CUBA CITY –Darlington crowned seven conference champions on the way to winning the girls’ team title for the second straight season, while the Redbirds claimed five championship titles to capture the boys’ team title at the 2017 SWAL Track and Field Meet hosted by Cuba City High School on Tuesday, May 16.
    “Both of our teams set out with the goal of winning the conference championship.  This group of seniors has put in the time and effort over their four years and it was nice to see them achieve their goals,” stated Darlington head coach Pat Reichling.
    “The younger members of our team were able to mature quickly for us and fill in some key spots. We had many people who were asked to compete in unfamiliar events in order to score team points. It is amazing to see young people that will put aside their individual success for the team success. Our athletes never questioned our decisions, they simply competed.  Their hard work and dedication is what helped them win these titles.”
    The Lady Redbirds placed a competitor in all 18 events with two or more place winners in eight of those events and top-three finishes in all four relay races en route to the girls’ SWAL title with 176 points.
    The Redbirds placed in 17 of the 18 events with two place winners in six events and three place winners in four other events and they also had top-three finishes in all four relays to roll to the boys’ SWAL title with 198 points.
    Senior Paige Schilling and sophomore Ilse Mendez won two conference titles each to lead the Lady Redbirds, while senior Conner Hackett and junior Grady Rielly won two titles apiece for the Redbirds.
    Schilling finished first in the 800-meter run (2:31.64) and Mendez won the 1,600 (6:14.91) and the duo combined with juniors Emma Crist and Erin Wolf to take the title in the girls’ 3,200-meter relay race (11:20.14) on the day. Schilling also placed third in the 1,600 (6:17.22), and Crist was second in the 3,200 (13:51.19).
    Reghan Komprood added a first in the 3,200 (13:42.89) and a second in the 1,600 (6:14.98), while senior Taryn Rankin placed first in the discus (114’2”) and junior Hunter Weber won the pole vault (8’6”) for the ‘Birds.
    Hackett won the 3,200 (10:48.45) and joined with junior Tanner Evenstad and sophomores Tucker Lange and Trae Schilling to take first in the boys’ 3,200 relay (9:11.29). Hackett was second in the 1,600 (4:50.86) and Lange was second in the 800 (2:06.17), while Evenstad placed third in the 800 (2:09.03) and the 1,600 (4:53.66) for the ‘Birds.
    Rielly swept the hurdles, winning the 110 high hurdles (15.71) and the 300 intermediate hurdles (42.70), and he teamed with senior Jared Meister, junior Tyler Mosley and sophomore Blake Whalen to take second in the 800 relay (1:39.75).
    Junior Connor McGowan also won a conference title on Tuesday with a winning toss in the discus (133’4”).

SWAL MEET
Boys Meet– Team Scores: Darlington 198, Fennimore 115, Cuba City 102, Boscobel 82, Riverdale 46, Southwestern 11.

Other Darlington Placewinners: 100- 2- Trevor Johnson, 11.63; 3- Kameron Blosch, 11.65; 200- 2- Johnson, 23.40; 5- Blake Whalen, 24.23; 400- 2- Curtis Blosch, 54.80; 3- Johnson, 56.51; 800- 5- Trae Schilling, 2:11.93; 1600- 4- Paul King, 5:10.94; 3200- 2- Paul King, 11:01.85; 5- Bailey Schwartz, 11:59.52; 110HH- 2- Mitchell Wagner, 16.10; 6- Ryley Lancaster, 20.15; 300IH- 3- Wagner, 43.83; 400R- 3- Darlington (Jared Meister, C. Blosch, Whalen, K. Blosch), 47.69; 1600R- 2- Darlington (K. Blosch, Kolbe Ubersox, Meister, C. Blosch), 4:04.64; 3200R- 2- Darlington (Tanner Evenstad, Hackett, Daniel Maurer, Willie Riechers), 9:26.74; HJ- 2- Wagner, 5’11”; 5- Tanner Evenstad, 5’6”; LJ- 2- Johnson, 18’9”; LJ- 2- Wagner, 39’6”; SP- 6- Tyler Mosley, 37’10.5”; D- 4- Ross Stauffacher, 112’1”.

Girls Meet– Team Scores: Darlington 176, Cuba City 148.5, Boscobel 79, Fennimore 68.5, Riverdale 65, Southwestern 17.

Other Darlington Placewinners: 100- 3- Kathleen Mathias, 13.30; 200- 2- Mathias, 27.25; 400- 2- Mathias, 1:06.66; 4- Kennedy Rankin, 1:08.50; 800- 4- Erin Wolf, 2:39.37; 3200- 3- Bailey McDonald, 14:04.31; 100HH- 4- Lizzie Schwartz, 19.19; 300HH- 2- Lizzie Schwartz, 50.95; 400R- 3- Darlington (Sadie Fitzsimons, McKenna Leuchtenmacher, Natty Soper, Kaylee Meyers), 55.48; 800R- 2- Darlington (Fitzsimons, Leuchtenmacher, Maddie Crist, Meyers), 1:57.20; 1600R- 2- Darlington (Meghan Douglas, Schwartz, Meyers, K. Rankin), 4:31.96; HJ- 5- Taryn Rankin, 4’6”; LJ- 2- Fitzsimons, 15’1”; 5- Mathias, 14’0”; TJ- 2- Fitzsimons, 31’9”; 6- Schwartz, 25’5.5”; SP- 5- Olivia Whalen, 30’10”; 6- Isabel Wedig, 30’7”; D- 5- K. Rankin, 100’0”.
At Cuba City, on Tuesday, May 16