BHS boys win conference

MOUNT HOREB — It was so close that Tom Leaver didn't know who the announcer would say was the winner of the Badger North track and field meet Tuesday. It was so competitive that some athletes who would have been conference champs or close to it on some years didn't even finish in the top three this year.

When the scores were tallied, the Baraboo High School boys track team had 137 points, and DeForest had 132.

Baraboo was conference champs, once again.

"This is a great conference and there's some outstanding athletes," said Leaver, who is the BHS boys track coach. "I'm just really proud of our seniors that they could go out as conference champions. It's never an easy task."

Adding to the celebration for Baraboo track, the BHS girls team finished second in the meet behind only Sauk Prairie to become conference co-champs. Baraboo scored 135.6, and Sauk Prairie finished with 171.

"I'm trhilled," said BHS girls track coach Joanna Hollenback. "We were in second by quite a bit, and I was not planning on being co-champions, so I was thrilled."

The overall champions of the conference are determined both by dual meet record and placement in the conference meet.

The Baraboo boys had only two individual conference champs.

David Kohnert won the 800 meter run and Justin Staedter won the shot put.

The Baraboo girls got second largely because of one great day from Ashley Schoenoff. Schoenoff competed in and won in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200, giving the Thunderbirds 30 points in the process.

"She went above and beyond," Hollenback said. "You don't see many kids (compete in those three events), and it's even more phenomenal that she won all three.

"She had no one to follow, and it was just a phenomenal day for her."

Lacey Craker also won the discus for the BHS girls.

The Thunderbird boys had plenty of second- and third-place finishes to help their score.

David Piery came in second in both the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles, and Staedter took second in the discus.

"We didn't have a lot of first places, but we had a lot of guys medal in the top three, and certainly the fourth through eighth places have been what we've relied on all year and they came through tonight," Leaver said.

Dan Pfaff (200), Alex Petrulis (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles) and Matt Weinke (triple jump) all took third, individually.

If one group of events were most important to the boys team's finish, it was the relay events.

In the four relay races, Baraboo's teams took second three times and third once.

The 800, 1,600 and 3,200 relay teams all took second, and the 400 relay team was third.

The Thunderbird girls team also got a big boost from its relay teams, as the 400, 1,600 and 3,200 teams all took third.

Taking second place for the Baraboo girls were Mya Flentje (300 hurdles), Craker (shot put) and Kelsey Brinker (triple jump).

Besides the relay teams, Denise Leaver also finished third (3,200).

"We were kind of seeded in the middle of the pack, and our relays finished in the top three," Hollenback said. "Our distance crew definitely helped us tremendously."