Arcadia boys fourth, G-E-T girls fifth at Arcadia track invite
Arcadia sophomore Casidi Pehler cleared the bar during the final rounds of the pole vault competition during an invitational at Arcadia High School last Thursday. Pehler won the event with a school-record vault of 10 feet, 9.5 inches. (Times photograph by Benjamin Pierce)
As Casidi Pehler leapt time and time again on Thursday, the advantage of a home meet was building.
The Arcadia sophomore was surrounded by screams and cheers as she continued to clear the bar in the pole vault at the Raider Invite at Arcadia High School, and Pehler rewarded those cheering her name with a first place finish, setting a new school record in the process.
Pehler was one of seven area track and field athletes who left with bragging rights and a first place finish in their events last Thursday. Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau (71 points) finished fifth in the girls competition, just ahead of Arcadia in eighth place with 43. Bloomer (105), Fall Creek (100), West Salem (90.5) and Mondovi (81) were the top four teams on the girls side.
Onalaska took sixth with a 61.5, followed by Central at 54. Behind Arcadia was Elk Mound at 36, Altoona at 26, Aquinas with 19 and a pair of backup teams for G-E-T and Arcadia.
Both G-E-T and Arcadia were scheduled to visit Independence on Monday before G-E-T hosts a meet on Friday.
Pehler’s jump of 10 feet, 9.5 inches was good enough to edge Macey Tauscher of West Salem (8-6) for first place. It also set a new school record, topping the mark of 10 feet, six inches co-owned by Pehler and her coach, Taryn McKeeth.
The Raiders also got a first place finish out of junior Tegan Michalak in the 3200 run.
Michalak (1600) and senior Rachel Knudsen (shot put) took home third place finishes, too.
Arcadia finished fourth in the boys competition with a team score of 72, and G-E-T took home sixth at 63. Central (139), West Salem (86) and Fall Creek (81) finished in the top three ahead of the Raiders, and Onalaska squeezed past G-E-T with a 69.
Senior Jose Monroy led the way for the Raiders, winning the 1600 and taking second in the 3200. Joe Nelson was the other winner for Arcadia, taking the top spot in the 400.
Ryan Sokup finished second in both the 100 and 200 meter races, and the Raiders also finished third in the 1600 relay.
The Red Hawks had a pair of winners with senior Will Thompson earning the top spot in the 110 meter hurdles race and classmate Carter Gold winning the 800. Thompson also took second in the long jump as well as third in the high jump.
Boys track, Raider Invite, April 22 at Arcadia High School
La Crosse Central 139, West Salem 86, Fall Creek 81, Arcadia 72, Onalaska 69, G-E-T 63, Aquinas 59, Mondovi 51, Elk Mound 31, Bloomer 28, Altoona 20, G-E-T B 3, Arcadia B 0.
G-E-T results
Firsts—Thompson, 110 hurdles, 15.81; Gold, 800, 2:08.73.
Seconds—Thompson, long jump, 20-4.
Thirds—Thompson, high jump, 5-10
Arcadia results
Firsts — Monroy, 1600, 4:45.04; Nelson, 400, 52.75.
Seconds—Sokup, 100, 11.37; Sokup, 200, 23.65; Monroy, 3200, 10:10.80.
Thirds—1600 relay (Nelson, Teske, Bremer, Fernando), 3:42.17.
Girls track, Raider Invite, April 22 at Arcadia High School
Bloomer 105, Fall Creek 100, West Salem 90.5, Mondovi 81, G-E-T 71, Onalaska 61.5, La Crosse Central 54, Arcadia 43, Elk Mound 36, Altoona 26, Aquinas 19, G-E-T B 12, Arcadia B 3.
G-E-T results
Firsts—Wenthe, 100 hurdles, 17.68;
Seconds—3200 relay (Hauge, Hunter, A. Bratberg, Janssen), 10:45.92; Rotering, 1600, 5:35.18; Wenthe, 300 hurdles, 49.05; Rotering, 800, 2:39.06; Schmitz, discus, 94-3.
Thirds—Janssen, 800, 2:46.31; 1600 relay (Nelson, Stanislowski, Schmitz, Hauge), 4:25.15;
Arcadia results
Firsts—Michalak, 3200, 12:30.64; Pehler, pole vault, 10-9.5.
Thirds—Michalak, 1600, 5:51.83; Knudsen, shot put, 31-7.
