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Demos shines at sectional track

Shelby Demos is finishing her high school track and field career in fine fashion.

The Janesville Parker senior not only will get a chance to defend her high jump title in the WIAA Division 1 stat meet next Friday and Saturday at UW-La Crosse’s Memorial Stadium, but she’ll also be competing in two other events.

Demos had a stellar day in Friday’s sectional at Burlington, winning the high jump at 5 feet 7 inches, just two inches shy of the school-record 5-9 she cleared earlier this season and one inch better than the 5-6 that won a state title last season. She also captured the 100-meter high hurdles in 15.23 seconds and was part of Parker’s winning 800 relay team that clocked in with a time of 1:44.54, helping the Vikings tie for second place in the team scoring behind Sun Prairie (110) with 70 points.

“That was definitely a goal,” Demos, who has qualified in both the high jump and the 100 hurdles the last two years but has never medaled in the hurdles, said of qualifying for three events. “I’ve done the one my freshman year, the two the last two years. Three is great. I’m definitely up to the challenge.”

“For me, you have to break a leg or something to get out of that spot that you’re in,” quipped Parker girls coach Dave Lehmann, who said it’s a “100 percent guarantee” that Demos will run in the 800 relay at state.

It was one of Demos’ fellow seniors, though, who anchored Parker’ss 800 relay to a thrilling finish over Sun Prairie—one of the closest races of the meet. Kelsey Jones ran a blazing anchor in the 800 relay and also won the 200 dash. Emily Mauermann and Niquisha Kenerson were the other two Vikings on the 800 relay team.

“You hope your seniors can come through, and ours today really (came) through,” Lehmann said.

Overall, the athletes from both Janesville schools came through in grand style. The Parker girls qualified in four individual events and two relays, while the Viking boys advanced three individuals and two relays. Craig’s boys qualified in two individual events and one relay, and the Cougar girls advanced two individuals.

Craig senior JoJo Pregont earned a return trip by winning the high jump with a height of 6-4 and taking third in the triple jump with a distance of 42-7. Parker senior Nick Cahill advanced as the triple jump champion at 43-6 and as a third-place finisher in the long jump at 20-9.

Parker senior Cody Speaker also became an individual qualifier with a second-place height of 13 feet, 9 inches in the pole vault.

Cassie Niles gave Parker a 1-2 punch in the girls high hurdles by qualifying as a third-place finisher with 16.44 seconds, while Jones won her 200-meter championship in 26.17 seconds.

Along with the 800 relay, Parker’s girls advanced their 400 team of Jessica Heitsman, Mauermann, Kenerson, and Jones. That group took second to Beloit (50.24) with a 50.61 time.

Craig’s Caroline Shea and Katherine Bagley finished second and third, respectively, in the 400 to advance, while the Cougar boys 3,200 relay team of Ryan Ahrens, Alex Crandall, Thomas Meister and Matt McDonald advanced as the sectional runner-up behind Fort Atkinson with a time of 8:12.82.

Speaker led off Parker’s 1,600 boys relay team, which qualified with a second-place finish of 3:26.71. Ryan Shelton, Dan Treinen and LaVell Hewlett joined Speaker in that effort.

The Vikings also qualified in the 800 relay as sectional runners-up at behind Beloit (1:29.71) at 1:30.17 with Shelton, Speaker, Cody St. Michael and Hewlett.

Meanwhile, it also was a big night for Fort Atkinson’s Spencer Agnew, who won two individual events and was part of a winning relay in the boys meet.

Agnew captured both the 1,600 (4:23.28) and the 3,200 (9:29.37) and was a member of Fort Atkinson’s winning 3,200 relay team that also included Jacob Enslin, Marc Erickson and Sam Fitzgerald.

“I don’t know, train?” Agnew shrugged when asked what it takes to compete in three endurance events in one meet. “I’m really lucky.”

While Agnew’s day was one of endurance, Milton senior Ethan Bachinski’s was one of proving he’s come all the way back from injury.

After qualifying for state in the discus as a sophomore, Bachinski was unable to compete in throwing events as a junior because of a shoulder surgery. But he came back to win the discus on Friday with a throw of 161-6 and also qualified for state in the shot put by placing third at 49-31.75.

Bachinski’s approach to throwing is apparently pretty straightforward.

“I just get up there and throw, I guess,” he said. “Hard work pays off.”

Bachinski also was a member of the Red Hawks’ winning 400 relay team (43.83) that included Alec Vecenzi, Austin Richards and Hank McIvor.

Other area sectional champions were Lake Geneva Badger’s Justin Bowers in the boys long jump (21-9), Elkhorn’s Brian Schmidt in the boys 200 dash (22.76), Milton’s Leah Devries in the girls shot put (40-11).

In the team standings, Kenosha Bradford edged Badger, 73-72, for the boys team title. The Badgers produced state qualifiers in six individual events.

And there’s no doubt that Demos will be running with her teammates at state in the 800 relay, not saving herself for her two individual events.