Six individual championships highlight second day of WIAA state track
· Yahoo Sports
LA CROSSE – The second and final day of the WIAA state track and field meet June 6 at Veterans Memorial Stadium played out much the way it did in 2025.
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For the second straight year, the Green Bay area had six individual champions across three divisions.
It included a repeat champion in De Pere’s Grady Lenn, a record-breaking one in Coleman’s Kolton Peters, and several other first-time winners including Pulaski’s Keaton Dauk, Kewaunee’s Hannah Miller, Marinette’s Mason Hofherr and Oconto Falls’ Brady Bursa.
Peters got the winning started with a memorable performance in the Division 3 110-meter hurdles.
He had established himself as one of his school’s best athletes the last three years even before this weekend.
He’s a standout in football during the fall. A star in basketball in the winter. When it comes to spring, there has never been anybody better in the 110 hurdles.
Peters made history by winning the event in a D3 record-breaking time of 15.25 seconds, .5 seconds faster than runner-up Garrett Bracewell of Marathon.
“It means a lot,” said Peters, who was fifth in the event as a sophomore. “I’ve been practicing all year for this, in the weight room every morning. It’s good to see the hard work paid off.”
Bracewell and Peters switched spots in the standings in the championship round after Bracewell beat Peters in the preliminaries.
Peters ran a 15.17 one day earlier, describing it as a “pretty bad” race despite finishing second.
“But I cleaned it up when it mattered most,” he said. "So, it feels good.”
Peters is the second boy in Coleman history to win the 110 hurdles state title and the first since Josh Pilllath won back-to-back championships in 2016 and 2017.
It’s one thing to win, it’s another to do it by setting a state record.
“Yeah, the time is a trust in my skills,” said Peters, who also finished runner-up in the 300 hurdles with a time of 37.98. “Trust my skills. … I came to compete.”
Dauk did the same for the Red Raiders with his D1 title win in the 300 hurdles, not to mention earning a runner-up finish as part of a 1,600 relay with teammates Max Fredrickson, Landyn Kroll and Kam McKeefry.
Dauk showed he had championship potential as a sophomore last season after he finished runner-up in the 300 hurdles.
He was third in the preliminary round on the first day of state behind Wisconsin Lutheran’s Niyer Clayborn and Hamilton’s Tristan Haigh.
But it was a different race in the title round, with Dauk running a 37.91 to beat Haigh (37.97) and Mukwonago’s Devin Viola (38.61).
It’s the first time Dauk has finished under 38 seconds in his career after previously running a personal-best 38.38 at the Bay Port DeMerit Invite in May.
He is the first Pulaski boy to win a state title since Matt Mroczynski won the 3,200 in 2007.
Miller made program history for Kewaunee by becoming the first girl to win a state title after the boys had won five in previous years.
The standout senior earned the D3 800 championship with a time of 2:11.62, winning rather comfortably over runner-up Leah Harper of Phillips (2:13.71) and Inez Schmidt of Cameron (2:13.82).
Like Dauk, Milller had shown the potential to win a state title in the past while going between D2 and D3.
She was third in D2 in the 800 as a junior and sixth in D3 as a sophomore after placing 14th in D2 as a freshman.
Down to her final chance, Miller got it done.
It was the same story for Hofherr, who finally captured a title in the D2 200 meters.
The senior finished in 21.65 to edge runner-up John Gibson of McFarland, who had a 21.71.
It was a big jump in the 200 from last season for Hofherr, who just missed out on a podium finish after placing seventh.
Hofherr had been dominant in the 200 in recent weeks entering state. He ran a PR 21.39 at regionals and followed with a 21.93 at sectionals.
As for Bursa, the senior came up big toward the end of the D2 long jump to win his first state title in his final season with a jump of 23 feet, 2 inches.
Bursa was down to his final two chances when he produced the winning jump on his fifth attempt.
He was the only one of the 18 competitors in the field to surpass 23 feet.
His sixth and final attempt was 22-9.75, which also would have been good enough to win the championship after Winneconne senior and runner-up Brody Schaffer’s best jump was a 22-9.50.
Bursa is the first boy from Oconto Falls to win a state championship since Nathan Stymiest took first in the 1,600 in 2008, but the numbers suggest this was a big moment for the program.
Although the Panthers won 12 state titles before Bursa’s big day, seven came during the 1920s and two each in the 1950s and 1970s.
Lenn, meanwhile, had the perfect ending to a remarkable career at De Pere.
He capped a dominating two years on the track by repeating as the D1 1,600 champion one day after he won his second consecutive 3,200 title.
Lenn finished the 1,600 in 4:03.90, ahead of Racine Horlick senior Landon Franke (4:05.43) and Mequon Homestead senior Jemekhi Tally (4:05.90).
The only time Lenn didn’t top in the event was his own after he set a state record last season with a 4:01.79.
Lenn let out a few screams after crossing the finish line, not just happy that he won again but also because he felt there were some who didn’t believe he would be able to do it.
“I just think it felt good to kind of quiet all the noise,” Lenn said. “There was a lot of people doubting me going into this. A lot of pressure on me that I felt from people that didn’t need to be giving me pressure. So, it felt good to kind of come out here and do what I know I can do. Just really do it for myself, and not anyone else.”
Wait. Who the heck would doubt Lenn?
“I just think everyone wanted to see that sub-4, everyone wanted to see me get beat for an upset,” Lenn said. “That kind of pushed me a lot. I’m not here to impress anyone else but myself and my circle of people, because those are the only people that matter.”
Lenn has come a long way since his freshman year, when he finished 13th in the 1,600 at state and eighth in the 3,200.
He now will continue his career at the University of Wisconsin.
“I really didn’t know what to expect as a freshman,” Lenn said. “I just kind of knew I was going to give everything I had into the sport and see what it got me.”
Ashwaubenon girls enjoy big day
Jaguars junior Jamyana Witte picked the right time to have the best race of her prep career in the D1 100 hurdles.
Witte finished runner-up with a personal-best 14.43, one month after breaking the school record that had stood for more than four decades.
It came one day after Witte placed fifth in the preliminary round with a 15.29.
Perhaps most impressive is that she did it all while battling painful shin splints, which have hampered her for two months and have continued to get worse as the season progressed.
It didn’t appear to slow her down, although there was some real concern in the weeks leading up to state that she wouldn’t be at her best. But she rested as much as possible and entered the weekend with hopes of finishing among the top three.
“It’s been really hard,” Witte said. “I just prepared really hard for this meet and I was really excited. Coming out and doing that, hard work pays off.”
It probably was unrealistic to think Witte would win the state championship. Not because she lacks the ability but because Oshkosh North senior Sydnee Nelson has been queen of the event in recent years.
She won her third straight 100 hurdles state title with a 13.94 and continued to top her time each year.
With Nelson off to compete in volleyball at NCAA Division I Belmont University, the goal for Witte must be to win the whole thing next year, right?
“Of course,” Witte said. “Of course.”
Witte wasn’t the only Jaguars standout to earn a runner-up finish.
Lera Black was second in the pole vault with a vault of 13 feet, 3 inches.
While that event was going on, the junior also was busy in the triple jump. She earned another podium finish by placing fifth with a 36-10.50.
Officials during the season worked with Black to make competing in two events at the same time as smooth as possible. For sectionals, she even got to ride in a golf cart so she could get from one event to the other.
Doing both at state didn’t appear to bother her.
“It honestly helps me a lot more, having two events to focus on instead of one,” Black said. “I feel like I get in my head a lot if I just focus on one event. But if I focus on two, I can kind of relax my mind and, if I do bad in one event, it’s OK because I have another one ahead of me.”
The most impressive part of Black’s weekend might have been her finish in the triple jump.
Black only participated in a handful of triple jumps this season – she estimated it was about five – but she has been a natural at it.
It offered one other big benefit.
“It got me out of running events,” Black said, laughing. “So, yeah. I wasn’t expecting anything.”
Division 1 podium finishes
∎ De Pere junior Tyler Hancock was third in the 110 hurdles (14.28).
∎ West De Pere junior Kaylin Thomson was fourth in the 100 hurdles (14.55) and fourth in the 300 hurdles (44.49).
Daniel Nehls placed runner-up in the 100 wheelchair (17.48). The senior was runner-up in the event last year but topped the 18.06 he had in 2025.
Nehls also was runner-up in the shot put (24-7.50) and finished third in the 400 (1:04.17).
∎ Bay Port’s 800 relay team of Brooke Dorner, London LaBlonde, Trista Harju and Hailey Schroeder placed fourth (1:41.51).
The Pirates’ 400 relay team of Mariana Nieto, LaBlonde, Harju, and Schroeder also took fourth (47.57).
∎ Preble’s Jacob Mathys was fifth in the 300 hurdles (38.95).
Division 2 podium finishes
∎ Denmark senior Ella Denor earned runner-up honors in the 100 with a 11.99, just behind the 11.96 from winner Sydney Falkowski of Kettle Moraine Lutheran.
Denor was fifth in the event as a junior when she ran a 12.54.
Denor also was part of an 800 relay team with Riley Guns, Anya Joyce and Ella Ovsak that finished fourth (1:43.12).
She wasn’t done yet.
The 400 relay team of Addison Kane, Guns, Joyce and Denor placed fourth (48.76).
Lincoln Arneson was a standout for the boys. The junior finished runner-up in the 400 (48.59).
∎ Green Bay Notre Dame’s 400 relay team of Julia Nolle, Ella Wallner, Hannah West and Haley Blevins finished third (48.75).
A day after winning the discus state title, Tritons junior Richie Flanigan was fourth in the shot put (55-7.50).
∎ Luxemburg-Casco senior Mason Trimberger was fifth in the 300 hurdles (39.33). Spartans junior Claire DuChateau was sixth in the 3,200 (11:08.19).
∎ The Oconto Falls 400 relay of Emery Pagel, Brooke Fenlon, Gracie Miller and Rylie Shallow placed fifth (48.82). It came one year after the Panthers finished runner-up in the event.
∎ Marinette’s 400 relay of Luke Adams, Hofherr, Derek Montalvo and Kaiden Brown was sixth (42.76).
∎ Peshtigo freshman Berkeley Chaltry had a nice debut at state, placing fourth in the 800 (2:15.61).
Another freshman, Wrightstown’s London Dockum, was sixth in the event (2:17.15)
Division 3 podium finishes
∎ Southern Door junior Elise Jackson was third in the 100 hurdles (15.38) and fourth in the 300 hurdles (45.34).
∎ Lena/St. Thomas senior Zander Thomson was fourth in the 110 hurdles (14.85).
∎ Gillett senior Bradyn Wendorff was fourth in the 800 (1:56.42).
∎ Sevastopol sophomore Cash Kuehn was runner-up in the triple jump (44-9.50) and tied for fourth in the high jump (6-2).
∎ Crivitz senior Kylah Betka was fourth in the pole vault (10-6).
∎ Coleman sophomore Hunter Dehart was runner-up in the shot put (58-10.75).
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Green Bay-area has several first-time state track and field winners