Eagles’ girls track team third at conference

Sauk Prairie’s girls track and field team finished in third place at the Badger Small Conference meet on May 14. The Eagles’ boys were seventh. Madison Edgewood won the girls event with 165 points, while McFarland was second at 117 and Sauk Prairie finished with 99 points. Reedsburg won the boys title with 137 points, while the Eagles had 53 points. Here’s a recap of Sauk Prairie’s top-five finishers in each event.   GIRLS • The Eagles’ 3,200-meter relay team of Charlotte Gregg, Evie Bahe, Aaliyah Bermudo and Clarissa Brickl finished first in 10 minutes, 16.94 seconds. McFarland was seconds, more than 4 seconds behind Sauk Prairie’s foursome. “This group got us started the right way running a great race,” Sauk Prairie coach Andy Sherman said. “Each of the first three legs did a great job running their fastest splits of the season. Clarissa, in her first 4x8 ran a great and smart race keeping us in the lead with the McFarland anchor trying to chase her down.” • Sauk Prairie’s 800-meter relay team of Ayla Sorg, MariElla Viola, Ella Weigel and Lexi Been was first in 1:47.63, more than 3 seconds faster than the runner-up quartet from Stoughton (1:50.96). “This group has been solid all season long,” Sherman said. “They read each other incredibly well and get along which makes it even more fun for them.” • Viola won the 100-meter dash in 12.33 seconds. McFarland’s Rachel Kuehl was second in 12.67. Viola also won the 200 in 26.31 seconds, which was 0.77 seconds faster than runner-up CeCe Adamczyk of Edgewood (27.08). “MariElla is an amazing talent,” Sherman said. “To win three gold medals at the conference meet is a tremendous accomplishment. This is a great boost for her as she moves into trying to get to state in three events this season.” • The Eagles’ 1,600-meter relay team of Sorg, Bahe, Gregg and Been was second in 52.50 seconds. Edgewood won the race in 4:20.54. “This group did a great job to end the meet for the girls,” Sherman said. “The first three runners kept it close and Lexi moved into second place with about 300 meters to go. “She held that position and then we noticed that Mount Horeb had Abigail Sadler as their anchor. She is a phenomenal athlete who moved from seventh into third by the 200-meter mark. Lexi stayed calm — even though everyone in the stadium let her know that Sadler was coming and gaining fast —and kept us in second.” • Sauk Prairie’s 400-meter relay team of Sorg, Sydney Moore, Weigel and Lexi Been was also second in 51.76 seconds. “This relay had Sydney step in at the very last minute,” Sherman said. “She was nervous and fully understood what was at stake with three great teammates. She had to learn how to do relay handoffs in about 10 minutes early on in the meet, but she stepped up and kept us in position to finish second.” • Bahe was third in the 400-meter dash (1:02.93). “Evie has really come on strong for us in the middle distances,” Sherman said. “This race was all about pushing herself to her limit to move past other runners to get into third and a medal.” • Gregg was third in the 800-meter run (2:30.22). “Charlotte ran a very gutsy race and led for most of it,” Sherman said. “The top two made a move and she wasn’t able to respond to it. She gave it all she had.” • Dillon was third in the 3,200-meter run (12:35.03). “Lainey ran a very smart and tactical race with two Edgewood girls until the last 120 meters, when she put on a kick that didn’t allow them to stay with her,” Sherman said. “She set a new PR by over 25 seconds.” • Been was fourth in the triple jump (33 5.75). • Aaliyah Bermudo was fourth in the 1,600 (5:43.20) and Lainey Dillon was fifth (5:45.97).   BOYS • Michael Blau won the high jump with a mark of 6-feet, 2 inches. “Michael is back,” Sherman said. “He was tough in sticking some big jumps in between running the anchor leg of both the 4x200 and the 4x100. Every time he came back and they waited, thinking he was done, he made jump after jump.  “He ended up in a jump off with the athlete from Reedsburg. They both tried 6-3, getting one shot. The Reedsburg athlete missed and Michael put it away with the one jump. This is a great sign for Michael as we head into regionals.” • Trent Backeberg was third in the 110-meter hurdles (16.52). “Trent has had a great year,” Sherman said. “He works hard and has had the patience to stay with it and he keeps improving.” • Landon Schultz was fourth in the 400-meter dash (53.61). • Sauk Prairie’s 400-meter relay team was fourth. • John Fabian was fourth in the triple jump (42-0.25). • Taylen Young was fourth in the discus (134-10). • The Eagles’ 800-meter relay team was fifth.