By Tim Wester
Sports Correspondent
After focusing on softball the past few years, Union Grove junior Katie Fruth came back to her roots this spring.
Fruth, who excelled in the shot put in grade school, transitioned to softball her first two years in high school.
Fruth elected to return to shot put this spring and has excelled in short order, winning the shot put championship at the Southern Lakes Conference Tournament in Elkhorn Tuesday, May 15.
Fruth’s championship throw of 38-1.5 feet also broke a school record that was set in 2002.
“Shot put is like riding a bike where once you learn how to do it, you never forget it,” Union Grove coach Mike Mikula said. “She was a thrower in grade school and set records at the grade school level.”
Fruth helped the Bronco girls finish seventh overall. Waterford won the girls championship.
On the boys side, Kevin Hall continued to fight his way back from hamstring and groin injuries to finish second in the 2-mile with a time of 10:39.09.
“Kevin Hall has battled injuries all season and his first meet back was last week Tuesday, May 8,” Mikula said. “He has been nursing himself back to shape and we asked him if he wanted to try it and he said sure, and fortunately he was fine after the race.”
Hall’s impressive performance propelled the boys to a sixth-place finish. Elkhorn won the boys championship.
“All things considered, we did well,” Mikula said. “Elkhorn is always a tough place to run with a tail wind from the nearby interstate, but overall the conditions were good compared to most of the spring.”
The Bronco boys 800 relay team of senior Cole Anderson, junior Dillion Brixius, senior Joe Martinsen, and freshman Jacob Tennessen also medaled with a third-place time of 1:37.04.
On the girls side, senior Hannah Bounds medaled with a second-place jump (5-0).
After a promising finish at conference, the Broncos will look to improve their times and distances at the WIAA Regional Division 1 tournament at Kenosha Bradford on Monday.
“We have a tough road ahead in the postseason,” Mikula said. “Our focus continues to be for each individual to perform their best each and every time they compete.”
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