LA CROSSE — Analena Peterson crossed the finish line, looked up at the scoreboard stationed on the south end of Roger Herring Stadium, and exclaimed, “Oh my gosh!”
Oh my gosh is right. The Catholic Memorial senior enjoyed an outstanding day in La Crosse, highlighted by setting a new Division 2 state record in the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.28 seconds during the WIAA State Track and Field Championships on Friday at Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex.
That gave Peterson the fastest preliminary time across the two heats, setting her up well for today’s final in La Crosse. She broke the previous mark of 24.34 set by Shorewood’s Delea Martins in 2023.
And it’s not the only event in which Peterson is sitting pretty.
Earlier in the day, the Eastern Illinois recruit ran the fastest preliminary time in the Division 2 girls 100meter dash at 12.13 seconds. That came after the threetime defending state champion and record-holder in the event, Amery senior Lucci Aizpurua, was a “did not start” in Heat 1.
Peterson finished fifth in the 100 last season (12.47) and fourth as a sophomore (12.27). She was also third in the 200 (24.94) at state as a junior, an event Aizpurua also claimed in 2024.
Peterson’s teammate, senior Marvanous Butler-Brown, is also in line for a medal in the D2 boys 100 dash after registering a preliminary time of 10.97 seconds. That put him sixth across the two heats, but just 0.13 off the fastest time run by Cameron Gray of Milwaukee Academy of Science.
Butler-Brown finished third in the 100 (11.08) last season.
The Augustana football recruit was also a member of the defending 4×100-meter state championship relay, but the injury bug bit the Crusaders late in the season, resulting in the team failing to start in the prelims on Friday. The relay was set to run out of Lane 1 in the first heat one year after running a winning time of 42.76 seconds. It finished fourth in the Big Foot Sectional last week.
New Berlin West’s track and field team had a stellar start of its own to the WIAA State Track and Field Championships on Friday.
It’s poised for even more success today — even after breaking its own state record.
Senior Trevor Berwanger and sophomore Zach Hewitt each cleared 6 feet, 6 inches in the Division 2 boys high jump, putting them in a tie for third in the event. Six athletes in all cleared 6-6, but only Edgerton sophomore Brock Anderson went higher, ultimately winning gold with a height of 6-9.
After standing together on the podium, Berwanger and Hewitt got to watch the Vikings’ lightningquick 4×200-meter girls relay take center stage.
Having set the D2 state record in the preliminary heats last season, West replicated that feat on Friday when the quartet of Caroline Gerovac, Aubrey Lane, Raquel Gerovac and Ashley Babcock clocked in at 1 minute, 42.55 seconds to lead both heats. That also broke their old mark of 1:42.65 from a year ago — a race Babcock, Lane and Caroline Gerovac were each a part of.
They’ll enter today’s final as the top seed. Lake Country Lutheran’s 4×200 relay of Rachael Boldt, Adeleine Catlin, Rachel Leibham and Sarah Stippich also qualified for the final with a fourth-best time of 1:45.23, while LCL senior Karli Molnau secured a spot in the 400 dash final (7th, 58.54) and senior teammate Emma Keidl did the same in the 300 hurdles (6th, 45.26).
Along with Peterson, Lane and Babcock qualified for the 200 dash final, as Lane was fourth (24.88) and Babcock sixth (25.22) in the preliminary heats. All three also ran in the D2 girls 4×400 relay prelims to help the Vikings (3rd, 3:56.71) and Crusaders (4th, 3:58.10) punch their tickets into today’s final.
Kettle Moraine Lutheran set the D2 state record with a top time of 3:54.60. The previous mark was 3:54.94 (Wittenberg-Birnawood, 2018).
News and notes
Eisenhower junior Javaryn Love is in position to medal, or even better, in the open 400 dash after running the second-best qualifying time (49.51) in prelims behind Saint Francis senior Joran Bell (48.68). … Senior Faith Wehrman, the Division 2 girls state cross country champion in 2022, medaled in the Division 2 girls 3,200-meter run. Wehrman, who took fourth in the event as a sophomore, tracked down Bloomer sophomore Ciara Hartman midway through the race but was passed up by both Hartman and eventual winner Bella Grenier of University School over the final few laps, settling for third (10:46.88)….Wehrman also helped the Eisenhower girls’ 4×800 relay team finish 12th with a time of 9:47.67. The event was won by Bloomer thanks to an outstanding anchor leg by Hartman, while runner- up University School also broke the previous state record of 9:19.00 set in 2013 by East Troy.
: Katie Adler/RMNB
(via @hanginwithkennedy/TT)
