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.

Team Cup Volleyball was an event in the late 1980s and early ’90s that brought the best of indoor and beach men’s volleyball players into weekly matches held at the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles.

It was wildly entertaining to watch the beach players dominate without the challenges of the elements.

More than 30 years later, the AVP League is duplicating that excitement.

Some of the best beach volleyball players in the world were in attendance Saturday at Viejas Arena for night two of stop No. 2 on the AVP League tour.

If one thing is clear after two events of this unique format, it’s this: trucking in 300 tons of sand into indoor arenas has only made the beach game more thrilling.

“It’s not your traditional beach volleyball event, but it makes it a little more physical for us so that allows us to work on maybe a little faster offense,” said 2024 Olympian Kristen Nuss after her and Austin Aces teammate Taryn Brasher took down the Dallas Dream’s Kylie Deberg and Haley Harward, 15-13, 15-10.

“It’s definitely fun. The crowd enjoys sometimes when they’re not dealing with the heat or the wind or rain, all the elements. So I think the energy is just a little bit higher inside.”

La Costa Canyon High School graduate and 2024 Olympian Chase Budinger and teammate Miles Evans make up half of the San Diego Smash. They defeated the Austin Aces duo of Avery Drost and UCSD graduate Wyatt Harrison in Friday night’s late action, 15-12, 15-13.

To Budinger, Viejas Arena is not unfamiliar. He played in then-Cox Arena in high school basketball’s 2006 McDonald’s All-American Game in which he shared MVP honors with Kevin Durant. The next year, he started for the University of Arizona’s 69-48 win over SDSU.

Budinger had eight kills and hit .538 with three digs, a block and an ace in the win Friday night.

“The game really changes so you have to get back to the basics because everyone’s level is going to rise,” Budinger said. “The game is simpler but tougher because you have to serve tougher, you have to be more precise with your heads and your passing has to be more accurate. Playing in this indoor environment, I’m still searching for what my advantage is, and it’s been fun and challenging.”

Budinger and Evans were locked in a battle with the L.A. Launch team of Hagen Smith and Logan Webber in Saturday’s late match.

The women’s side of the Smash went through an eventful weekend. On Friday, Geena Urango and Toni Rodriguez were leading Brasher and Nuss, 11-10, in the first set before Rodriguez went down with a shoulder injury and couldn’t return.

Abby Van Winkle, who partners with Torrey Pines High School grad Savvy Simo on the AVP Tour as well as internationally, stepped in Saturday in Rodriguez’s place.

Urango and Van Winkle played well together but ultimately dropped a 15-9, 21-23, 15-11 decision to the Launch’s Terese Cannon and Torrey Pines alumna Megan Kraft.

Olympians Andy Benesh and Miles Partain got back on track after Friday’s upset loss to Smith and Webber, downing Drost and Harrison, 16-18, 15-10, 15-9.

Despite going 0-2 on the weekend, Harrison said the challenging format will help them long-term.

“As we go through it and get used to playing with that kind of pressure and buildup, it will definitely help us,” said Harrison, an All-Big West Conference performer and captain at UCSD (2018-21). “These guys are awesome. They’re going to make really good plays and we can live with that. But I liked that we stayed aggressive.”

Originally Published: June 7, 2025 at 8:27 PM PDT

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (KAIT) – A Lady Raider is a having a stellar 2025 as a Lady Vol.

Tennessee freshman Donna Douglas qualified for the NCAA Track & Field Championships in the women’s discus. The Nettleton alum launched it 179 feet in West Prelims to secure a spot in Oregon. Douglas recorded wins this season in the discus, weight throw, and shot put. She took bronze in the SEC Outdoor Championships with a throw of 185 feet, 2 inches. Her best throw in 2025 is 192 feet, 10 inches at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational in April.

Douglas competes in the NCAA women’s discus final on Saturday, June 14th in Eugene, Oregon. The event is scheduled to start at 2:30pm Central Time.

Douglas was the 2024 and 2025 Gatorade Arkansas Player of the Year in Girls Track & Field. She set 5A and Overall State records in the discus and shot put.

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BURLINGTON — What do you even do as a senior class that’s won everything you can win?

For the Thetford Panthers boys track team it was simple enough: go out there, have some fun — oh, and win the school’s sixth consecutive Division III crown, making a little history along the way.

The Panthers rolled to another state title, powered by a dominant performance from a senior class that finished in points in 15 of the 18 events and scored 127 of Thetford’s meet-winning 164.5 points on a hot, hazy afternoon in Burlington.

“It is really inspiring,” Thetford coach Emily Silver said. “They have a great attitude about taking risks, forgiving themselves for mistakes, and cheering on their teammates.”

The Thetford seniors won seven events outright, with Uly Junker-Boyce taking the 100 meter dash and long jump, Luke Miller winning the 400 meter run and javelin, Brady Sloop winning both the 800 and 1500 meter runs and Evan Rich winning triple jump.

“It’s kind of surreal,” Junker-Boyce said. “To come and do it like we did, in this way, for the last two, three and four years has been so much fun and I’ve been so grateful to be part of this team.”

Sophomore Connor Sloop was the lone non-senior to win a solo event for Thetford, winning the discus throw just ahead of his Panther teammate David Stangner. A team of Connor Gaine, Elijah Renner, Daniel Mann and Jay Hill took the 4×800 relay and a three-senior team of Junker-Boyce, Rich, Hunter Clay and Emmett Terry won the 4×100 relay to give the Panthers an even 10 outright wins on the day.

Junker-Boyce was the star of the show, placing a capstone on what’s been a historic year for him. Already the overall state record holder in the 100 meters, 200 meters and long jump, Junker-Boyce shattered his own mark on the fifth attempt with a 7.28 meter jump that places him within the national top 100 and moves him nearly a quarter meter ahead of the next furthest in Vermont history.

“It was really fun,” Junker-Boyce said. “I come into meets with an attitude of ‘I’m gonna smile in the blocks and I’m gonna smile at the finish line’ and today I did just that. I came in with a good attitude …. first warm day, nice weather, and I jumped so good.”

“He has such a sunny disposition, and it’s really contagious,” said Silver of Junker-Boyce, who will compete for Williams College next year. “He thinks of this all as a gift. I want to hold on to some of that next year.”

White River Valley finished second on the boys side in what was a bit of a breakthrough for the young Wildcats. Jack Hughes and Hayden Mabey each finished second in long jump and pole vault, respectively, for the Wildcats best finishes of the day.

Eban Margolis won pole vault for Windsor’s lone event win of the afternoon, improving from his runner-up finish a year prior.

Oxbow’s Ruben Keefe finished second in the 110 meter hurdles for the Olympians best finish of the afternoon.

For Thetford, the win caps a strong year of running. The Panthers finished third in Division III at cross country, won the Division II indoor championship for the second time, and closed the year with a six-peat in outdoor track.

“To win indoor track, that was a goal since sophomore year… We did it together, we brought it all with us, kept the momentum and just nailed it today,” said Junker-Boyce.

Thetford will look to replace its influential senior class as it returns looking for a state-record tying seventh consecutive title in 2026.

How incredible has the Glenbard West boys volleyball run of 11 consecutive Final Four appearances been?

The Hilltoppers were defeated Saturday evening by the score of 25-20, 25-20 by Marist in the state title match at Hoffman Estates High School – and it’s only the second time during the remarkable 11-season stretch that Glenbard West has ended its season with a loss.

But there was little disappointment since the Hilltoppers weren’t expected to even be there.

“At the start of the year, no one thought we’d be here,” Glenbard West senior outside hitter Charlie Clifford said. “But we worked our butts off all year, no one worked harder. We’re an excellent program, and we got back here.”

Clifford was the only full-time starter back from the 2024 squad, which placed third. He led the team with eight kills in the title match, while junior middle hitter Otis Yahn contributed six kills.

Seniors Luke Bachman on the outside and Ryan Gritis in the middle added three kills each, while junior setter Andrew Fanella recorded 12 assists and senior setter Owen Bare added 10 assists and six digs.

“That was pretty awesome,” Yahn said of playing in a state title match. “Not many expected us to be here or get this far, but we did. I think we had a lot more community this season. We cared about each other and had a lot of fun.”

The Hilltoppers (36-6) did that. But the bottom line was that Marist (40-2) was too strong. This marked back-to-back titles for the RedHawks, who were considered the top team in the state all season, and whose only two losses were to out-of-state teams.

As usual, seniors Christian Teresi (14 kills, 15 assists) at setter/right-side and Nate Toth (11 kills) at outside led Marist. Senior setter Jacob Finley (18 assists, six digs) and senior outside hitter Devlin Biggs (five kills) were came up big for the RedHawks.

The opening set was some high-impact action as there were 13 ties and four lead changes through 14-14. Then Teresi capped off a 6-1 run with a trio of kills. The Hilltoppers crept back to 22-20, but Biggs banged a kill, and two Glenbard West errors ended it.

There were eight ties in the second set, but the Hilltoppers never led. The last tie was 16-16, and once again the RedHawks had a 6-1 burst. Glenbard West never got closer than four the rest of the way. Marist has won five state championships (2002, 2010, 2019, 2024 and 2025).

The Hilltoppers also have five titles, all of them coming between 2015-2023. They have four third-place trophies, and this is their second runner-up finish. The other was a 25-21, 25-23 loss to Marist in 2019.

“I’m super proud of these kids,” Glenbard West coach Christine Giunta-Mayer said. “They are a high-caliber group that trusted the process. We got here and have no regrets.

This was the Hilltoppers’ third loss to Marist this season.

“Jordan and I go back and forth, and we want to compete with someone who goes as hard as they do,” Giunta-Mayer said of Marist coach Jordan Vidovic. “We were thrilled we were here, and I’m super proud.”

In their semifinal on Saturday morning, the Hilltoppers defeated O’Fallon 25-17, 25-8 behind 10 kills from Clifford and four each from Bachman and freshman right-side hitter Lukas Wallin.

“I’ve been friends with a lot of those guys through club for years,” Clifford said of the RedHawks. “They have a great team, and it’s an honor to play against them.

“But what I’ll remember most is this program of ours. It’s been a source of consistency in my life to have this family here. It’s really helped me.”