After Division 2 state and Big Rivers Conference runners-up finishes last season the Rice Lake girls track and field team is hopeful for another special season. The Warriors bring back five of the six athletes who competed at state last year, including a number of podium finishers.
“Last year, ending the year runner-up was an amazing accomplishment for our girls,” coach Brooke Schmidt said, “but I think they’re not satisfied, and we’d love see if we can push for a championship this year.”
At the forefront for Rice Lake is four-time state champion Eliana Sheplee. The senior won her third consecutive 400-meter state title last season, and was also second in the 200 and fifth for the 100. Sheplee won a 200 title in 2022.
“We try to not to put too much pressure on her because she’s such a competitor,” Schmidt said, “but her work ethic and the way she’s come into the season, I think she’s ready to accomplish all the goals that she has set out for herself, and we’re just excited to have her back for one more year.”
Rice Lake returns all four sprinters from its state-qualifying relays of senior Sophia Knauff, juniors Avery Ash and Madilyn DeLawyer, and sophomore Adaline Sheplee. The group finished the 400 relay in third place, while the 800 relay took eighth as they set school records in both events. The relay was also awarded first team All-Big Rivers for taking first at the conference meet.
“I know they’d love to break their school record this year and just keep getting better and stronger,” Schmidt said of the relay group. “This year we also hope to try kids in a few other different events to see what they can do, and if we can get some points in some events that maybe we haven’t scored in otherwise.”
Adaline Sheplee also broke the school record and finished third in the high jump last season at state. She earned first team all-conference honors for winning the high jump and 100 and 300 hurdles. DeLawyer competed at state in the triple jump and took 11th, and she was a second team all-conference member for the event.
Among distance runners the Warriors have sophomore Sedona Gay, who at sectionals took sixth in the 3,200 just a few seconds from qualifying for state. She had set the school record in the event last season and was an all-conference honorable mention. Sophomore Morgan Stephens is also a piece of the Warriors’ group of distance runners.
Depth among the team’s throwers will be key to adding points from field events as four throwers have personal marks that top 30 feet in the shot. Freshman Addison Schmidt has begun her career with consecutive wins in the Warriors’ two meets on the seasons, while seniors Ellie Pacholke and Ellie Strand, and sophomore Jaida Perry also have career bests greater than 30 feet. Last season Pacholke was conference runner-up in the discus.
“Having a strong core of throwers, they really push each other every day in practice, and have the capability of scoring a lot of points at meets for us,” Schmidt said.
The Warriors have big goals for this spring and that starts with having the right mindset from the start of the season, she said. With the right group of leaders who have found success at the highest level, Rice Lake will look to put together another outstanding season.
“We’re trying kids in different events and seeing where everyone’s strengths are going to end up but I’ve been really happy with the work ethic and attitude of the kids this year,” Schmidt said. “We’ve been really fortunate, at least the first couple of weeks, to have amazing weather where we’ve been able to be outside and do things that we haven’t previously done, so that’s been awesome being outside on the track this early in the season.
“I just think it’s going to come down to continuing to work hard, staying together as a team and staying focused throughout the year, and keep everybody healthy, that’s going to be key as well.”
In Friday’s large school Northern Badgers Classic the Warriors had a pair of first-place finishers as Addison Schmidt took the shot put title and Adaline Sheplee was first in the high jump.
Rice Lake girls took third in the standings at 42.5 points as Osceola won the title at 59.5 and Bloomer was second at 52.5.
Schmidt won her event with a top toss of 37 feet, 8 inches, which beat the competition by more than a 1.5 feet. Sheplee cleared a height of 5-2 for a 2-inch advantage of over second and third.
DeLawyer added a runner-up finish for the Warriors in the 400 as she and Adaline Sheplee were second and third respectively with matching times of 1:06.04. Sheplee was also fourth at 26.9 for the 200, while DeLawyer added points for Rice Lake in finishing seventh in the triple jump (31-6) and eighth in the long jump (14-8). Pacholke was eighth with a throw of 30-11 for the the shot put.
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