Weather delays WIAA Division 1 state track meet, alters Saturday's schedule for running events
LA CROSSE − A lengthy rain-delay marred the Division 1 state track and field meet Friday evening at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
The start of the D1 meet was moved back two hours to 6:30 p.m. due to a weather delay during the Division 2 and Division 3 meet earlier in the day. Another weather delay − this time close to three hours − followed the completion of the D1 boys 3,200-meter relay.
The meet resumed at 9:25 p.m. but the stadium's lights went out, prompting another 30-minute delay. The meet was finally completed at 1:15 a.m. Saturday morning.
The WIAA announced it would be starting the D1 running events Saturday after the Division 2 and Division 3 running events are completed, following a 45-minute warmup.
🚨Saturday's State Track & Field schedule has been altered to accommodate the later finish to Friday's D1 prelims.
D2 & 3 track events, wheelchair events & D1 field events will go on as scheduled.
D1 track events will follow the final D2 & 3 track events, after a 45-min warmup. pic.twitter.com/32ESWwLDss— WIAA State Tournaments (@wiaawistate) June 3, 2023
Polar Bears' Smith falls short of discus title
Ben Smith’s quest to repeat as the Division 1 discus champion fell short late Friday night.
Smith, the Hortonville standout junior thrower and defending Division 1 state champ in both the shot put and discus, had a solid throw of 198 feet, 10 inches on this third attempt.
Waterford’s Bryce Ruland did him better on his second toss, recording a throw of 201-11 for the win.
Fox Valley Association throwers made up four of the top five finishers, with Kimberly’s Hunter Sprangers finishing third (178-8), Fond du Lac’s Matthew Rusch fourth (167-11) and Neenah’s Blake Dietzen fifth (166-10).
Guest, Kinas finish top three in long jump
Appleton North’s Ryan Guest and Kaukauna’s Alexa Kinas finished second and third, respectively, in the girls long jump.
Guest, a senior, had a jump of 18-0.25 on her fifth attempt with Kinas jumping the same distance on her sixth attempt. DeForest’s Anna Szepieniec won the event with an 18-9.75.
Also on the podium
Kimberly’s 3,200 relay team of Owen Siebert, Logan Salzmann, Matt Leder and Mitchell Grishaber finished fourth (7:53.37) with Stevens Point taking the gold (7:46.64).
Kimberly’s Alex Reichenberger was sixth in the pole vault (14-6) with Hartford Union’s Aaron Cummings winning the event (16-8). That event was completed indoors because of the weather.
Prelim standouts
Kimberly’s boys 800 relay team of Alejandro Pagan Vega, Jack Schreiber, Drew Eiden and Jack Statz recorded the top time in the prelims (1:27.11) to advance to Saturday’s final.
Kaukauna’s Kinas finished third in the girls 400 prelims with a time of :57.42.
The Ghosts' boys 400 relay team of Logan Bartolac, Daniel VanDyke, Joe Morello and Will Smith had the top time (:41.91) in its prelim.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Weather delays Division 1 state track meet, alters Saturday's schedule
