is something Janke won’t forget.
“It’s meant a lot, especially coming down here with my teammates and some of my best friends and making memories,” he said. “Definitely will never forget these memories. Just excited for college and what I can do there.”
Janke’s teammate Ryan Peel placed third in the pole vault with a leap of 13-6, helping the Greyhounds take second place in the team standings with 32 points. Shiocton took first with 38.
Assumption's Thomas makes strong debut
Assumption freshman Bella Thomas won the 100 with a time of 12.39 seconds. Braylee Hyatt of Cashton was second in 12.50 seconds.
“It feels really good. I’m super-duper happy and I’m really excited to be bringing home this first,” Thomas said. “I was trying to get out of the blocks as fast as I can and try and get that big launch and then just go.”
Thomas said she wasn’t expecting to win the title in her first state meet.
“I really wanted to be on the podium. I was aiming for like top four, but first works too,” she said.
Thomas also finished second in the 200 in 25.49 seconds, just behind Hyatt’s winning time of 25.44 seconds.
Vater doubles up
Charlie Vater of Iola-Scandinavia added a second distance running state title, finishing first in the 1,600 in Division 3 in 4:15.87. Vater won the 3,200 on Friday.
“It’s a blessing to be here twice. It’s awesome,” Vater said. “I was proud of myself that I just did it twice and (proved) I belong here.”
Vater said he was healthy all season and that gave him the confidence to compete at a high level.
“I’ve been training a really long time,” he said. “This season I’ve put in so much training like I’ve never done before. I’ve also had a super healthy season. I haven’t taken any time off, which is the first time in my career where I’ve had that clean of a season and I think that just helped so much.”
Adam Eiden of Pacelli finished second behind Vater in 4:20.26.
Rosholt's Bablitch goes the distance
Sophia Bablitch of Rosholt won the Division 3 state title in the 3,200 with a winning time of 10:55.35. Autumn Michalski of Chequamegon was second in 11:03.79.
Bablitch finished second to Michalski in the 1,600 on Friday.
“It feels really great honestly,” Bablitch said. “The mile yesterday was a tough race, so I was a little nervous coming in today but I was like, ‘I’m just going to put everything into it.’ I’m so happy with it. Autumn, who won the mile yesterday, ran really great too, so I’m happy I had her to push me.”
Bablitch took the lead on the fifth of eight laps and steadily added to her cushion, never looking like she was struggling despite the extreme heat.
“I had to really mentally prepare myself,” she said. “The mile didn’t go as well as I wanted it to, but I was like, ‘You know, if you believe and you put everything into it.’ I knew I could do it if I really put everything into it. As soon as I made my move, I was like I’m not giving it up so I’m really happy that I did that. It went good.”
Not long after winning the 3,200, Bablitch was back on the track running the third leg of the 1,600 relay. Rosholt finished in sixth place in 4:08.56 to reach the podium.
“As happy as I was with the (3,200), I really wanted to put everything out there for my team because both of my cousins (Sydney Trzebiatowski and Isabelle Trzebiatowski) are on that team and they’ve been working really hard for this, so I wanted to really help them and get them a medal my cousins’ senior year,” Bablitch said. “It went good and I’m happy I had something left to contribute.”
Busy weekend for Mlodik
Sara Mlodik of D.C. Everest finished second in the 1,600 in Division 1 late Friday night in 4:50.83, less than a second behind Ella Anschutz of Muskego who won in 4:50.27.
Mlodik also finished fifth in the 800 in 2:15.71 and then added a third-place finish in the 3,200 on Saturday in 10:43.46.
Rogowski busy, too
Reese Rogowski of Wittenberg-Birnamwood had a busy two days in the Division 2 girls competition.
The senior standout finished second in the long jump with a leap of 18-2, third in the 400 in 56.45 seconds, sixth in the 200 in 24.94 seconds and 10th in the 100 in 12.65 seconds.
Other notables
Jensen Rice of Iola-Scandinavia placed third in the boys 110 hurdles in Division 3 in 14.92 seconds. The freshman also placed sixth in the 100 in 11.19 seconds. … Drake Carlson of Marathon took first in the mixed 1,600 wheelchair in 4:38.75 and placed fifth in the mixed 100-meter wheelchair in 20.97 seconds. … The Loyal girls team of Leah Scherer, Sheila Tellock, Addysen Wolf and Aubre Robida placed second in the 800 relay in Division 3 in 1:45.38. The same four girls also placed second in the 400 relay in 50.07 seconds. … Mel Severson of Newman Catholic finished second in the girls 400 in Division 3 in 58.40 seconds. … Michaela Dick of Marshfield was third in the girls 300 hurdles in Division 1 in 44.52 seconds. … Faith Resch of Wittenberg-Birnamwood finished third in the girls 300 hurdles in Division 2 in 45.19 seconds. … The Mosinee girls 1,600 relay team of Malina Carattini, Kate Baars, Taelyn Jirschele and Britt Fitzgerald took second place in Division 2 in 3:58.75. Jirschele also finished third in the long jump at 17-8.5. … The Pacelli girls 1,600 relay team of Annie Vaughan, Malaina Cashin, Casey Vaughan and Emma Reincke took third in Division 3 in 4:07.85. … Payton Skortz of Rosholt finished third in the girls Division 3 shot put with a toss of 38-10.5. … Blake Postler of D.C. Everest finished third in the boys Division 1 300 hurdles in 38.59 seconds and fourth in the 110 hurdles in 14.57 seconds. … Jett Schoenherr of Stratford placed third in the boys 100 in Division 3 in 11.04 seconds. … Stratford’s 400 relay team of Payton Glenn, Austin Oneil, Coltan Breit and Schoenherr placed third in 43.75 seconds. … Teegan Streit of Edgar took third in the boys triple jump in Division 3 with a leap of 43-10.75.
This article originally appeared on Wausau Daily Herald: Stevens Point Panthers win WIAA Division 1 state track and field title
