By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
North Crawford athletes do well at state meet
Girls track
maggie vault
Maggie Schellhorn clears the high jump pole at the state meet in LaCrosse - photo by Nate Beier

With an audience of 18,023 over two days, competing against the best 15 athletes in Division 3 from across the state, the North Crawford athletes represented themselves well at the WIAA State Track Meet in LaCrosse last week. 

Both junior Haley Nelson and sophomore Maggie Schellhorn have competed at this level previously as freshmen and their determination to do better than their previous trip was evident.

Nelson started the two-day meet off well on Friday morning in the high jump. She made clean jumps at 4'8" and 4'10". After two missed attempts at 5', a small adjustment in her approach helped Nelson clear this height and move on to clear 5'2", the school record that she set earlier in the season. She was again able to reach this milestone on her third attempt. 

Although she was close on multiple attempts, Nelson was unable to clear the winning height of 5'4". 

In high jump, every attempt matters  and this proved to the be case on Friday. Nelson ended up seventh in Division 3 in the high jump. This is a major achievement, but just short of her goal of making the podium (top six places).  She would have achieved her goal and could have placed as high as seconnd as she was tied with five other jumpers at the second place height, but the tie breaking criteria was misses at previous heights. 

Nelson is already using this experience to drive herself to improve for next year, according to coach Ed Heisz.

Maggie Schellhorn took the stage on Saturday morning competing in the pole vault.  She finished 14th overall with a vault of 8'6" a season best for her and just missing her 9' vault attempts. 

Schellhorn competed against some very tough competition with 10 vaulters attempting 10' vaults, four vaulters clearing 10' and the winning vaulter clearing 11'.  Of the 15 athletes Schellhorn was competing against, seven were seniors. 

Schellhorn was determined to do better than her freshmen debut when she had to deal with sudden weather complications and difficult vaulting conditions as a result, on top of the nerves of competing at this level as a freshman, and she did just that.  Schellhorn took to the runway with confidence and strength. 

“Maggie, like Haley, did not wait for the dust to settle on this experience as she is already planning off season workouts and setting new goals for next season,” coach Heisz noted after the meet.