Area track and field: E-PC qualifies a busload for state

The Elmwood-Plum City boys and girls qualified a total of 12 entrants, including six relay teams, for the Division 3 state tournament at the Colfax sectional on Thursday.

"For the first time we don't know if we're going to be able to take all our kids to state in a van. We might have to take a bus," Plum City coach Rick Stewart said. "That's a pretty big accomplishment for the team."

The state meet is June 3 and 4 at Wisconsin-La Crosse.

To qualify for state, an individual or a relay team needed to finish in the top four Thursday.

Plum City's Tyler Dink, Lance Von Holtum and Tyler Churchill teamed with Seth Jones of Elmwood to win the 4x800-meter relay in 8 minutes, 29.75 seconds.

Von Holtum, Chase Lanz and Alex Gilles teamed with Jones in the 4x400. They finished second in 3:33.65. Lanz filled in for Churchill, who missed the race because of an injury.

The E-PC boys took fourth in the 4x200. Plum City's Von Holtum, Dink and Gabe Rodriguez joined with Elmwood's Hayden Kernstock to finish the relay in 1:36.15.

Gilles advanced to state in both the 400 and the 800. He took fourth in the 400 (52.03) and second in the 800 (2:02.16).

"Alex Gilles (qualified) in two individual events and he's anchoring a relay. It just speaks wonders for his ability as an athlete," Stewart said.

Jones finished one-tenth of a second behind Gilles in the 800 and also qualified for state. He came in third.

The E-PC girls qualified for state in the 4x200, 4x400 and 4x800 as well.

Jessica Olson and Becky Hartung were part of the victorious 4x400 team along with Plum City's Heather Von Holtum and Marah Boyer. They won in 4:14.09.

Von Holtum, Morgan Sweeney and Elaina Danzinger of Plum City, along with Hartung, set a co-op record in the 4x800 with their time of 10:19.85. They finished third.

Plum City's Sarah Gilles and Boyer were on the second-place 4x200 team. Olson and Jenna Reitz of Elmwood were also part of the team that finished in 1:51.16.

Jordyn Mark was the lone Plum City girl to qualify for state as an individual. She came in second in the triple jump with a leap of 32 feet, 11 inches.

Reitz advanced to state in both the 100 and the 200.

E-PC finished fifth in the boys standings at the sectional with 44 points while its girls program came in fourth with 49 points. The E-PC girls finished five points out of second place.

"That was kind of a bummer, but a good showing none the less," Stewart said.

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