PRINT ADS

With state-level performers like Jami Hill and Maddie Hibshman, Onalaska High School's girls track and field team should be able to improve upon last year's fifth-place finish at Tuesday's Mississippi Valley Conference meet at Logan. The question is how much Onalaska can improve with teams like Logan and Holmen in their way.

“The top three (Logan, Holmen and Central) are pretty good,” Hilltoppers head coach Nick Larson said. “We should be able to improve upon last year, which is always a goal.

“But Logan, Holmen and Central are always around. Logan and Holmen are the top two going in.”

Logan is led by sprinter Stephanie Henry, sprinter/horizontal jumper Emily Worden and horizontal jumper Emily Betz. Holmen is paced by sprinter Cathryn Helmers and hurdler Whitney Croell.

Logan and Holmen's sprints, jumps and hurdling strength shouldb e countered by the OHS distance crew. Hill's presence would make Onalaska the favorite in any of the six events she could enter, the 400-meter dash, half-mile, mile, two-mile, 4X400 relay and 4X800 relay. Larson said a decision had not been made Monday evening as to which events Hill would compete in Tuesday, instead opting to wait to see who Logan and Central run where in that night's La Crosse city meet. That meet was rained out.

If Hill does not run the mile or two-mile, Hibshman likely becomes the favorite. Top competition should come from Central's Hannah Sleznikow. Hill could be challenged by true sprinters Henry and Helmers in the 400.

Larson also said that freshman Jamie Burr could have an outside shot at winning a distance event. With Sleznikow's best time in relation to the state coming in the mile and the two true sprinters in Henry and Helmers, Burr's best chances could be in the half-mile, if she competes there.

Larson said Lexie Weber in the 200, and the Hilltoppers vault crew of Weber, Karen Stapleton, Moira Killoran, Emily Mitzelfeldt and Rachel Lunney have outside shots to win an event. Weber likely would have to eclipse Henry and Helmers, though the pole vault field appears to be fairly open.

With Tuesday's home triangular with Chippewa Falls and Sparta, along with Friday's Hanson Relays at Central both rained out, the final tune-up for for most of Onalaska's top competititors came at the April 29 Bangor Invitational. Weber ran her first 200 of the year.

“I was pretty happy with Lexie's effort,” Larson said. “And Maddie did the work she needed to do in the mile. She can go faster in the mile if she needs to.”