Falcons' Schimenz to defend 800 track title

Brown Deer - Even in rebuilding years like this one, the Brown Deer boys and girls track teams always show up in the big meets at the end of the year, and always send people to the WIAA state meet.

Case in point, the WIAA Division 2 sectional meet on May 24, where the Falcons boys advanced repeat qualifier Evan Naber in both the 110-high and 300-intermediate hurdles and Matt Emmons in the 110 highs.

Further, defending state D2 800 champion Jake Schimenz will also get a chance at a repeat title.

Meanwhile, the small in number, but large in heart Falcons girls send the 800 relay team of Simone Sellers, Simone Sherard, Victoria Millet and Valerie Whiyee and also get a repeat berth out of Sabrina Wimer in the 300 low hurdles.

"It was such a great effort on our kids' part," Falcons coach Rob Green said. "Everyone was cutting time, getting ready and putting him or herself into the best position possible for qualifying."

Meet starts on Friday

The WIAA State D2 meet gets under way at Memorial Stadium in La Crosse at 3 p.m. Friday with some finals and all trials. The remaining finals are on Saturday, starting at 10:30 a.m.

Schimenz will get a chance at defending his title Friday afternoon.

"We tried to double Jake this year in the 400 and 800," Green said, "but unfortunately we were in a sectional where there were six people who went under 50 seconds (in the 400). Jake though, has done a lot of speed training lately and his time at sectional (in the 800) was a PR (personal record) by half-a-second."

Behind their qualifying efforts, the Falcons boys scored 40 points and took fifth in the 28-school field as East Troy won with 80.

Naber had a spectacular day to lead the Falcons, as he won both his races. Despite a strong headwind, he turned in a time of 15.45 in taking the 110 highs with Emmons, another senior, turning in a surprise personal best of 15.89 in taking third and seizing a state spot of his own.

"We thought Evan would be able to cut his time by a lot, but with that wind, it wasn't going to happen," Green said, "but he still had a very good meet. He had a great 300 race and put himself in good position heading into state."

Naber won the 300s easily in a time of 40.43.

Green couldn't say enough about Emmons' effort.

"He's just a great story," Green said. "An unbelievable kid, who's worked so hard. He just maximized his effort and PRed by over .4 of a second."

Emmons narrowly missed out on a second state slot, taking fifth in the 300 hurdles (42.73).

Meanwhile, Schimenz knows where his competition will come for his 800 state title, as Milwaukee Lutheran's Jeff Meitler beat him at sectional by 0.57 of a second with a 1:57.41 showing as Schimenz was clocked in 1:57.98. In the 400 race, Schimenz could only take seventh despite a fine time of 50.59.

Relay leads young team

For the girls, the relay team turned in a season best of 1:48.17 to earn the fourth and final state spot in a tight field. They were only 0.11 ahead of fifth place East Troy.

Green is pleased for Sherard, a senior and the last holdover from the great state championship relay of two years ago.

"We have a (girls) team that's almost all freshmen and sophomores and she plays the big sister role with them so well," Green said. "She's taught them that good things happen when they put themselves in good positions."

Sherard narrowly missed out on an individual position of her own, when she took fifth in the triple jump (33-3).

The sophomore Wimer showed that she's ready to improve on her state efforts from last year, as she took second in the 300 hurdles in a season best of 47.85.

"It wasn't her most complete race, but it will get better," Green said.

Wimer was also sixth in the 100 high hurdles (17.24) and Green also praised the effort of freshman school 3,200 record-holder Ani Grafwallner, who competed well in a sound field, taking ninth in 12:55.62.

The girls team took 13th in the 28-school sectional field with 20 points as East Troy won this end of the meet, too, with 68 1/2 .