Green Bay schools well represented at state
Green Bay schools were well represented at the WIAA state track & field meet this year.
East, Notre Dame, Preble, Southwest and West all were represented at Veterans Memorial Stadium in La Crosse.
Four of the five schools sent at least one qualifier for a boys and girls event, which is the best mark since 2007 for Green Bay.
Five medals were captured among Green Bay’s 19 Division 1 state qualifiers, including four by the Green Bay Preble boys team.
Senior Gavin Buergi had a hand – scratch that – fast feet that resulted in three of them. Look for a feature on Buergi’s big day and career next week on PrepsAgenda.com.
Why not today?: Preble assistant coach Jon Doble asked that to the Preble sprinters earlier this year.
The “Why not today?” mantra stuck with his relay runners, who responded with a set of fifth-place finishes at state.
Buergi was the anchor leg on the Preble boys 400-meter relay, which placed fifth with a time of 42.73 seconds.
Senior Ethan Walton-Taylor, sophomore Kaiser Neverman and senior Jacob Rodriguez were joined by junior Jack Dessart on the 800 relay, which also placed fifth with a time of 1:29.13.
“I hope we can keep it up and just keeping better,” Neverman said.
The 400 relay’s preliminary time of 42.42 seconds and the 800 relay’s finals time both rank third on Preble’s all-time record board.
The Preble boys team advanced three relays, overall, to state with its 3,200 relay finishing 10th. It was the eighth straight years the Hornets qualified for state with their 3,200 relay and it marked 19 straight years Preble has sent at least one relay to state.
Brantley bounces back: Jamyle Brantley wasn’t pleased with his performance last Friday in the long jump, which saw him finish 14th after being seeded third.
The Green Bay East senior bounced back Saturday to earn a trip to the state podium with a sixth-place finish in the boys triple jump.
“I got rid of some of the nerves and did do a little better,” said Brantley, who recorded his best jump of 44-9¼ with his last attempt in the triple jump finals to place.
“It felt pretty good. Of course, I wished for a higher placement, but it feels good to be on the podium.”
Brantley became Green Bay East’s first state medalist since Mike Fisher won the boys high jump in 2011.
Brantley, who will compete at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, finishes his high school career as a two-time state qualifier in the long and triple jump.
Brantley broke school records for both events at sectionals to earn his return trip to state.
West heads west to La Crosse: For the first time since 2003, Green Bay West sent a boy and girl qualifier to the state meet.
Senior Madeleine Steber, who is pictured at the top of the page, finished 20th in the girls 300 hurdles with a time of 47.55 seconds. Her time of 47.40 seconds from sectionals led the entire Green Bay area this season. She’ll compete at Wisconsin Lutheran College next year.
Meanwhile, Jason Wright finished 10th in the shot put with a distance of 51 feet, 3½ inches. The sophomore was the first competitor from West to compete in the D1 boys state field since 2007.
Wright finished the season leading the Green Bay area honor roll with a throw of 55-11¼ from regionals.
Welhouse breaks record: Clara Welhouse finished 11th in the girls 1,600.
The Green Bay Southwest senior was thrilled heading to the finish line with a time of 5:07.52 because she knew she had broken the school record.
Meanwhile, Southwest senior Kaleb Keener recorded a time of 11.06 seconds to finish 17th in his second state appearance in the boys 100.
Sauter reaches finals: Charlie Sauter finished eighth in the boys 400 with a personal-best time of 50.18 seconds.
The Green Bay Notre Dame junior had finished third at the Fox River Classic Conference meet and was second at regionals and sectionals to Pulaski senior Pierce Narges.
However, his time of 50.36 seconds helped him edge Narges and others to earn the 10th and final qualifying spot for last Saturday’s finals.
Follow PrepsAgenda.com on Facebook
How Green Bay athletes fared at WIAA state track & field this year
Division 1
Girls
1,600
11, Clara Welhouse, sr., G.B. Southwest, 5:07.52
100 hurdles
16, Carley Duffney, fr., G.B. Preble, 15.73
23, Aubrie Gorski, so., G.B. Preble, 16.24
300 hurdles
20, Madeleine Steber, sr., G.B. West, 47.55
21, Carley Duffney, fr., G.B. Preble, 47.58
400 relay
16, G.B. Preble (Sydney Armijo, sr.; Grace Taylor, jr.; Olivia Paplham, so.; Britney Nass, sr.; Jacqueline Kornowski, so.; Abby Austin, so.), 49.81
Long jump
22, Ellie Rose, so., G.B. Notre Dame, 15-2½
Triple jump
17, Aubrie Gorski, so., G.B. Preble, 35-4¾
Boys
100
4, Gavin Buergi, sr., G.B. Preble, 10.99 (4, 10.73 prelims)
17, Kaleb Keener, sr., G.B. Southwest, 11.06
200
6, Gavin Buergi, sr., G.B. Preble, 22.52 (7, 21.79 prelims)
400
8, Charlie Sauter, jr., G.B. Notre Dame, 50.18 (10, 50.36 prelims)
1,600
23, Khalid Mohamed, so., G.B. Preble, 4:31.33
400 relay
5, G.B. Preble (Ethan Walton-Taylor, sr.; Kaiser Neverman, so.; Jacob Rodriguez, sr.; Gavin Buergi, sr.; Jack Dessart, jr.; D’Angelo Dear, fr.) 42.73 (3, 42.42 prelims)
800 relay
5, G.B. Preble (Ethan Walton-Taylor, sr.; Kaiser Neverman, so.; Jacob Rodriguez, sr.; Jack Dessart, jr.; D’Angelo Dear, fr.; EJ Reese, jr.), 1:29.13 (8, 1:29.30 prelims)
3,200 relay
10, G.B. Preble (Jake Lemens, sr.; Nick Hummel, jr.; Henry Starks, jr.; Dawson Borley, jr.; Salvador Sierra, sr.; Khalid Mohamed, so.), 8:07.02
Long jump
14, Jamyle Brantley, sr., G.B. East, 21-2
Triple jump
6, Jamyle Brantley, sr., G.B. East, 44-9¼
Shot put
10, Jason Wright, so., G.B. West, 51-3½