BRODHEAD, Wis.—Brodhead senior Addison Yates admitted that she would have preferred some warmer temperatures for the final home meet of her high school career.
Other than the blustery breeze that made a sunny sky deceiving with the wind chill sinking well into the lower 40s, the 2024 Jim Church Invite couldn’t have gone much better for Yates and the Cardinals’ girls track and field team.
Hosting Brodhead/Juda won the girls’ title in dominating fashion as it finished with 154.5 total points, recording six event victories in the process and finishing well above second-place Delavan-Darien (103). Elkhorn was third (101.5) and was followed by Beloit Turner (86), Evansville (70), Clinton (67), Big Foot (48), Albany (34), Monticello (21) and Black Hawk (8).
“One of our big goals at every invite is to win,” said Yates, who had first-place finishes in the 110-meter hurdles and the long jump. “A lot of people work really hard and we know that we need to do good in our specific events to win. That's what gives us the most energy, we all want to do it for the team.”
On the boys’ side, Evansville edged Elkhorn 111-104 to take the top spot. Clinton (91) placed third and was followed by Brodhead/Juda (87), Turner (84), Delavan-Darien (69), Big Foot (61), Albany (56), Black Hawk (25) and Monticello (1).
“We all came out and the sprinters started sprinting, the mid-distance runners started doing mid-distance stuff and it was really exciting,” Brodhead senior Nathan Engen said. “We saw people that I haven't seen in a while, like my brother came back from college, and we saw a bunch of happy people and a lot of cheering. It was just a really nice vibe.”
Yates helped spearhead Brodhead/Juda’s run to first. She finished the 100 hurdles race in 16.72 seconds and soared to 16-feet, 10.5-inches in the long jump.
“I try to tell myself that the weather is not just affecting me, it's affecting everyone,” she said. “I just had to work hard no matter what. Obviously, times aren't going to be insane today because it's not good weather, but as long as you work hard and keep going (you’ll be fine).”
The senior also was second in the 300 hurdles (50.23) and in the high jump (5’ 2).
“In high jump, I just try to focus on my form,” Yates said. “I try not to overthink it and tell myself that I've done this before. I know what I need to work on, I know what I'm good at, and that helps me.”
On the track, junior Stella Arn was stellar for the Cardinals. She won the 100 (12.87) and was second in the 200 (26.26). She also anchored the second-place 4x100 that consisted of Brenley Jones, Elliana Shank and Bernice Bevars (53.55).
“Stella works her butt off,” Yates said. “She's one of the hardest working people I've ever met. She trains for this and lifts year round.”
Senior Kalena Riemer added a win in the 800 (2:26.56) and ran a leg of the second-place 4x400 relay (4:40.80) with Olivia Hartwig, Danica Dewrow and Brielle Engen. The 4x800 relay of Olivia Hartwig, Madi Brown, Serena Santiago and Danica Dewrow contributed a second-place finish (11:24.84).
Onni Williams dominated the throws with wins in both the shot put (37’ 4.5) and the discus (95’ 6). Teammate Brenley Jones was third in the triple jump (31’ 9) as was Elliana Shank in the pole vault (7’ 6).
Turner’s girls were highlighted by a pair of top-three finishes from Bronwyn Sherlund, who was second in the 100 hurdles (17.34) and third in the 300 hurdles (51.94), and Caitlin Wirth, who finished second in the 3200 (12:37.36) and third in the 1600 (5:58.19). Cherish Smith was third in the long jump (15’ 6.25).
“Bronwyn is gritty,” Trojans’ coach Nolan Ortemba said. “She is focused at the hurdles and has such a drive and passion for it. She's really pushing to see where she goes this year because she knows she has a good shot of going far.”
The Cougars got a pair of wins out of senior Paige Damman as she took first in the 1600 (5:44.72) and the 3200 (12:23.56). Teammate Ava Mueller was second in the 1600 (5:45.61). Damman also opened the first-place 4x800, which finished first (11:06.02) with Parker Kutz, Ella Logterman and Kasia London.
“Paige trained this off season in the winter through the really cold weather, which is impressive,” senior Dylan Yurs said. “She puts up a lot of points, and the girls’ team in general is really good.”
Big Foot’s 4x200 relay of Allie Stankevitz, Lydia Farence, Ava Schoonover and Maliyja Spearman had the only top-three finish for the Chiefs as they placed second (1:57.42).
On the boys side, Turner’s Elijah Terrell won the 200 (11.47) and the triple jump (42’ 7.25) while placing second in the 100 (11.47). The senior also ran a leg of the winning 4x200 (1:36.35) with Camron Ingram, Kaden Cook and Noah Amosa.
“Elijah, this year more than ever, has become a leader,” Ortemba said. “He's really taken it seriously and has been working really hard. There's days he's running longer workouts that way he has the endurance to be able to do (multiple events).”
Sophomore Thomas Peters placed first in the 1600 (4:59.95) and second in the 3200 (11:16.81).
The Cardinals were led by their relays with the 4x400 relay of Gavin Pinnow, Eric Woodward, Engen and Marcus McIntyre placing first (3:43.70). The 4x200 of Grayson Arn, Woodward, Tegan Pinnow and Gunner Boegli was second (1:36.77) as was the 4x800 of Engen, Blake Adkins, McIntyre and Jorge Villalva (9:06.93).
“We coordinate our handoffs really well,” said Engen, who also took first in the long jump (20’ 1). “We have the first runner being the best block starter. I'm just really excited to see what our team can do because we have some really fast people.”
On the track, Clinton’s Yurs won the 3200 (10:58.19) and was second in the 1600 (5:08.13), where Reagan Flickinger was third (5:13.29). In the field, Owen Douglas won the shot put (45’ 6) and placed second in the discus (133’ 5.5).
“It’s just mindset,” Yurs said. “If you think that you're gonna do good, you'll do good. Hopefully, we all step it up so we can get higher and higher in these meets.”
Big Foot’s Kaden Rambatt continued his tear in the pole vault by finishing first (11’ 0).
Other second-place finishes included: Clinton’s D’Angelo Vernon, Nathan Anastasi, Isaac Krummel and Reegan McCoy in the 4x100 (46.07), Engen in the 400 (53.26), Clinton’s Blaine Brown in the 110 hurdles (17.70), Gavin Pinnow in the high jump (5’ 10) and Turner’s Ingram in the long jump (19’ 9).
Third-place finishes were composed of: Boegli in the 100 (11.84), Gavin Pinnow in the 800 (2:12.97), Big Foot’s Austin Kooyenga in the 110 hurdles (17.99), Brown in the 300 hurdles (45.41), Big Foot’s Clayton Flies in the high jump (5’ 10) and Tristen Hilke in the pole vault (9’ 0), Turner’s Noah Amosa in the long jump (19’ 8) and Brodhead/Juda’s Brody Riese in the triple jump (39’ 1).
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