Winneconne's Ayden Hart wins two state hurdles titles, while Lourdes relay and Laconia's Isaac also capture track and field gold
LA CROSSE – When Ayden Hart stepped foot on the track at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday morning, he wasn’t sure if he had a state title in him.
The Winneconne senior didn’t need to worry. It turns out he had two titles in him.
“I came down here on the track at about 8:30 (a.m.), took my warmup laps and I was feeling very stiff, very tired,” Hart said.
That feeling didn’t last long.
“Once I got warmed up and started running through a couple hurdles, I knew that it was going to happen today. I knew I was ready,” he said.
Hart won the 110-meter hurdles in Division 2, then came back later to win the 300 hurdles at the WIAA state track and field championships.
“It feels great. I’ve worked very hard these past couple of years I’ve been in track,” he said. “I had a lot of — I guess I could say I was pretty nervous coming in here — but after the first stage getting the nerves out, I knew what I could do. I just had to run my race and just have belief in myself, control my controllables and get the job done.”
Hart finished in 14.79 seconds in the 110 hurdles to edge Cavan Dobberstein of Fox Valley Lutheran, who was second in 14.81 seconds. He finished the 300 hurdles in 38.97 seconds to beat Jack Erickson of Belleville/New Glarus, who finished in 39.88 seconds.
“Just a lot of hard work went into this," Hart said. "I thank my coaches and the people who helped me get here. I couldn’t have done it without them, my parents and all the people who supported me.”
Hart also ran with Cody McLeod, Vinny Duncan and Sam Waech on Winneconne’s 1,600 relay team that finished second in 3:21.71. Shorewood took first in 3:21.11.
Hart, also a standout wrestler who finished in fifth place at 145 pounds at the state tournament in February, dedicated himself to getting better on the track.
“Wrestling didn’t end the way I wanted it to, but that’s life,” he said. “So I made sure to just start getting right in the weight room when wrestling ended, building my strength and getting back into running shape and just working on my technique each day with my coaches. They helped me learn from mistakes and just get better each and every day.”
Lourdes relay team runs to gold
The Lourdes Academy girls 3,200 relay team won the Division 3 title.
The team of Molly Moore, Dasha Averkamp, Erin Moore and Mackenzie Stelter finished in a school-record time of 9:34.30. Boscobel was second in 9:39.62.
“We just knew we had to push ourselves. We talked about it and we just knew we could accomplish what we put our minds to,” Stelter said.
Boscobel led at the halfway point with Lourdes second and Laconia third. Erin Moore ran a blistering third leg of 2:17.71, turning an 8-second deficit for the Knights into a 12-second lead when she handed the baton to Stelter for the final two laps.
“It felt good. I can run in heat pretty well. I just stayed in it, kept going and let my mind go blank,” Erin Moore said.
Molly Moore and Stelter are seniors, so the win was extra special.
“We knew in order to do well at state we had to push hard at the beginning and we did very well. It means a lot,” Molly Moore said.
Laconia’s team of Marissa Johnson, Galena Everson, Allison Wright and Molly Duel finished fourth in 9:43.47.
Isaac saves best for last
Mattie Isaac had a few things working against her Saturday.
By her admission, she throws better during practice than she does in meets, and she doesn’t typically throw her best on her final attempt.
The Laconia senior put both of these demons to rest in a big way, winning the Division 3 state title in the shot put on her last toss.
Isaac threw 39 feet, 7.75 inches to edge Paige Kurlinski of Ozaukee, who threw 39-7.25. Kurlinski’s best throw came on her last attempt in the finals, then Isaac topped it on her final attempt.
“It was absolutely crazy,” Isaac said. “I always do my best in prelims and I like psych myself out in the finals. She threw the amazing throw right before me and I was like, ‘Oh my goodness.’ I literally have never done that before. I’ve never thrown my best in my last throw.”
Isaac glanced at her coach to see if her last throw was long enough to give her the title.
“I was looking at my coach and I was like, ‘I don’t think I got it, I don’t think I got it.’ And she was facing me and looking behind at the screen and she was like, ‘You got it.’ And I was so happy,” Isaac said.
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Isaac said her personal best during competition is 40-3.75, but she said she’s done better in practice.
“I just can’t seem to do my actual best in meets, but it’s OK. It’s alright,” she said.
Given her history, winning on the final throw was something Isaac will remember forever.
“That’s amazing, seriously,” she said. “I’m so proud of myself. I’m never really that proud of myself doing shot put because I always feel like I’m not doing my best, but this is amazing. I’m so happy. I’m so proud of myself.”
Busy weekend for Perry
Senior Joey Perry of Winneconne made it to the podium in three events in Division 2.
She placed second in the 300 hurdles in 43.70 seconds, fourth in the 400 in 57.77 seconds and fifth in the high jump with a leap of 5-4. She also placed eighth in the 200 in 25.60 seconds.
Other notables
Matthew Rusch of Fond du Lac placed fourth in the shot put in Division 1 with a toss of 58-7.75. John Klinger of Oshkosh North was fifth at 56-5.75. Rusch also placed fourth in the discus with a throw of 167-11. … Jacob Abel of Waupun placed sixth in the 100 in Division 2 in 11.02 seconds. He also placed third in the triple jump with a leap of 45-1.75. … The St. Mary’s Springs 800 relay team of Riley Walters, Sydney Pitz, Scarlett Gaertig and Grace Coon finished fourth in Division 3 in 1:46.48. … Springs’ team of Walters, Tiana Loynes, Gaertig and Coon placed fifth in the 400 relay in 50.90 seconds. … Sam Waech of Winneconne placed sixth in the boys 400 in 49.78 seconds. … Brady Hager of Omro placed fourth in the boys 800 in Division 2 in 1:57.21. … Sophie Yetter of Winneconne placed fifth in the girls 3,200 in 11:21.53.
This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: Track and field athletes bring home gold medals from state meet
