Lena/STAA track and field team optimistic heading into season
After a year off, Lena/St. Thomas Aquinas Academy co-op track and field coach Fritz Weidner isn’t 100% sure what to expect going into the spring season. What the coach does know for certain is that he has a roster full of talented athletes.
Leading the way on the girls side is senior Kennedy Marquardt, who has signed a letter of intent to St. Norbert College, where she’ll be continuing her track career. The last time the team competed in 2019, Marquardt qualified for sectionals in four events, the long jump, 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes.
“Even though I am going on to compete in college, this season means more to me than anything. With missing our season last year due to Covid, this year is even more important,” said Marquardt.
“I hope to teach my teammates to work hard in every practice and meet because good results will come. I also just want to encourage everyone to stay positive, never give up, and work hard to achieve their goals, because track and field is all what you make of it. Even though track and field is more of an individual sport, I still love being on a team and supporting everyone’s success.”
Junior sprinter Ruth Alberts also is back after competing at sectionals in 2019. She was a part of the 4X100 and 4X200 relay teams.
Junior Nadia Keene is another sprinter back on the girls side. Junior Samara Van Ark will help lead the distance runners, while junior Alex Kristof guides the throwers.
The boys team also has a couple 2019 sectional qualifiers back on the roster.
Juniors Max Beyer and Norman Aguilar are intermediate distance runners for the Wildcats. Beyer helped form the 4x800 sectional-qualifying relay team, while Aguilar was involved with the 4X100, 4X200 and 4X400 relay teams. Senior Kevin Chang (sprints, pole vault) was an alternate on the 4X100 and 4X200 relays.
Senior Frank DesJarlais is the most experienced boys thrower back, while junior Braeden Neta joins the sprinter group.
Weidner also has a number of inexperienced varsity athletes that he’s excited about moving forward.
Helping round out the girls roster will be junior Kortney Kosch (pole vault, sprints). Making their high school track and field debuts will be sophomores Claire Brooks (sprints, intermediate distance, jumps), Natalie McNurlen (sprints, jumps), Lily Miske (sprints, intermediate distance), Destiny Hurning (sprints), Emily Peters (sprints, pole vault) and Elizabeth Weidner (sprints, jumps) and freshmen Alabama Lambert (sprints, intermediate distance) and Whitney Potter (sprints, hurdles).
Seniors Ralph Comins (sprints) and Miles Maloney (sprints, intermediate distance) and junior Franky Umentum (jumps, throws) will try and provide some leadership for the first-time boys varsity athletes. Sophomores Sam Marquardt (sprints, hurdles, jumps), Sidney Sylvester (sprints, jumps), Jake Belongia (sprints, hurdles, jumps), Jadyn Belongia (sprints, intermediate distance), Ayden Decoursin (sprints), Elijah Gott (throws) and Reed Hosking (sprints, intermediate distance) and freshman Colton Skrobel (throws) will be making their high school debuts.