MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U.COM CO-GAME OF THE WEEK (April 16–23)
PREP TRACK & FIELD: Platteville Invitational

By Jason Nihles, The Platteville Journal

Gritty Hillmen sweep Platteville Invitational

PLATTEVILLE — Mother Nature made it a clean sweep Saturday of poor weather for Platteville’s inaugural varsity athletic competitions at the new Platteville Activities Complex.

The football team christened the new stadium on a cold, rainy night last Oct. 13 with a 45–0 Homecoming win over River Valley in the 2023 regular season finale.

The Platteville/Lancaster girls soccer team played its first game in the new stadium in the rain during a 2–1 SWC loss to Prairie du Chien/River Ridge/Seneca Tuesday, April 9.

It was the Platteville track and field team’s turn to brave the elements Saturday for its first home meet at the new complex.

Despite the wind and unseasonably  frigid temperature, that never topped 39 degrees, the Platteville Hillmen swept both team titles at the newly formatted Platteville Invitational.

“Even though it wasn’t ideal weather, I was just grateful it was good enough to get the meet off,” said first-year Platteville head coach Russ Yurs. “It would have been a disappointment to everyone to not have it after all the hard work by the athletes, other students and administration to pull together to make the meet happen.”

The Hillmen tallied 164 points to win the boys title, while the Platteville girls scored 141 points to win the girls’ crown.

“That was our goal when I talked to the team after last Monday’s Prairie du Chien meet,” said first-year Platteville head coach Russ Yurs. “It was an attainable goal and I told them we had the ability to win both titles if we put in the work during the week. 

“I was so proud of our kids. Grit is a word that has been spoken in the North Gym during the track and field season for decades. Grit is the most important personality characteristic anyone can have. Grit builds everything great we have in our lives. Saturday, our Hillmen put on a show filled with grit from beginning to end. 

“I watched all the other teams almost run for their buses when they were finished, but our kids weren’t huddle under the tents or bleachers, they were out cheering for their teammates the entire meet. As coaches, we were very proud of all of them.” 

With a new track and field complex this year, Platteville also felt it was time to change the format of its annual home invitational, with had been a relays-only meet for the past 58 years. Prior to this year, even the field events were contested by three-person and more recently two-person teams were distances and heights were combined to determine placewinners.

“I really feel our new facility should host a traditional style invitational like the new format, but I am also one that is all for tradition,” said Yurs. “And to be honest, I wanted to be able to host two home meets this year, one for an invitational and one a relays meet, but it was just too much out of the gate with a new coaching staff and the new facility to make it all happen. We hope to bring the Platteville Relays back in the near future.”

Under this year’s updated format, which now follows the order of events at traditional invitational, Platteville used its superior talent and team depth of more than 120 athletes to overwhelm the 10-team field. 

Senior Marcus Sponsler won both the 110-meter high hurdles (15.90) and the 300-meter intermediate hurdles to lead the Platteville boys (164) to the title by 45 points over runner-up Galena/River Ridge/East Dubuque (119). 

Juniors Dallas Tatar in the 3,200 (11:12.12) and Fletcher Cline in the discu (147’1”), and sophomore Tyler Sasse in the high jump (5’10”) each won individual titles for the Hillmen. Sasse also placed second in the long jump (19’11.5”) and triple jump (39’2.5”) on a day where a number of competitors didn’t take off warms up even during competition.

Junior Eli Langmeier finished second in the high jump (5’8”). Classmate Andrew Donner placed second in the 400 (53.17) and third in the 800 (2:12.72), and teamed with Dominic Fansler, Evan DeBuhr and Kale Richards to win the 4x400 relay.

The Platteville girls piled up 141 points to win the girls title ahead of Fennimore (109) and Dodge–Point (72).

Freshman Avery Richard won the girls 400 (1:04.38) was second in the 200 (29.68). Senior Isabelle Rooney in the 300 hurdles (55.32), junior Linnea Dye in the high jump (4’8”) and freshman Ellie Brunton in the 3,200 (13:41.07) also won individual titles.

Richard, Rooney also won the girls 4x400 relay (4:35.78) with Josie Yurs and freshman Maddie Fritz. 

Sophomore Desaray Washington in the girls 100-meter dash (13.53), junior Margreta Dirks in the 1,600 (6:20.02) and senior Emelia Theleman in the discus (104’7”) each earned second place finishes for the Platteville girls.

Other area teams Belmont, Cassville/Potosi, Cuba City, Dodgeville/Mineral Point, Fennimore, Iowa–Grant, Prairie du Chien and the Tri-State Homeschool team also competed on Saturday.

Platteville Invitational
(from Saturday, April 20 @ Platteville)
(Boys)
Team scores — 1.Platteville 164, 2.Galena 119, 3.Fennimore 91, 3.Iowa–Grant 91, 5.Prairie du Chien 71, 6.Cuba City 57, 7.Dodgeville/Mineral Point 40, 8.Cassville/Belmont 37, 9.Tri State Homeschool 12, 10.Belmont 7.
Platteville top finishers (top 8)
100 — 3.Logan Day 11.64. 200 — 3.Troy Klauer 25.27. 400 — 2.Andrew Donner 53.17. 800 — 3.Donner 2:12.72. 1,600 — 6.Dallas Tatar 4:56.95, 8.Guthrie Cline 5:22.81. 3,200 — 1.Tatar 11:12.12, 3.Antonio DeNucci 11:56.10. 110 hurdles — 1.Marcus Sponsler 15.90, 4.Eli Langmeier 17.20. 300 hurdles — 1.Sponsler 45.67. 4x100 relay — 3.Platteville (Shawn Harris, Tyler Sasse, Zeke Schwartz, Day) 48.20. 4x200 — 3.Platteville (Kale Richards, Jake Dye, Klauer, Day) 1:43.04. 4x400 — 1.Platteville (Donner, Dominic Fansler, Evan DeBuhr, Richard) 3:52.81. 4x800 — 3.Platteville (DeBuhr, Brian Richter, Lucas Taber, Fansler) 9:23.04. High jump — 1.Sasse 5’10”, 2.Langmeier 5’8”. Long jump — 2.Sasse 19’11.5”, 4.Day 17’10.5”. Triple jump — 2.Sasse 39’2.5”, 7.Caleb Digman 36’10”. Shot put — 4.John Baxter 43’5”, 6.Fletcher Cline 39’6.5”. Discus — 1.Cline 147’1”, 3.Mason Troester 139’3”.
Iowa–Grant top finishers (top 8)
100 — 6.Davin McHone 12.14. 200 — 2.Cyle Steffl 24.65, 5.Landon Friesen 26.38. 400 — 3.Bret Connolly 54.15, 7.Nikolei Freymiller 57.14. 800 — 2.Connolly 2:08.98. 3,200 — 5.Connor Johnson 12:21.88, 7.Angel Vazquez-Bartolo 12:33.66. 110 hurdles — 5.D. McHone 17.52. 300 hurdles — 3.Friesen 49.42, 6.Braden Dowell 52.06. 4x100 — 5.IG (L. Friesen, Harrison Wolff, Calvin McHone, Aidan Friesen) 49.32. 4x200 — 1.IG (D. McHone, Freymiller, A. Friesen, Steffl) 1:39.50. 4x400 — 3.IG (Connolly, Vazquez-Bartolo, Grant Rickard, Freymiller) 3:55.04. 4x800 — 7.IG (Jason Bartolo-Garcia, Ubaldo Bartolo-Marin, Johnson, Vazquez-Bartolo) 10:20.80. High jump — 4(tie).L. Friesen J5’2”. Pole vault — 2.Dowell 9’6”, 3(tie).A. Friesen 9’0”. Long jump — 8.C. McHone J16’3”.
Cassville/Potosi top finishers (top 8)
100 — 2.Braden Fishnick 11.47. 110 hurdles — 2.Oliver Post 16.61. 4x100 — 5.C/P (Kadin Walsh, Aaron Edge, Post, Fishnick) 48.22. 4x200 — 5.C/P (Connor Robbins, Joe Haas, Hunter White, Edge) 1:44.32. 4x400 — 4.C/P (Wyatt Udelhofen, Post, White, Edge) 3:56.51. Long jump — 7.Drew Richardson J16’3”. Triple jump — 5.Post 38’4”. Discus — 8.Denny Espiritu 123’2”.
Belmont top finishers (top 9)
800 — 9.Cody Kletecka 2:29.40. 4x200 — 6.Belmont (Aidan Austin, Carter Kettler, C. Kletecka, Mason Oellerich) 1:44.47. Long jump — 5.Austin 17’9”.
Tri-State Homeschool top finishers (top 8)
400 — 5.Titus Wunderlin 55.63. 4x400 — 5.TSHS (Zeme Franzmann-Simmert, Michael-Rhett Gilbertson) 3:58.01, Vince Langston, Wunderlin) 3:58.01. 4x800 — 5.TSHS (Grant Chitwood, M. Gilbertson, H. Gilbertson, Wunderlin) 9:50.42.
Fennimore top finishers (top 8)
100 — 7.Brandon Seitz 12.21, 8.Freymiller 12.43. 400 — 1.Isaac Henkel 52.53, 4.Carter Bunn 55.11, 6.Riley Foreyt 55.71. 800 — 1.Henkel 2:07.81, 4.Ben Varela 2:14.47. 1,600 — 4.Nick Needham 4:54.41. 3,200 — 4.Orlando Bonilla 12:06.94. 4x200 — 4.Fennimore (Madden Crubel, Jakob Kretschman, Reece Kelley, Seitz) 1:43.39. 4x800 — 1.Fennimore (Bunn, Foreyt, Needham, Varela) 8:33.30. High jump — 8.Kretschman J5’0”, 8.Walker Wubben J5’0”. Pole vault — 1.Matt Winch 10’0”. Long jump — 3.Freymiller 18’10.5”. Triple jump — 8.Kaden Hubbard 36’1”. Shot put — 5.Corbin Demo 40’2.5” Discus — 2.Crubel 143’4”. 
(Girls)
Team scores — 1.Platteville 141, 2.Fennimore 109, 3.Dodgeville/Mineral Point 72, 4.Galena 69, 5.Cassville/Potosi 67, 6.Prairie du Chien 63, 7.Tri-State Homeschool 51, 8.Cuba City 39, 9.Iowa–Grant 30, 10.Belmont 2.
Platteville top finishers (top 8)
100 — 2.Desaray Washington 13.53, 8.Addison Schneider 14.08. 200 — 2.Avery Richard 29.68, 7.Emma Brunton 30.95. 400 — 1.Richard 1:04.38, 5.Josie Yurs 1:07.12. 800 — 4.Maddie Fritz 2:44.17, 8.Lexy Popp 2:54.74. 1,600 — 2.Margreta Dirks 6:20.02. 3,200 — 1.Elllie Brunton 13:41.07. 100 hurdles —  8.Madison Freed 21.85. 300 hurdles — 1.Isabelle Rooney 55.32. 4x100 — 3.Platteville (Washington, Emma Brunton, Schneider, Addie Popp) 55.21. 4x200 — 3.Platteville (Washington, Emma Brunton, Schneider, Richard) 1:59.62. 4x400 — 1.Platteville (Fritz, I. Rooney, Yurs, Richard) 4:35.78. 4x800 — 3.Platteville (Ava Sonsalla, Ellie Brunton, L. Popp, Yurs) 11:22.92. High jump — 1.Linnea Dye 4’8”. Pole vault — 3.Sara Dreger 7’6”, 5.Freed J7’0”. Long jump — 6.A. Popp 13’8”. Triple jump — 5.Yurs 30’9”. Shot put — 6.Emlia Theleman 29’10”, 7.Olivia Millsap 29’7.5”. Discus — 2.Theleman 104’7”, 4.Natalie Jentz 97’11”.
Iowa–Grant top finishers (top 8)
100 — 7.Amiah Fisher 14.05. 1,600 — 1.Meagan Cullen 6:17.72. 4x100 — 6.IG (Fisher, Angelina Peat, Valeria Ramos-Ramirez, Arleth Gaytan) 58.49. 4x200 — 5.IG (Fisher, Peat, Ramos-Ramirez, Gaytan) 2:03.68. 4x400 — 5.IG (Cullen, Rachel Rickard, Josie Jenkins, Lexie Kuhls) 5:17.72. 4x800 — 5.IG (Cullen, Nina Buroker, Rickard, Jenkins) 13:07.55. Triple jump — 6.Peat 29’8.5”.
Cassville/Potosi top finishers (top 10)
100 — 1.Brielle Fishnick 13.02, 4.Hannah Infield 13.95. 200 — 1.Fishnick 29.41, 4.Infield 30.70, 8.Ava Gillilan 31.22. 400 — 3.Grace Laufenberg 1:06.69. 100 hurdles — 6.Kaitlyn Horner 21.12. 300 hurdles — 4.Iris Adams 56.97, 7.Horner 1:07.94. 4x100 — 2.C/P (Infield, Adams, Laufenberg, Fishnick) 55.10. 4x400 — 2.C/P (Gillilan, Syndey Recker, Adams, Laufenberg) 4:53.36. Triple jump — 4.Fishnick 31’2”.
Belmont top finishers (top 9)
800 — 9.Claire Brania 3:16.43. Long jump — 7.Camdyn Spangler 13’6”.
Tri-State Homeschool top finishers (top 8)
200 — 6.Caitlyn Pratt 30.92. 400 — 4.Kate Pronschinske 1:07.08. 800 — 1.Ruah Franzmann-Simmert 2:27.44. 300 hurdles — 6.Katie Snyder 1:04.34. 4x200 — 7.TSHS (Miriam Runde, Josie Statz-Lauper, Celia Klar, Caitlyn Pratt) 2:07.36. 4x400 — 4.TSHS (Annabel Tennessen, Echo Wruck, Katie McGuire, Pronschinske) 5:03.546. 4x800 — 2.TSHS (Pronschinske, Tennessen, McGuire, Franzmann-Simmert) 11:11.09. Pole vault — 6.Pronschinske J6’0”, 7.Wruck J6’0”. Long jump — 8.Snyder 13’4”. Shot put — 3.Deborah Pulver 33’7”. Discus — 6.Pulver 88’0”.   
Fennimore top finishers (top 8)
100 — 6.Jillian Adam 14.04. 200 — 5.Kaylie Czaplewski 30.76. 400 — 6.Kylee Mumm 1:09.05, 8.DaKota Northouse 1:12.95. 800 — 2.Kylee Mumm 2:38.55. 100 hurdles — 1.Rhiannon Nelson-Hahn 16.92, 5.Izzy Bender 20.21. 300 hurdles — 3.Kaylie Czaplewski 56.38. 4x200 — 2.Fennimore (Nelson-Hahn, Adam, Rosalie Griesel, Brooklyn Ritchie) 1:58.46. 4x800 — 4.Fennimore (Mumm, Northouse, Brooklyn Lull, Letica Bonilla) 11:39.87. Pole vault — 1.Lull 8’6”, 2.Rose French 8’0”. Long jump — 1.Adam 15’8”, 4.Lendosky 14’4”. Triple jump — 2.Bender 32’4.5”, 3.Nelson-Hahn 32’1”. Shot put — 1.French 34’10.5”.