Walk across the stage for graduation or compete for WIAA track honors — that was the choice Shawano Community High School seniors had to make this week.
The WIAA Division 1 sectional and the SCHS graduation ceremony will both be held May 30. The conflict means some seniors had to choose between the two, others will not compete in some of their best events in the hope of getting back from the site of the sectional, Saint Norbert College Schneider Stadium in De Pere, in time for graduation.
Distance runner Lindsey Kurtz, the Class of 2014 valedictorian, and seven other seniors decided to participate in graduation rather the tourney series.
“It was a pretty difficult decision for me,” said long jumper and relay-team member Carlos Merino, who decided to compete. “My mother doesn’t like it at all. … It’s an opportunity for me and my teammates to go to sectionals and possibly make a run to state.”
Brice Bergner also decided to compete with Merino and juniors Jake Klister and Dan Boivin in the 4x200 relay.
“I really would like to do both,” Bergner said. “I really loved track ever since I was in middle school. I just think I would regret it if I didn’t go to regionals and sectionals.”
Bergner, who will also compete in the 100 and 200 dashes, and Merino, agreed that winning the relay at the Bay Conference championships last week influenced their decision.
“I think we have to improve our time by 1 or 2 seconds to make it to state,” Bergner said. “I think we have a pretty good shot at that one.”
Merino also had extra incentive of trying to reach his goal of jumping 20 feet.
“He had a 19-8 1/2 at the Bay Conference; he wants another shot at getting that 20-foot mark,” Shawano coach Scott Smurawa said. “It’s right there.”
Smurawa also has a personal stake in the seniors’ decisions.
His daughter, Kia Smurawa, will try to compete in the long and triple jumps and make it back to Shawano for graduation. She and classmate Isabella Gonzalez, who will compete in the high jump, will not run the 4x200 relay. Malory Soper also opted not to join the relay team.
“It’s definitely tough,” Gonzalez said. “It was a hard decision.
“I’ve sat down and figured out what time we have to be here and what time graduation starts. Thankfully, high jump is the first event at the meet.”
The seniors had to make their decisions this week because the regional meet is Tuesday at Bay Port High School. The top four regional finishers advance to sectional, but if a qualifier does not compete, the slot is not filled — denying another athlete the opportunity to compete.
“If you know you are going to graduation and you’re not going to be at sectionals, then as a good sportsman, we’re going to give someone else the opportunity (at regionals),” coach Smurawa said.
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