LA CROSSE — Fort Atkinson senior Ben Stricker took a victory lap at Roger Harring Stadium.
Eight of them, to be more specific.
Stricker capped off a decorated distance running career for the Blackhawks by earning a fifth place medal in the Division 1 boys 3,200 meter run at the WIAA State Track and Field Championships on Friday.
He crossed the finish line in 9 minutes, 25.49 seconds, which was 1.69 seconds faster than his sectional qualifying time.
Competing in a field of 25 runners, Stricker found himself near the back in 21st place during the early laps. He made a move to get into the top ten at the mile mark and steadily worked his way into top six medal contention.
Looking strong down the stretch while others were starting to fade, Stricker made the final passes needed to earn a medal over the final two laps.
“I was expecting it to be fast,” Stricker said. “Everyone was, especially the people on the podium. They were all saying how they expected to go out in 4:30, so I was expecting to go out and try to go 4:35, which I have done this year. I know I am capable of that.
“We went through slow in the first lap, so I thought, this is not going to be a super fast race for me, but I am still going to go tight and try and medal.
“Coming around with a mile to go, so through four laps, I realized I was kind of in the back and there was some separation happening, so around the turn and right into the straight, I moved up about 10 or 11 places.
“I had to put in a little bit of a surge, but it wasn’t a super hard surge. It was a controlled surge and then we came around again for the fifth lap, and I was still looking at a gap and I just decided to go around two people that I had been racing (Stevens Point sophomore Cooper Erickson, who placed eighth), I decided to go on his outside and just take it around.
“It worked out in my favor. I came through at 800 and I was like, I felt great, so I am just going to try to keep on the gas and try to get into that medal position. I was 10 or 15 meters behind medal position, and I just went heavy on that second to last lap and then on the bell lap, I just kicked it.
“I saw people, so I just went around. I felt like I could have gone more, but it was awesome.”
Onalaska junior Manny Putz won the race in 9:08.75
Madison La Follette senior Nico Castellanos, who won the Beaver Dam sectional, placed second in 9:11.21. De Pere sophomore Grady Lenn took third in 9:19.63. Hartford senior Mason Weber was fourth in 9:29.09, just .40 of a second ahead of Stricker, who continued his late push and nearly caught one of the sectional runners who finished ahead of him a week ago.
“That proves our sectional was the best in the state,” Stricker said. “The top three who made it all medaled. (The sectional) was probably the hardest 3,200 of my life, and this was one probably the easiest. It was awesome.”
Fort track and field coach Dennis Schwedrsky was impressed with Stricker’s poise and patience.
“We knew that race was going to be equal parts tough and exciting,” Schwedrsky said. “When the race went out, Ben was way back in the middle of the pack, but he did not panic. He was right on pace of what he wanted to run. In the last mile, he picked people off every lap. As people fell off the pace, he remained rock solid.”
Stricker finally made the awards podium and proudly gripped the school name on his jersey while pictures were being taken.
“I am really stoked to have this be my last high school race, repping Fort,” Stricker said. “I am glad to come away with some hardware. It worked out perfectly. Now, I can enjoy the rest of the weekend and watch my teammates, watch my friends.”
Stricker plans to compete in the Wisco Mile at Wisconsin Lutheran High School on Saturday, and later at the 2024 Nike Outdoor Nationals in Oregon, which will be held June 12-15.
From there, he will continue his running career at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.
“I’m heading there with Blake (Onalaska senior Blake Burnstad), whose team won the 4-by-8, and a few people from the Minnesota area that I have known. I am pretty excited for that. I am getting ready.”
Schwedrsky will miss coaching Stricker, whose career also included three appearances at the State Cross Country Championships.
“Ben is a very goal-oriented young man, and he’s never wavered from that,” Schwedrsky said. “Ben’s always trusted the process. Spencer Agnew, our distance coach and varsity cross country coach, always talks about it as a process with no shortcuts and knowing there will be setbacks. Ben kept his head on straight, focused on his big goals and that paid off for him.
“Ben set a fine example for our younger athletes to see hard work does pay off, eventually. In sport, things don’t come easily or quickly, but if you work at it you’ll get to where you want to go. Ben had a pretty phenomenal career representing Fort.”
Fort sophomore Grant Heagney finished 21st in the boys 400 meter dash in 51.55 seconds.
“While Grant had been at state last year as part of a relay, this was his first time competing all on his own and he held up well in a big, new experience,” Schwedrsky said. “If you ask him, he’d probably say he didn’t run as well as he wanted to. That’s maybe overlooking a little how difficult it is to compete at state. Grant’s time ended up being his third best of the season and this was a great experience for him.”
Junior Mykenna Gray placed eighth in the Division 1 girls discus with a throw of 127 feet, 11 inches.
“Our only goal for her was to have good throws and see what happens,” Schwedrsky said. “She was seeded 13th. On her last throw in trials, Mykenna ripped a fantastic throw that ended up being her final throw of the day. That throw was also within six inches of the school record.
“Mykenna even surprised herself. For her to finish in eighth was a tremendous accomplishment and I’m really proud of her.”
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