NDA girls return to state podium
Notre Dame Academy head coach Molly French exited the WIAA state track and field meet with an arm around one of her athletes.
The season had just concluded with the Tritons placing sixth in the Division 2 girls 1,600-meter relay.
The coaching, though, didn’t end there for French, who was consoling one of her runners who was putting the onus on herself for the relay not finishing higher up on the podium.
French was undoubtedly making the runner take a look at the big picture as they stepped into the bright sunset in La Crosse.
Notre Dame came away with a medal for its relay and would have a great opportunity to do better next season with the entire quartet returning.
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“It’s nice to see them have success,” French said. “It’s nice because we haven’t been able to do much the last few years.”
After competing in Division 1 in recent years, the Tritons produced a couple of state medalists in D2 from their girls 1,600 relay and junior Ellie Rose in the long jump.
The 1,600 relay of Rose, freshman Anna Gruesen, sophomore Georgia Gregoire and sophomore Katarina Geyer ran the fastest time in the Green Bay area this season when it finished preliminaries in 4 minutes, 2.29 seconds.
“We’re just really, really honored to have gotten up there,” Rose said. “It just means a lot to us because that was our goal to get on the podium.”
Rose placed third in the long jump by resetting her school record with a mark of 17 feet, 11 inches in her second state appearance.
“This year was a big difference,” French said. “Last year, I think she jumped just in the 15s, so she was a lot calmer I think this year. “Hopefully, next year we can get some of our boys here with the girls.”