The Lancer girls track team returns a strong component of experienced athletes to competition this season. Of the 27 girls on the roster, ten are returning letterwinners, including two athletes who medaled at the 2021 WIAA State Track meet. The Lancers have a strong squad that won the 2021 WIAA Regional championship and finished as Big East conference runner-up.
Top athletes returning from last year’s squad include senior distance runner Brooklyn Luebke, who finished 4th at State in the 3200m run and 5th at State in the 1600m run, and senior MonRaye Ermis who earned a 5th place finish at State in the shot put. Luebke also took the Conference Championship in those same two distance races and was named Female Track Athlete of the Meet, and Ermis was conference champion in the shot put. We also return three of the four members of our conference champion 4x400m relay team: senior Emily Marohn, sophomore Peyton Luebke, and Brooklyn Luebke. (The fourth member, Kallie Fels, graduated.)
Nine new freshmen girls are on the roster, helping to fill out the team. Head Coach Abbey Bubolz noted that the strength of the team will be its eight seniors, six of whom are 4-year track athletes. She also commented, “The girls are coming off of a well-fought runner-up team finish at Conference last year, and return a strong team, so certainly they have some big goals. At this point it is too early to say (how they will do in the conference). There is much more data that needs to be gathered to make an accurate prediction.”
Besides her head coaching duties, Bubolz coaches the mid-distance, distance, and hurdles athletes. She is joined by assistant coaches Kathy Kock (sprints and throws) and Tom Winter (high jump, long jump, and triple jump).
The girls track team’s first meet is their one and only indoor meet of the season, the Pam Kjono Invitational held at JFK Fieldhouse at Lincoln High School in Manitowoc this Friday, March 25th. The Lancers will be competing against many Division 1 and 2 schools at this meet, which starts at 4:15pm. (The boys indoor meet at JFK Fieldhouse is the day before.)
The first outdoor meet is a quadrangular scheduled at Hilbert High School on Tuesday, April 5th. The outdoor season then continues similarly to other years with one or two meets a week. The Big East Conference meet is in Reedsville on Monday, May 16th, followed by WIAA Regionals at Hilbert on Monday, May 23rd and WIAA Sectionals at Rosholt on Thursday, May 26th. The season culminates at the State Track Meet June 3rd and 4th at UW-La Crosse.
Fans are encouraged to come to all the meets! With the 2022 season back to its normal March to early June timeframe compared to last year’s late season, Coach Bubolz reminds us, “Don't forget to dress warm, Spectators. Stock up on hand warmers now and don't put your winter coats away; the early-April meets will be cold.”
Come to JFK Fieldhouse Friday to enjoy the non-cold, indoor early-season track competition and cheer for our Lancer girls athletes! Admission is $3, and concessions will be available.