Trucker senior to defends her state title in 800-meter run
By Greg Seubert
Clintonville’s Allison Johnson has a chance to defend her state championship at the WIAA State Track & Field Meet, set for Friday and Saturday, June 5-6, at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Johnson, a senior, won the girls’ Division 2 800-meter run last year in 2:16.41 and heads to state with the fastest qualifying time of 2:16.94.
Johnson qualified for state in each of her four years. She was the only Trucker to compete at state last year, but will have company this year, as seniors Skyler Lehman, Jessica Petrzates and Chrissy Betz qualified in the boys’ pole vault, girls’ 3,200-meter run and the girls’ 100-meter hurdles based on their top-four finishes May 29 at a Division 2 sectional in Little Chute.
“I always look forward to this time of the year, when an athlete’s hard work all season long finally pays off,” coach Rod Moon said. “The dreams that they have of breaking a school record or going to state is within their reach and is obtainable.
“It is also a sad time when seniors don’t make it or are leaving and moving on to bigger and better things for their life,” he added. “I just hope that when they leave, they have felt that they put everything into their season that they could. To me, it has always been about the athlete, not about me. It’s about making yourself the fastest, strongest and technically the best to perform at the highest level you can.”
Three other athletes are also moving on in divisions 1 and 3.
Hortonville is sending sophomores Hannah Lohrenz and Cody Lohrenz in the girls’ 1,600-meter run and boys’ 400-meter dash, respectively. Hannah placed first in the event May 29 at the Division 1 Ashwaubenon Sectional in De Pere, while Cody placed third in his event.
Marion senior Cassidy Detert will wrap up her high school track career in the girls’ Division 3 shot put and discus events. She won both events May 29 at the Rosholt Sectional.