Kerska runs past Reilly, helps Eagles to crucial dual-meet win

Photo by Dan Larson / Sauk Prairie Eagle

Jerry Kerska, right, works to catch up to Waunakee's Jacob Reilly during the 1,600-meter run May 5 before doing so and winning the event.

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By Dan Larson, Sauk Prairie Eagle

For Jerry Kerska, May 5 wasn't just your run-of-the-mill Tuesday.

In fact, it wasn't a day like any other so far this year, or for the last seven months of 2008.

No, when Kerska and the Sauk Prairie boys track and field team faced Waunakee in a dual meet that day, it was an opportunity for personal redemption — a chance for Kerska, a senior who won the Badger North Conference 1,600-meter run title at the conference meet in 2007, to avenge losing to the Warriors' Jacob Reilly when the two met in a dual meet a year ago.

"I've been thinking about that race for a long time," Kerska said of the loss to Reilly, who went on to win the conference title at the

conference meet unchallenged by Kerska because Kerska was out with an injury. "Ever since he beat me last year ... (this date) has been marked on my calendar."

It was worth the wait.

Kerska was the first across the finish line in four minutes, 24.7 seconds — a little more than a half-second better than runner-up and brother, Garrett (4:25.3). And, more importantly, more than a second better than Reilly (4:25.9).

"To come out and get the win today, that really means a lot," said Kerska. "I was just in the zone. ... Just straight focused, like (I had a) Zen mindset going on."

And the 1,600 — with Jerry and Garrett Kerska finishing 1-2 — underscored Sauk Prairie's day.

The Eagles put their depth on full display, running, throwing and jumping their way to an 89-57 win at Sauk Prairie High School and maintaining sole possession of first  place in the conference with a 4-0 dual-meet record. Reedsburg, who the Eagles already beat this season, is second at 3-1 and Waunakee is 2-2.

"It was big," Kerska said of the win, which put the Eagles in position to finish undefeated with wins over Mount Horeb and Portage at a triple dual May 12 — results weren't available in time for this edition — and establish themselves as the team to beat at the conference meet May 19. "We have a really well-rounded team ... and we were just getting points from everywhere."

Added Eagles coach Dan Winzenreid: "Our team is kind of surprising because we had several holes at the beginning of the season, and (now), we're not that weak in any event. ... We have continued to kind of grow some depth."

Indeed. The 1,600 aside, the Eagles claimed the top two spots in two other events and the top three in the 3,200, and they won seven others. Waunakee, meanwhile, didn't finish 1-2 in any events while winning seven of the 18.

Zach Buelow and Lionel Ponce finished 1-2 in the 400-meter dash (:53.8 and :55.0, respectively), and Lucas Fiene and Nick Greenhalgh posted discus throws of 131 feet, 6 inches and 126-0.5, respectively, to finish 1-2 in that event.

And Garrett Kerska, Josh Campbell and Kevin Grunewald went 1-2-3, respectively, in the 3,200 (11:12, 11:12.5 and :11.19.8).

Tyler Fuchs won the high jump (5-10), Sean Fuss the long jump (19-4) and Matt Rudig the shot put (42-5.5) in field events, and Ponce the 200-meter dash (:23.51) and Mike Zenker the 300 hurdles in running events to round out the Eagles' individual winners.

And Jerry Kerska, Fuchs, Ponce and Buelow won the 1,600 relay in 3:55.7 — unchallenged, because Waunakee conceded the meet and thus didn't enter a team in what would have been the meet's final running event — while Joe O'Neil, Henry Halling, Campbell and Grunewald won the 3,200 relay in 9:04.

 Still, despite the Eagles' success May 5, Kerska said it only was a launching point for what he hopes is more success at the conference meet.

"I don't want to lose this conference title — I really want to go out with a win," he said. "They're going to (have to) drag me off the track if we're going to lose at the conference meet, that's for sure."