They’re a good group. Didn’t medal but they ran well all year. Broke school records.”

Coach Bob Seidl

Oriole Track and Field team is back from La Crosse. Competing Friday and Saturday in the State Meet, the Oriole boys relay team of Jake LaGrander, Madden Mahr, Cole Brenner, and Carson Hodowanic qualified for finals Friday with a time of 43.46 in heat 2 of the 4x100 meter relay. Following this up Saturday in the finals, they came away with a time of 43.66 for eighth place.
As for the girls relay, the team consisting of Macie LaGrander, Lula Chwala, Adyson Gustafson and Jocelyn Hager qualified in the 4x200 preliminary Friday with a team of 1:46.34, following this up Saturday in finals competition with a time of 1:45.78, for seventh place.
Also on Saturday, Macie LaGrander competed in the Long Jump, coming away in 15th place with a jump of 16-7.00, due in part to scratching the second jump.
Coach Bob Seidl shared his thoughts on the outcome.
“The reality is they both had to run their best times to get in the top six,” he said of the podium. “The girls got seventh and the boys got eighth. The teams that won both set state records. That shows you how hard the competition is.”
As for LaGrander, a scratched second jump limited things. “If she would have jumped like she did at sectionals she would have qualified,” Seidl said. “She’s capable of 18 feet.” Now a junior, LaGrander is within one inch of the Stanley-Boyd school record, set decades ago.
As for next year, the boys relay team loses three seniors to graduation and will need rebuilding, while the girls relay loses one. Seidl said he was proud of both teams.
“They’re a good group,” he said. “Didn’t medal but they ran well all year. Broke school records.”