By Jennifer Eisenbart
Sports editor
Just how new was Waterford’s Tony Sustachek to the WIAA Division 1 state track and field meet?
In spite of running a new school record, the senior was ready to leave the field Friday afternoon at the state meet, thinking there was no way he could’ve medaled.
Think again.
Running a personal-best 1:54.22, Sustachek vaulted from the No. 23 seed (of 24) into the medals in the 800-meter run, finishing sixth. Sustachek finished third in his heat, behind defending state champ Tommy Meister of Janesville Craig and Sean Wagner of Seymour.
Sustachek forgot his asthma inhaler before the race, and ran without it. When he finished, he was ready to walk off the track before a member of the media stopped him and told him he had likely medaled.
“I really didn’t know I’d medaled,” the senior said. “I was just going to get off the track like I normally do.”
It was a good overall day for the Wolverines, who saw both Jenny Gilbreath and Bryce Rudebeck qualify for the 400-meter finals Saturday for the girls and the boys, respectively.
Union Grove sophomore Cassy Goodrich also had a strong day, qualifying fourth in the 400, seventh in the 200 and ninth in the 100.
Burlington High School junior Audra Weis hit a personal best in the pole vault after an early miss at the opening height, clearing 11 feet even to finish sixth in the Division 1 event. Weis’ previous personal best was 10 feet, 6 inches.
Other final results included: BHS senior Meagan Hegeman finishing 23rd in the triple jump with a best effort of 33 feet, 1 inch.
In the afternoon Division 2 and 3 session, Catholic Central’s Megan Wadsworth (100) and Carson Meinholz (400) qualified for finals, as did the CCHS 4×200 boys relay. The girls 4×200 relay finished 12th and just missed finals.
Results from the Division 3 4×100 relay, where CCHS was the No. 2 seed, were not immediately available. We will update later.
Live updates from the meet are below:
11:50 a.m. – It’s official: Rudebeck is in as the No. 4 seed in the boys 400.
11:35 p.m. – A sweep for the local 400 runners into finals! Cassy Goodrich won her heat in 58.77 and qualified fourth, while Jenny Gilbreath finished third in her heat and qualified sixth. Waterford’s Bryce Rudebeck is also in, but we are awaiting final results.
11:05 a.m. – My apologies. Hart did not clear the opening height. Watching from a distance doesn’t always work out.
Weis also cleared 10 feet on her first try, so she will be attempting 10-6 next.
10:30 a.m. – Union Grove sophomore Cassy Goodrich finished fifth in her heat of the 100-meter dash, but still qualified ninth for finals in 12.57. She will run in the 200 and 400 later in the day.
Also, Burlington High School’s Audra Weis and Westosha Central’s Halie Hart both cleared the opening height of 9 feet, 6 inches in the pole vault.
-
-
-
-
-