BANGOR – Senior Emma Lawrence ran away with three sectional titles to help the Benton/Scales Mound/Shullsburg girls’ track and field team claim the team trophy for the second year in a row at the WIAA Division 3 Sectional Meet held at Bangor High School on Thursday, May 24.
    “It just goes to show you what a great bunch of kids can do. Many of them have worked hard since they have been in grade school to become good at sports. Last night was a chance for them to showcase the skills and athletic ability they have developed over the years. The sectional championship is a reward for the hard work these kids have put in over the years. I am just happy to be part of it,” said Zephyrs’ head coach Todd Bastian. 
    The Lady Zephyrs won four events and qualified six individuals for state en route to a first-place finish in the girls’ meet with 60 points. The BSMS boys’ team added two sectional titles and advanced three individuals and two relay teams to state while finishing third in the boys’ meet with 50 points.
    Lawrence set a pair of program records while sweeping the girls’ hurdle events at sectional, winning the 100-meter high hurdles in 15.32 seconds and the 300-meter low hurdles in 44.73 seconds, which was the 34th best time ever recorded in the state of Wisconsin.
    Lawrence also won the 200-meter dash (26.25), and then placed fourth in the triple jump (36’2”) to lock up her fourth state berth.
    Senior Brianna Leahy captured the regional title in the girls’ shot put with a top toss of 42’6.5”, however her quest for a second straight trip to state in the discus came up shy after she placed fifth (118’8”)  in the event.
    Junior Trinity Law placed second in the girls’ high jump (5’0”) to earn the final state berth for the Lady Zephyrs.
    Senior Aaron Pulvermacher was part of both sectional titles for the Zephyrs, winning the 400-meter dash in 51.24 seconds and teaming with seniors Ethan Shetler and David Germaine and junior Troy Turpin to win the 1,600 relay in a program record time of 3:28.89.
    Turpin joined with senior Josh Redfearn and freshman Chandler Kelly and Niko Karavergos to finish second in the 3,200 relay (8:29.34), while senior Ben Davis placed third (6’2”) and sophomore Matt Davis took fourth (6’0”) in the high jump to earn state berths for the Zephyrs.
    The Zephyrs’ 400 relay (46.01) and 800 relay (1:36.55) squads narrowly missed out on state qualifications after placing fifth, respectively, at the meet. Shelter and Germaine joined with junior Zach Wiegel and sophomore Tyler Walton in the 4x100 race, while Shetler, Germaine and Turpin joined with sophomore Caleb O’Neill in the 4x200 race.
    B. Davis also placed sixth in the 110 hurdles (17.00) for the Zephyrs.
    The Lady Zephyrs’ 4x100 team of Law, junior Maggie Dougherty and sophomores Chloe Matthews and Calli Jerry placed seventh (52.78), and freshman Claire Tiedeman was eighth in the 300 hurdles (50.53) for the tri-op.
    The 2018 WIAA State Track and Field Meet will be held at UW-La Crosse’s Veterans Memorial Stadium on Friday and Saturday, June 1-2. Friday’s Division 2/3 competition will begin at 3 p.m., and Saturday’s competition begins at 9:30 a.m.
    “It is always fun to take kids to the state meet. We will be busy and, hopefully, bring home some hardware,” added Bastian.