Champion track teams look to defend their titles

The Tri-County Area has a few prep track and field teams ready to defend the titles they won a year ago.

Fall Creek High School's boys and girls teams were winners many timers over last season with both Cricket teams winning the Western Cloverbelt, regional and sectional championship and the FC girls doing the ultimate, winning the WIAA Division 3 state title.

Eleva-Strum girls' team won its first-ever Dairyland Conference title (Augusta's boys just finishing a single point out of first place).

There are plenty of letterwinners on this year's FC squad this season to help the Crickets with this endeavor including defending state champ, junior Alena Sanfelippo and Lylian Anderson, state qualifier Evelyn Bergeron
Anna Dougherty, Caroline Grossinger, Corrina Grossinger, Maddison Halverson, Addison Kelly, Rebekah Krenz, Reese Lucken, Sophia Manning, Gracie Marten, Mariah Sloop, Emallie Sorensen, state qualifier Rebecca Sturz and Lydia Williams on the girls' team and Korbyn Anderson, Mason Antczak, Levi Atkins, Lincoln Burr, Marcus Coleman, state qualifier Marcus Kleinhans, Ben Pilgrim, Nate Spencer, Caleb Steinke, state qualifier
Isaac Steinke, Joel Stump and qualifiers Bo Vollrath and Jacob Wathke.

Graduating for the Crickets were state qualifiers Jenna Anders, Megan Johnston, Tori Marten, McKenna Klawitter, Kylie Van Dong and Sami Bann, Riley Brion and JaneyAnne Grossinger for the girls and state particiapnts Stewart Gundry, Leo Hagberg, Tyler Kleinhans, Eli Laube and Ryan Whittlinger.

Of these returning letterwinners, the FC coaching staff believes Allie Sanfelippo should continue to excel in the pole vault, long jump, sprints , and sprint relays; Eveyln Bergeron will also do well in the high jump and help the mid distance runs; Rebecca Sturz will bring the heat in the sprints, and sprint relays; Gracie Marten is very versatile and will help in hurdles, jumps, sprints and mid distance.
Anna Dougherty will be a big contributor in hurdles and sprints; Emallie Sorensen is a veteran mid distance runner that has helped our 4x400 and 4x800 teams every year.; Mariah Sloop is coming on strong in the mid distance and jumps and Caroline Grossinger will be leading the throwers this year.

Isaac Steinke leads the boys in the hurdles and 4x400 relay, and also throws; Korbyn Anderson sprints and jumps; Levi Atkins in pole vault and sprints and Caleb Steinke will there mid-distance and relays.

FCHS coaches like the fact the girls' team has returning champs in the 4x100 and 4x200 relays with two of the fastest girls returning. with the pole vault and jumps also good for the Crickets. They also have some of our mid distance runners back to help continue having good 4x400 and 4x800 relay teams that are competitive.

Top returning athletes for Osseo-Fairchild include junior Jack Steinke in mid-distance races, jumps and hurdles; Kyle Burmesch in the distance events and Gryphon Brown in throws for boys and Lillian Kufner and Alyssa Burmesch and Makaela Kiesow on the girls side of the ledger.

Eleva-Strum has as returning letterwinners from last year's girls' squad Kassidy Koxlien, Avarie Segerstrom, Annika Skoug, Anabel Howie, Ashlyn Hanson, Aliza Kulig, Callan Skoug, Evelyn Barneson along with Reede Brown, Jaxson Rindal, Micah Ludwigson, Axel Young, Russell Hulett, Jack Preston, Jared Bohn and Ryan Julson.

E-S will no doubt miss Jaden Bautch due to graduation but much of the girls' squad from last year's conference championship team is back starting with an 800-meter relay team of Skoug, Howie and Koxlien; the girls' 4x100 team of Segerstrom, Abriella Reed, Koxlien and Barneson; Anabel Howie in the 800 and pole vault and Kulig in the high jump. The Cardinal girls will also have a strong 3200-meter relay team of 4x800 Dyar, Callan Skoug and Howie and 1600 relay team of Skoug, Howie and Hanson.

Ryan Julson is also back to do well in the throws along with much of the Cards' 1600-meter relay of Jack Preston, Jared Bohn, Axel Young and Logan Riesenweber.

Augusta's top returning athletes include Brady Bertrang, Jerri Mackey, Zoey Guntner, Danica Wolfe and Michael Smith. Both the AHS boys and girls' teams took heavy graduation losses of their best athletes from a year ago such as Drew Jacobs, Levi White, Ben Dickinsen, Ava Peterson and Beth Boone.

The outdoor track season begins this week with the Eleva-Strum Invitational on Tuesday, April 9.