By Hub City Times staff

MARSHFIELD – More than two dozen area athletes are headed to the state track & field finals at UW-La Crosse.

Marshfield is sending four competitors, following their qualifying events May 24 at the Division 1 Sectional hosted by D.C. Everest.

On the girls’ side, Meg Bryan finished in third place in the long jump, with a distance of 18 feet and a quarter inch, after finishing in first place in that event last year.

On the boys’ side, Adam Elhendy-Gunnarsson qualified in two events. He took first in the sectional long jump competition, and third in the 200-meter event. Adam Maki qualified for state in the pole vault after a second-place finish in Schofield, and Joey Goettl is going to state in the triple jump. He took second at sectionals. Those three individuals will make their first appearances at the state track meet.

Nearly 30 area runners have qualified for state in Division 3.

Marshfield Columbus Catholic will send two participants. Jessica Jakopin will compete in the shot put, after a third-place finish at the Division 3 sectional at Marathon May 24. Noah Eckelberg won four wheelchair events—the 100, 400, 800, and shot put.

Six athletes will represent Spencer in La Crosse. Hannah Zastrow will compete in the high jump, the 100-meter hurdles and the pole vault. Sabrina Vircks will compete in the high jump as well. Those two finished first and second in the sectional round.

Four Spencer boys will head to state. Aaron Pankratz won a sectional championship in the 400 meters, and also finished in third place in the 200. Nate Karau and Logan Zschernitz qualified for state in discus competition. Zschernitz also qualified in the shot put. Collin Nieman earned a trip in the 800 with a time of 2:01.97.

Auburndale is sending the most athletes of any school. All four of the Apache girls’ relay teams are going. Auburndale’s 1,600-meter relay team of Kali Karl, Isabelle Hilber, Isabelle Jewel, and Paityn Hamus qualified for state after winning the sectional event. Also taking first at the sectional was Auburndale’s 3,200-meter relay team of Karl, Macie Schmeiser, Erricka Zenner, and Taylor Stanton.  The 800 and 400-meter relay teams of Hamus, Hilber, Maddie Krings, and Kaitlyn Trowbridge also qualified.

Karl will also compete at state in the 800, while Jewell competes in the 400, and Julianna Kollross competes in the pole vault.

Loyal’s Savannah Schley qualified for state in the 400 and 1,600, while Edrea Kubista qualified in the 300 hurdles. Gabi Hederer qualified in the long jump.

Ana Klein of Pittsville qualified in the pole vault, while her teammate Amanda Piotrowski qualified in the discus.

The 2018 WIAA State Track & Field Championships will be June 1-2 at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.