BELOIT—On a night where the Brodhead/Juda girls track and field team were wearing throwback uniforms from the 80s and 90s, it was only fitting that junior Stella Arn broke a school record that had stood since the 1990s.
Arn’s efforts were one of several catalysts for the Cardinals, who won the 43rd Beloit Daily News Invitational at Beloit Turner High School on Friday evening.
And on the boys’ side, it was balanced efforts from a slew of different Clinton athletes in both the field and on the track that spurred the Cougars to a first-place finish.
The BDN Invite started in 1978 and was held annually until 2020, when COVID-19 canceled the event for two years. This season’s edition was held under warm and sunny conditions, ensuring that times and distances were high.
“We had another nice meet,” Brodhead/Juda girls’ head coach Curt Gratz said. “We were just here on Tuesday (for the RVC Rock meet) and had a really great meet there. Then we come back, the weather is perfect so we're seeing great times. It's fun here. There's always really great competition at the BDN, old meet with lots of history, so I really, really like having our team come here.”
Clinton boys’ head coach Darin Wecker was impressed with how his team battled for the win.
“Our depth is not necessarily what we'd like it to be, but we've had so much individual success throughout the season that it's nice that on a night like tonight, the kids are able to showcase that,” he said. “They deserve this. It's just the effort and the work that they put in not only this year, but as a culmination of what they've done for the last few years leading up to this point. We’re reaping the rewards.”
The Cougars won with 100 points as the Home School Eagles finished second with 94. The hosting Trojans were third (86) followed by Brodhead/Juda (76.5), Delavan-Darien (75), North Boone (72), Parkview (68), Big Foot (61.5), Palmyra-Eagle (50), East Troy (6) and Monticello (4).
On the girls’ side, the Cardinals dominated with 161.5 points. Turner was second with 113 followed by Delavan-Darien (72.5), Parkview (61.5), Palmyra-Eagle and Clinton (60), Big Foot (58.5), Home School Eagles (57), East Troy (33) and Monticello (14).
Arn’s time of 12.35 in the 100-meter dash broke the Cardinals’ record set in the 90s.
“It felt really nice to have a meet with no wind,” Arn said. “We've had a lot of wind, so it was nice to see the flag not moving. The conditions were just really good and I felt really good in prelims. The best part is it's with my dad. He has the men's 100-meter record and now I have the girls. That's the coolest part about it.”
Arn also won the 200 (25.98) and ran a leg of the winning 4x100 relay with Kalena Riemer, Brenley Jones and Addison Yates that finished in 51.10, a time that was 2/100th off the school record.
“Stella is very dedicated to track,” Gratz said of the night’s girls track MVP. “She works super hard in the off season, puts in the lifts, goes to speed camp, says all the right things in the off season, and her mentality is great. Her hard work pays off, and I love to see that.”
Riemer also had a first-place finish in the 800 (2:22.52) while Addison Yates was second in the 100 hurdles (16.10).
In addition to her work on the track, Yates earned the girls’ field MVP after winning the high jump with a distance of 5-feet and taking first in the long jump (16-4.25).
“Addison is scoring tons of points for us,” Gratz said. “Definitely the most out of anybody on our team. She's also having a phenomenal year. She had a little bit of rough junior year just because she was so dynamite her freshman and sophomore year. She was still good last year, but to see her come back and get those great times that she was having as a sophomore is really good.”
Onni Williams won the discus for Brodhead/Juda with a distance of 111-feet, 9-inches while finishing second in the shot put with a PR of 37-feet, 8.75-inches. Elliana Shank was second in both the pole vault (8-0) and the long jump (16-2.5) while Madi Brown was second in the high jump (4-10).
“It's a whole lot of work in the next month and a half with conference, regionals, sectionals,” Arn said. “All our plans for everyone is to get as many people to state as possible. We're really excited, we've won a lot and we're just trying to keep that going.”
For the first-place Cougars, their two event wins came from Blaine Brown in the 300 hurdles (42.76) and Owen Douglas, who had a PR in the shot put (50-10) and finished third in the discus (130-3).
“That's a huge PR for Owen,” Wecker said. “What went unnoticed was that he subbed in for us in our 4x100 because D'Angelo (Vernon) had a choir concert that he had to go to. D'Angelo ran earlier and did really well in the 100 and the DMR, but Owen came over and held up with our sectional PR from last year and our second best time that we put down this year. He's a tremendous athlete.”
Douglas led off that second-place 4x100 (45.18), which he ran with Nathan Anastasi, Isaac Krummel and Reegan McCoy. The DMR 4000 (400-800-1200-1600) team of Nathan Shallenberger, Vernon, Matthias Shoemaker and Dylan Yurs placed second (12:16.18).
Other second places for Clinton included: Nathaniel Ligman in the 400 (52.59), Dylan Yurs in the 3200 (10:38.16) and Jacob Schoonover in the high jump (5-6).
“We started the season right where we thought we would be,” Wecker said. “We have just continued to improve and rise. It really feels like the kids are putting in the work and hitting their stride at the right time.”
And hosting Turner had plenty of strong results, in addition to pulling off a successful meet.
“I do think we have one of the best facilities in the area,” track and field coach/athletic director Andy Coldren said. “Our buildings and grounds guys do a great job getting everything ready. Our coaching staff and our kids do a great job putting on a great event. We have a lot of volunteers that come out and help us out and do a fantastic job. Very thankful for them.”
Elijah Terrell won the boys’ field MVP as he won both the long jump (21-6.5) and the triple jump (45-1.75). He also won the 200 (22.47).
“It feels really good,” the senior said. “I didn’t get to do it last year, so being able to host a meet and then do really well at the meet, it feels really good being able to just put it on for the community.”
And how does Terrell transition between the track and field events so easily?
“Stretching,” he said. “A lot of stretching. If I don’t do that, I won't do as well as I do.”
“It wasn't a perfect night for Elijah,” track and field coach Nolan Ortemba said. “It was the one that he had to grit through, which is something I think actually helps him get stronger as we keep going. It's not always an easy night.”
Another Terrell showed out for the Trojans as well as junior Navan Terrell won the shot put (38-3.5).
“Last week, she broke the school record and this week she was three inches away from it again,” Coldren said. “We're trying to get them to peak at the end of the year. We're climbing that ladder.”
Other second-place finishes for Turner included: Colby Lengjak in the boys’ discus (130-9), Trevor Noack in the high jump (5-6), Cherish Smith in the girls’ 200 (27.15), Caitlin Wirth in the girls’ 3200 (13:17.51), Bronwyn Sherlund in the girls’ 300 hurdles (50.30) and the second-place girls’ 4x200 (1:52.35) of Smith, Ashi’ya House, Brijit Mosher and Harmony Moore-Ewing.
Brodhead/Juda’s boys got a win from its 4x400 relay (3:38.49) of Jorge Villalva, Nathan Engen, Gavin Pinnow and Eric Woodward. It also got a second from Pinnow in the 800 (2:01.93), Engen in the 300 hurdles (42.82) and Simon Moore in the pole vault (10-0).
Other local boys’ wins included: Big Foot’s Hudson Torrez in the 100 (11.36), North Boone’s Reagan Korst in the 100 hurdles (17.01), Parkview’s Mike Williams in the discus (141-3) and Parkview’s Cal Fox in the pole vault (11-6).
Other local girls’ wins consisted of: Parkview’s Sahara Boers-Augustine in the 400 (1:03,03), Clinton’s Paige Damman in the 3200 (12:01.43), Parkview’s Willow Crecelius in the 100 hurdles (15.91) and Parkview’s Loralei Arnold in the pole vault (9-0).
Other local boys’ second-place finishes were made up of: North Boone’s Azriel Dixon in the 100 (11.37) and Mario Ovalle in the 110 hurdles (17.05) and Parkview’s Mike Williams in the shot put (48-5.75).
Additional local girls’ second-place finishes included: Big Foot’s Elliana Pape in the 100 (13.32) and Parkview’s Arnold in the triple jump (32-4.5).
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