Lakeside repeats in style, setting new D2 scoring mark at state track and field meet

LA CROSSE — The preseason goal was obvious.

With six key returning letter winners back from a Division 2 state track and field championship team a year ago, Lakeside Lutheran’s boys were clearly looking to add another gold trophy to the school’s awards case.

Once the Warriors advanced the most entries to this year’s state meet with 13, the postseason goals became even bigger.

“As a team, we’re going for the state title, obviously, trying to repeat,” Lakeside Lutheran senior Cameron Weiland said.

“There’s something else about the team that is incredible ... Every single week, everybody is getting better and everybody is training their hardest. I think we have a legitimate shot at not only winning the state title, but the state record for points is 71 points, and that’s something our team is really trying to shoot for.”

They did it in style.

Fueled by 11 medal-winning finishes, the Warriors obliterated their winning total of 45 points from a year ago with a new Division 2 record scoring total of 81 points at the WIAA State Track and Field Championships held Friday and Saturday at UW-La Crosse’s Veterans Memorial Field Complex.

They also obliterated the competition.

Runner-up Somerset won a close battle for the silver trophy with 37 points.

The Warriors needed to make up 18 points lost from 2023 graduate Ben Buxa’s first and second places in the shot put and discus, and did it in spades with three first place finishes, five second place finishes, two fifth place finishes and one sixth place finish.

“I spent a lot of time thinking about that, and where those points were going to come from,” Lakeside Lutheran track and field coach Justin Vanderhoof said. “We saw a lot of growth from our juniors last year to our seniors this year that just has been phenomenal. We tried to put them in the best places where they can be successful, and then they went and did it.”

Lakeside’s title defense began in the 3,200 meter relay, where the team of Weiland and fellow seniors Gideon Ewerdt, Mark Garcia and Karsten Grundahl placed second for the second straight season in 8 minutes, 0.98 seconds.

Weiland led off once again with a strong leg.

“It felt good,” Weiland said. “I feel like I went out at a good pace. I felt like I went out a little too hard for the first 200, but overall, I ran hard and just kind of wished I had gotten a better lead going into the second leg. But the team ran well and I am happy we came away with second place.”

Last year’s team was slightly faster in 8:00.32.

Weiland doesn’t consider himself a “crazy good” 800 runner, but felt his speed improved from last season.

“We were just a little bit slower, but it’s great to be able to run with these senior guys,” Weiland said. “They have helped me to get better throughout the years. Being able to run this with some of your best friends, it’s amazing. I am grateful for the season that we had and for the rest of the state championship that’s left.”

Ewerdt took over the second spot in the order from 2023 graduate Tyler Gresens.

Though it would have been a tall order to catch McFarland’s winning time of 7:54.05, Ewerdt would have liked a more competitive battle for the top spot.

“I wish I had run better,” Ewerdt said. “There’s so much more energy here than (state cross country). Everything is so concentrated. It’s just different. I wasn’t really expecting that.

“But I am very content with the season. I had an awesome time with these guys, and that’s the important part.”

Garcia’s final high school race was satisfying.

“Running here the first time, going up to the line, I was going to be content with whatever the outcome was,” Garcia said. “Usually, I would be worrying. It just felt different this time.

“We got second last year. It was really fun. It’s a blessing. It’s really nice to be surrounded by really good people, especially people of the same faith. It makes it a lot more cohesive as a group. I never thought I would be as close to those guys as it was, but it’s really special.”

Grundahl acknowledged that high team expectations were the main reason a runner-up finish was disappointing.

“I feel like the expectations being high does help, but it also puts pressure on us,” Grundahl said. “That pressure to perform, but I think it’s a good pressure to have. You want to put yourself in that spot.”

Junior Tyler Dahlie provided the next four points on Friday, placing fifth in the triple jump with a personal best leap of 45 feet, 3 1/4 inches.

“I hit it on my final jump in the finals,” Dahlie said. “It felt really good. Last year, (my best) was 42-2. I grew, I guess.”

Weiland gave the Warriors eight more points to close out the first day with a second place finish in the 3,200 meter run in a PR time of 9:21.33.

Though he came in seeded ninth after running a 9:40 at the sectional, Weiland showed the large crowd what a complete runner he has become.

The four-time state qualifier in cross country earned his first top ten medal in that sport last fall, and earned his first individual medal in track and field by bolting into the lead on the second lap.

He held that lead until the final lap, when Lakeland Union senior Owen Clark overtook him to win in 9:11.71. But by setting a hot pace early and maintaining it, Weiland helped the team and gave himself a PR and a silver medal.

“The plan was just to make it into a fast race,” Weiland said. “I wanted to start it out right from the beginning. That was my plan going into it.”

It became a two man race by the fifth lap.

“I kept looking at the board to see where everybody else was,” Weiland said. “I kept trying to make this into a two-man race. At the end, you never know if you can make him fall off. That was the plan.

“Some of those guys have had faster times than me, but I knew what I could do. The preparation and training that I did, that’s what helped me get to this point.

“This was the race I was hoping for. I have been envisioning it since last year’s state championships. To be able to go out there and give it my best and leave it all out there, I can’t be happier than anything. All the glory to God. That’s where my confidence comes from every time I step on the track.”

Distance coach Cameron Ausen considered Weiland’s race a tactical masterpiece. His top cross country runner thanked him and many others.

“I’m thankful to the people who were confident in me and helped me get to this point,” Weiland said. “That’s where my confidence was. I knew where my preparation was. Our team motto is ‘Confidence in Christ’ and everything we do, I do it for my Lord. So I was just happy to make the race I wanted it to be, and especially to come out with second place. I am excited.”

The Warriors held a 20-19 lead over Somerset after the first day, then broke things wide open on Saturday.

Junior Ben Krauklis earned the first of two silver medals in the sprints with a second place finish in the 100 meter dash in 10.95 seconds. Campbellsport senior Joshua Onwunili won in 10.70.

It marked the fourth sub-11 second 100 for Krauklis this season. This was his first time running this race at state.

“I’m a little sore from yesterday,” Krauklis said. “It wasn’t an amazing race, but it felt pretty good. Second place, I’ll take that. That was kind of the goal going into it. Obviously, you run for first. I think everyone was expecting me to get second and I did that, so I met the expectations.

“I think everyone is just doing the best they can to help the team. I’d say we’re the favorites going into it. We’re just doing our best to perform. It would be nice to get a 10 soon.”

The first of those 10-point finishes came an hour later, when the 800 relay team of juniors Issiah Sampson, Josef Rupnow, Krauklis and senior Alex Reinke won by .42 of a second in 1:27.60.

One day after posting the top trials time of 1:28.40, the Warriors backed it up with an even faster time.

“This felt way better (than last year, when we were fourth in 1:29.67),” Sampson said. “Our team has grown a lot since then and I feel that we were just prepared to do good this year.

“It took about 2-3 weeks (to get the handoff with Rupnow right). It was good, it wasn’t the greatest, but we kept working on it, and it got better and better. We wanted to get first place this time.”

Rupnow was the lone newcomer after 2023 graduate Jay Yahnke ran it a year ago.

“Originally, I was set as an alternate, but one of our teammates was having injury issues, so they stuck me in there,” Rupnow said. “I was able to keep the spot. I think this is my fourth time (running it). We practiced a lot. We got the job done.

“They are all such great guys. I am just so happy to be here and be part of this team.”

Krauklis appreciated relay titles the most.

“Placing well in individual events is great, but I think placing in team events is even better, because it shows it’s not just all individuals that compete and do good for the team,” Krauklis said.

“We’re a well-rounded team and everyone contributes whether or not as an individual or in a relay. The whole team works for the ultimate goal of winning a state championship.”

Weiland added four more points with a fifth place finish in the 1,600 in a PR time of 4:18.

Once again, he made a bid for the title by taking the lead in the second lap, and once again gave it up in the final lap. Ultimately, Whitewater junior Jack Hefty repeated as the mile champion in 4:13 by outkicking Clark (4:13.35).

“It felt harder today,” Weiland said. “My legs are pretty tired, but I still just wanted to go after it and see what place I could get.

“My 4:18 was a PR and another school record. Sub-4:20 was what I was working for, all the Glory to God for that.

“It hurt pretty bad (last lap). My legs were begging me to stop, but I just tried to push through it and I knew it was going to be my last high school race and I just wanted to make it count.”

Dahlie earned his second field event medal, this time placing second in the high jump after clearing 6-2.

Rainy conditions left Dahlie with little chance of matching the PR height of 6-7 he cleared at the Big Foot sectional. Ellsworth senior Parker Woodland won the title as the only competitor to clear 6-4.

Dahlie had to grind on this day. He was grazing the bar on lower heights he normally sails over.

“Pretty wet,” Dahlie said. “It was close (to misses). There was a puddle collecting right where I was jumping, so that made it a ton worse and they kept using wet rags to clean it up and at that point, it just wasn’t working.

“Just jumping at sectionals a week ago, the weather was a lot better. I just felt in the zone, if you want to say that. I had a 3-inch PR. It was pretty awesome.”

Senior Daniel Ertman made his second state appearance and first as an individual and scored three points with a sixth place time of 49.76 in the 400 meter dash.

He broke 50 seconds at the Capitol Conference meet and put down a PR time of 49.3 at the sectional.

Osceola senior Addison Uddin won in 47.73. The top seven sprinters all broke 50 seconds.

“Very tough field,” Ertman said. “It’s tiring. Not sleeping in my own bed, it’s tough. The nerves, it being my first time running individually, it does a lot. You never know when you are going to run.

“But it’s been a true blessing. It’s been a lot of work. I started in November trying to get my down as much as I could and I have reaped the rewards.”

Ertman ran on the state champion cross country team in the fall, but was converted to the 400 as an underclassmen.

“A funny story,” Ertman said. “I was starting out as a distance kid in track. They needed me to fill in at the 4-by-4 one time, and I dropped a 56 and all the coaches looked at me and said, nope. I just ran the 400 after that.

“Today was a beast. The 400 is always tough. My dad always says, run hard, run fast, have fun. It does feel gratifying (to win a medal).”

One year after placing a close second in the 800 meter run, Grundahl took the title with a winning and personal best time of 1:52.98 to give the Warriors ten more points.

“The 8 state championship was definitely my goal going into this year and it was definitely a good moment to actually bring it home and come out with a win,” Grundahl said.

“That was pretty sweet. One kid went out really fast in a 53. I passed him in the middle of the back stretch with 250 left. After that, I just gave it all I had, and nobody caught me. It was a PR by two seconds in the open 8.”

Next came the 200 meter dash, where Krauklis and Reinke ran together one final time.

They came in seeded second and fifth, respectively. Krauklis placed second in 21.88 while Reinke was ninth in 22.27. Onwunili was the overall winner in 21.53.

Both Warriors praised each other after years of sharpening iron with each other.

“We’ve been running against each other the past three years,” Reinke said. “We’ve gone back and forth. Unfortunately, this year, I couldn’t catch him, but I have to be thankful and have respect for having a guy like that on our team with such speed and athleticism. It’s going to be sad to not be able to run with him, but he will excel (next year).”

Krauklis felt the same way.

“It’s great to have a teammate that can push you as you go through your career and to have one that’s like, so equal with you, that you really are getting pushed,” Krauklis said.

“It’s definitely something I have on people who are on other teams don’t have. I think that’s why I have gotten so much better throughout the years is because I have a teammate that is able to push me. He’s definitely a blessing for my abilities and what I have been able to do.”

With Krauklis adding eight more points, the Warriors tied the state scoring mark at 71. The Warriors could have been disqualified in the 1,600 relay and they still would have tied for the state record.

Instead, they put down one more gold medal finish to cap things off.

The top-seeded team of Ertman, Dahlie, Grundahl and Reinke won in 3:20.36. Freedom took second in 3:22.95.

“(My first leg) felt horrible, but it was great,” Ertman said. “I gave it everything I had left. Four years of running, I gave it everything I got. It feels incredible. Winning back to back (titles) is really a true blessing.”

Dahlie made up huge ground on the back stretch with his long strides, giving Grundahl a chance to run down the mile champion, Hefty, and give Reinke the baton in the lead.

“I was probably dead by the 150 mark, I’m not going to lie,” Dahlie said. “I saw the red guy (from Whitewater) in front of me and I was trying to stay right on his back, so I wasn’t too far away.

“It’s been pretty amazing (with the seniors). Last year, the 4-by-4 we had, it was cool to improve our time and school record this year.”

Grundahl started his track career as a gritty miler and ended it as an assassin in 400 and 800 events.

“That was pretty fun,” Grundahl said. “(Hefty) was right in front of me, so I just had to try and do what I could to catch him. It was pretty perfect for me.

“This relay is pretty awesome, I love being part of the four by four. This team is awesome. These guys push each other every day and keep getting a little bit better. It’ll be a little bit sad to never run with these guys again.”

Reinke led the anchor leg from wire to wire to close out the team’s historic showing.

“It was a lot of fun,” Reinke said. “It’s hard to realize and to accept that that was the last one, but we put everything out there. A number of races in two days is no easy task.

“But when it comes down to it, knowing it’s the last one, you’re giving it what you’ve got. I am really happy with the result, I’m happy for the guys I had with me, and all the work that they put in and we ended just like this.”

Junior Nolan Schweighardt competed in the pole vault but did not make the opening height. In the girls competition, Lakeside senior Brielle Leis finished 16th in the shot put (34- 3/4),

“There’s maybe a small number of points we left out there, but not many,” Vanderhoof said. “They performed so well and they exceeded expectations in some areas. Very proud of all of them.

“We have some kids who we are going to miss very much, not just because of how talented they are, but the kind of kids that they are.”

The senior class has its fingerprints on all five gold or silver trophies for the boys programs in the awards case.

Weiland, Garcia and Ewerdt ran on Lakeside’s state champion and state runner-up cross country teams from the past two seasons. Reinke played on back-to-back state tournament boys basketball teams, including this year’s state runner-up team.

“I would have never expected my high school career to go like this, but I couldn’t be more thankful for it,” Reinke said. “I don’t know what to say. It’s incredible.”

Krauklis reflected on what the track and field program has accomplished, but was quick to point out that there’s more to come.

“It will be fun to look back at all the memories, but now we’ve got next year,” Krauklis said.

Amen to that.