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Comets kick off track and field season with good showing at Boscobel Invite
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A.J. Gates
Updated: Apr 12, 2013, 12:54 PM
Published: Apr 12, 2013, 12:57 PM

 

BOSCOBEL - Members of the Cassville boys’ and girls’ track and field teams participated in their first outdoor meet of the season last Thursday at Boscobel.

Both teams placed fifth among nine teams, the boys scoring 71.5 points, and the girls 64 points.

Leading the Cassville boys was senior Sebastian Apers and sophomore Dallas Esser.

Apers, a foreign-exchange student from Belgium, placed first in the 400 (:53.96) and second in the 200 (:24.40), while anchoring the 4x200 relay team to a first-place finish (1:41.65).

Esser was also a member of the winning 4x200 relay team, and also laced second in the 100 (:12.37) and the discus (108’11”).

For the Cassville ladies, senior Maddie Bode led the way with a second-place finish in the 100 (14:42) and a third-pace finish in the 200 (:28.89), while also anchoring the 4x200 relay team to a first-place finish (1:58.06).

Fellow senior Tiffany Junk placed third in the shot put (29’3.5”) and fourth in the discus (75’6”), while also running on the first-place 4x100 relay team (1:01.09), along with sophomores Hayley Williams and Kayla Mumm, along with freshman Brielle Baliff.

Following this past Tuesday’s meet at North Crawford, the Comets will next hit the track Friday night when they host a meet.

Boscobel Invite
(from Thursday, April 4)
Boys
Team scores - 1. Viroqua 144; 2. Westby 133; 3. Richland Center 101; 4. Boscobel 89.5; 5. Cassville 71.5; 6. North Crawford 44.5; 7. Wauzeka 41; 8. Riverdale 34.5; 9. De Soto 21.
Top finishers from Cassville
100 - 2. Dallas Esser :12.37. 200 - 2. Sebastian Apers :24.40. 400 - 1. Sebastian Apers :53.96; 8. Luke Kirschbaum :59.40. 1600 - 5. Andrew Ihm 5:20.74; 7. Jared Kartman 5:29.63. 3200 - 2. Andrew Ihm 11:41.56. 4x200 - 1. (Dallas Esser, Caleb Dahse, Dylan Johll, Sebastian Apers) 1:41.65. Pole vault - 8. (tie) Luke Kirschbaum 8’6”. Long jump - 4. Jake Haas 17’0”. Shot put - 7. Brad Klein 35’7”. Discus - 2. Dallas Esser 108’11”;  4. Brad Klein 104’5”.
Girls
Team scores - 1. Viroqua 148; 2. Westby 122.5; 3. Boscobel 114; 4. Riverdale 72.5; 5. Cassville 64; 6. Richland Center 62.5; 7. North Crawford 49; 8. Wauzeka 21; 9. De Soto 16.5.
Top finishers from Cassville
100 - 2. Maddie Bode :14.42; 5. Jenna Friese :14.59; 7. Kayla Mumm :14.76. 200 - 3. Maddie Bode :28.89; 7. Kayla Mumm :30.65. 1600 - 7. Payton Brinkman 6:55.88. 300 hurdles - 3. Destiny Cederquist :56.95. 4x100 - 5. (Kayla Mumm, Tiffany Junk, Brielle Baliff, Hayley Williams) 1:01.09. 4x200 - 1. (Jenna Friesen, Destiny Cederquist, Bailie Becwar, Maddie Bode) 1:58.06. 4x400 - 3. (Bailie Becwar, Payton Brinkman, Destiny Cederquist, Jenna Friesen) 4:51.63. Shot put - 3. Tiffany Junk 29’3.5”; 8. Haley Williams 24’11”. Discus - 4. Tiffany Junk 75’6”.
Belmont advances to WIAA Division 5 State Softball Championship Game
#1 Braves rout Ithaca 11–0 in five innings, will face Almond–Bancroft Saturday at 8 a.m.
Belmont state semifinal
Belmont junior Addy McNett hugs senior Kaci Riechers as senior pitcher Kalli Hodgson is all smiles following the final out of the Braves' 11–0 victory over No. 4 seed Ithaca in Thursday morning's WIAA softball Division 5 state semifinal game at the Goodman Softball Complex in Madison. - photo by Jason Nihles
Jason Nihles
Updated: Jun 13, 2025, 6:56 PM
Published: Jun 12, 2025, 8:35 PM

MADISON — The Belmont Braves are heading to the WIAA softball state championship game for the fifth time in school history.

The #1-ranked Braves made quick work of No. 4 seed Ithaca in Thursday morning's first Division 5 state semifinal game at the University of Wisconsin Goodman Softball Complex. Belmont scored three in the bottom of the first inning — before hundreds of fans could even get into the UW parking ramp — and cruised to an 11–0 five-inning mercy rule victory.

The Braves (25–3) will face No. 2 seed and #3-ranked Almond–Bancroft (25–6) in the D5 state championship game Saturday at 8 a.m. The Eagles were 18–3 winners over the No. 3 seed Thorp Cardinals (18–10) Thursday.

Senior pitcher Kalli Hodgson improved to 15–2 on the season, allowing two hits in four scoreless innings with one strikeout. Hodgson also went 2-for-3 and drove in a run with an RBI single in the first inning. Sophomore shortstop Carsyn Ramaker struck out the side and walk a batter in the scoreless top of the fifth to close out the win.

Belmont took a 1–0 lead when junior second baseman Addy McNett led off with a single and eventually scored on a throwing error. Senior third baseman Kaci Riechers on a bunt single and later scored on a wild pitch to make it 2–0, before Hodgson beat out an infield single to shortstop to drive in Lexi Riechers. 

The Braves added two unearned runs in the bottom of the second to make it 5–0 when McNett (walked) and Ramaker (HBP) both scored on an error by Ithaca catcher Holly King.

After a scoreless third inning, Belmont piled it on with six in the fourth. The Braves loaded the bases with a leadoff double my McNett, Kaci Riechers was hit by a hit and Ramaker singled through the left side. Senior Morgan Freeman cleared the bases with a booming double to right centerfield to extend the lead to 8–0. Sophomore left fielder Emily Reuter added an RBI single, and sophomore first baseman Jaelyn Leitzinger completed the scoring with a 2-run single to through the left side to score Reuter and junior designated player Claire Runde.

Belmont will be playing for its third state championship Saturday morning after winning state titles in 2002 (D3) and 2019 (D5). This is Belmont's eighth state tournament appearance in 30 years under head coach Jeff Hogdson, who enters Saturday's championship game with a career mark of 558–193. The Braves also reached the state championship game in 2003 and 2006, and made state tournament appearances in 1999, 2009 and 2017. 

For more info on Belmont's WIAA State Softball Tournament run, see next week's The Platteville Journal or Republican Journal.