Catholic Central High School

Catholic Central track tallies four state medals

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Catholic Central’s 1,600 relay team of Cassie Reesman, Shelby Frederick, Alexis Reesman and Kathleen Straube had the Toppers’ best performance at state track, taking second place and nearly winning it all. (Bob Mischka/Standard Press)
Catholic Central’s 1,600 relay team of Cassie Reesman, Shelby Frederick, Alexis Reesman and Kathleen Straube had the Toppers’ best performance at state track, taking second place and nearly winning it all. (Bob Mischka/Standard Press)

 

By Mike Ramczyk

Sports Editor

The Catholic Central track teams were relay-heavy at last weekend’s WIAA state tournament, and the girls foursomes didn’t disappoint.

Despite lightning delays at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse which caused action to last past 10 p.m. both Friday and Saturday nights, the Lady Toppers snatched four medals, including a second, third and two sixth-place finishes.

The Toppers saved their best for last. The 1,600 relay team of Cassie Reesman, Shelby Frederick, Alexis Reesman and Kathleen Straube almost brought home state gold.

Catholic Central took second in Division 3 in a time of 4:05.36, falling by a mere .56 seconds to champion Wild Rose.

Cassie Reesman led off the race, and the Toppers had a slight lead after her exchange with Frederick. Then, Frederick and Alexis Reesman were neck-and-neck with Wild Rose. Straube was the anchor and was barely edged for the title.

“The girls ran the race of their careers,” said Catholic Central coach Keith Mulhollon. “It was a great way to finish the meet for the ladies. We bring all four girls back for a shot at the title in 2015.”

The 3,200 relay team of the Reesmans, Kourtney Mulhollon and Straube put together its best race of the season, taking third place with a time of 9:55.80.

The squad improved on last season’s 8th-place state finish.

The 400 and 800 relay teams, which both consisted of Frederick, Monica Litman, Kellie Aldrich and Brianna Martin, both placed sixth.

Litman and Frederick returned from last year’s teams, and Aldrich and Martin were newcomers.

“Aldrich was a great addition to the relay as a freshman and consistently ran with confidence and consistency,” Mulhollon said.

Litman placed 10th in the 100 meter dash with a time of 13.20.

For the boys, Mulhollon said it was tough to miss out on the 1,600 relay at state. The squad, which couldn’t compete due to a Tyler Burzawa injury, would’ve been ranked No. 1 at the state meet.

Burzawa also qualified for state in the 200 dash and the 800 relay, where the boys were ranked in the top four in Division 3 all year long.

The Catholic Central 400 relay team of Shelby Frederick, Monica Litman, Kellie Aldrich and Brianna Martin used a mixture of experience and youth to take sixth at state. (Bob Mischka/Standard Press)
The Catholic Central 400 relay team of Shelby Frederick, Monica Litman, Kellie Aldrich and Brianna Martin used a mixture of experience and youth to take sixth at state. (Bob Mischka/Standard Press)

However, the boys had some success at state. The 400 relay team of Zach Frederick, Cole Kresken, Jake LaForest and Gavin Foote took 10th with a time of 45.75.

In the 1,600 run, Sam Joski, who was nursing a sore hamstring, finished 16th.

Hertel Novasic, who finished sixth in the 800 at state last year, improved his time this season but wound up 10th with a time of 2:01.14.

“The boys are so resilient, and we are so proud of how they have handled the adversity of this season,” Mulhollon said.

Shelby Frederick is the only senior saying goodbye to the team this season. Mulhollon said she will be “dearly missed.”

But next year, don’t be surprised to see a couple state champions crowned.

“Overall, it was a good year,” Mulhollon said. “We bring back just about everyone, which is exciting. These athletes work hard and are extremely motivated to achieve their goals. As a head coach, I could not be more proud of them all.”

 

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