Eagles track program powered by experience

MARSHFIELD – What the Auburndale High School track and field program lacks in participants is made up for with experience.

The Eagles have 16 boys out for track and field this spring, along with 15 girls.

The majority of Head Coach John Karl’s roster is made up of upper classmen.

“Hopefully we get more kids coming in next year, but there’s a good mix of kids there and quite a bit of experience, especially in our throwing events, with Logan Nagel, Koby Nagel and Tevin Bauer,” Karl told Hub City Times during our recent visit to Auburndale High School. “All three of them are seniors. Logan’s been to the State meet a couple times in the discus. Very strong this year Logan is, and he broke the school record just recently for shot put. And Tevin is not too far – and neither is his twin brother, Koby – in terms of the shot [put]. And Koby also does the discus, but Tevin does not. But Tevin is also part of the sprinting group, too, so he’s on the relays and runs the 100 and the 200 also.

“Other guys in that group [include] Trevor Trowbridge, returning medalist in the 300 hurdles,” Karl added. “He’s running the 110s, he’s part of the relays also, and he was also State qualifier in wrestling this year, so he’s one of our key runners and key athletes on the guy’s team.”

Another key returner is senior Nathan Van Wyhe, who competes in a number of events, including relays and the 100 and 200 sprints.

Will Akins is the school’s record holder in the pole vault and was just one spot away from placing at State last year.

Junior Jaxon Grube is among the squad’s mid-distance runners.

Ray Teska is part of the team’s sprinting group.

“Probably our fastest guy right now in the 100,” said Karl. “He’s going to be an important part of the relay teams.”

Freshman Tyden Dorhorst and sophomore Wyatt Pavlik are high jumpers, and Pavlik also serves as a mid-distance runner.

Sophomore Mason Willfahrt competes in the long jump and is just starting to take on hurdling.

Karl also tells us freshman Andrew Brandl shows “quite a bit of promise [and is] really dedicated to trying to learn how to get out of his blocks.”

Thomas Grzesiak is another freshman who Karl says is a good 400 runner.

Freshmen Paydin Parker and Ben Scharenbroch are contributing to the Eagles’ success as well.

“Expectations for the conference, I think if we could place in the top 4, that’ll be a good goal,” said Karl, who added it’s simply a numbers game at this point.

“It’d be great if we could have 50 kids — 25 girls, 25 boys — we could push for a conference championship because you have to have all the events covered. You’ve got to try to score points in all the events. In 2017 when our girls won conference, that’s what we had, and that’s really the key.”

Karl says Auburndale’s boys should be in the mix for State qualifiers in the shot put and discus, the 110 and 300 hurdles, and the 400- and 800-meter relays.

As for the girls, Karl says it’s a group made up of mostly under classmen with a lot of varsity experience.

His sprinters are mostly freshmen and sophomores.

That group includes Allison Curtin, Joscelin Raab, Nayla Seevers, Abi Schmidt, Cassandra Van Wyhe and Lola Marchand.

“Placing at conference would be a great goal for that group,” said Karl. 

His mid-distance runners have seen the most success as of late, with appearances at the State meet in recent years.

Iris Galetto, an Italian foreign exchange student, is part of the relay group, along with Gracie Hasenohrl, who also competes in the pole vault.

“She’s got high hopes, individually, of making it to the State Tournament for pole vault,” Karl shared.

The squad also features Rose Hasenohrl, a state qualifier the past two seasons.

Alana Steines is another team member with State Tournament experience in several relay events, along with another returner, Alivia Wolf, who also runs the mile.

Marti Anderson “is probably our legitimate 200, 400 kid,” said Karl, who added she also runs several relay events.

After a year off, Kennedy Crane is back in the mix this season.

Freshman Ella Kumm gives the Eagles another option in the pole vault as well.

Freshman Journey Voight has been injured, but will eventually be in the relay mix.

As a team, Karl is hoping for a top 5 conference finish.

“We don’t have any throwers. We don’t have enough point-getters, put it that way,” he said. “Now if I could have girls compete in four or five running events, then we could cover more things and we could score points in relays and in individual events, but the rules don’t allow us to do that.

“We want kids to get exposed, so we’re going to give them opportunities,” Karl continued. “We have kind of a rule. You have to put X amount of days into it in order to be able to go in that new event that you want. So those are ways that we can get points later in the season. But during the season, it’s about training. Meets are basically just another tool to train. So, if we can run or throw or vault against good competition, we’re trying to get them ready for the big show.”

Former Auburndale track and field standout Izzy (Hilber) Weinfurter is a part-time assistant coach this season, helping with the high jump.

Terrance Roberson, a state champion for the Eagles in the long jump a few years ago, has been hired as a full-time assistant, helping jumpers and sprinters.

Longtime assistant Shane Brandl is back again this season, coaching sprint events, hurdles and high jump.

Brandon Roberson is coaching the throwers.

Karl, who focuses on mid-distance and distance events, is in his ninth season as head coach.