This story is sponsored by: Chips Hamburgers of Marshfield and Wisconsin Rapids
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
A number of former local high school athletes have moved on to the next level and are playing sports collegiately across the country.
Periodically, MarshfieldAreaSports.com will publish a College Sports Roundup updating readers on some of those local athletes’ exploits at the collegiate level.
Local grads shine at WIAC Indoor Track Championships
MENOMONIE – A number of local athletes competed at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships on Feb. 24-25 at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, with four earning conference titles.
Gracie Holland, a 2020 graduate of Marshfield High School, won the women’s pole vault with a new meet record of 12 feet, 11 inches, for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Holland also won the event last year.
Marshfield graduates Addison Hill (2020) and Caden Pearce (2019) also won WIAC titles for the UW-La Crosse men’s track and field team, which won its 20th conference title in the past 21 seasons.
Hill earned the victory in the men’s 400 meters in 49.10 seconds, and Pearce teamed with Tyler Backes, Dirk Lueck and Luke Vance to win the men’s 1,600-meter relay in 3:20.68. Pearce also placed seventh in the 200 meters in 22.33 seconds.
Freshman Terrance Cottrell-Roberson, a 2022 graduate of Auburndale High School, is also part of the conference champion La Crosse men’s team. He competed in the men’s long jump but did not register a qualifying jump.
The UW-La Crosse women’s team also won the team championship and Kaydee Johnson, a 2020 graduate of Marshfield High School, was a part of that for the Eagles.
Johnson was part of the women’s distance medley team that placed third in 12:30.48.
Two 2019 Spencer High School graduates also took part in the meet, with one coming away with a conference title.
Mason Barth of UW-Stout won the men’s heptathlon, which combines to the 60-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, 60-meter hurdles, pole vault and 100-meter dash, with a total score of 5,030 points.
Barth also placed third in the pole vault (15-6 1/2) and was fifth in the 60-meter hurdles (8.31 seconds).
Hannah Zastrow of UW-Eau Claire took fourth in the women’s high jump with a leap of 5-2 1/4.
Hertel, Schwanebeck-Ostermann qualify for NCAA wrestling meet
MEQUON – A pair of 2019 Marshfield High School graduates earned spots in the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships after competing at the Upper Midwest Regional last Saturday at Concordia University.
The top three wrestlers in each of the 10 weight classes qualify for the national tournament, which will be held March 10-11 in Roanoke, Va.
Nolan Hertel (32-2) won the 157-pound title for UW-La Crosse after going 4-0 at the two-day tournament. Hertel had a pin, a technical fall and a major decision to reach the finals, where he defeated Tyler Shilson of Augsburg (Minn.) 3-2.
Schwanebeck-Ostermann, who wrestlers for Augsburg, finished second at 184 pounds. He had a tech fall and a pin to reach the semifinals, where he defeated Nlail Schoenfelder of UW-Eau Claire 2-0. Schwanebeck-Ostermann (28-6) lost in the finals to Jaritt Shinhoster of UW-Oshkosh by pin in 3:26.
Note: We try to keep up with as many of our former local high school athletes that are playing on the collegiate level. If you know of any others we may be missing, please contact us by email at paul@marshfieldareasports.com for a future College Roundup.