.
MADISON — Whitney Croell has run in WIAA Division 1 state track and field hurdle preliminaries twice.
She hasn’t made it to the finals yet, but the way the Holmen High School junior has been running lately could mean an end to that streak is coming as soon as today.
Croell dominated the 100 hurdles at the Madison Memorial sectional one week ago and is seeded sixth with a time of 15.35 seconds for today’s prelims at the Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex.
“I don’t try to get too overly confident,” Croell said after winning the 100s by more than a half-second at the sectional. “I just try to hurdle like I did today.”
Croell said she’s trying to finish an “up and down” season on a high note, and she won her top event at conference, regional and sectional meets in the span of 11 days.
She thinks those are good steps heading into the biggest meet of the year.
“The other times, I was just excited to make it there,” Croell said of the state meet. “This time, I want to make something happen there.”
HELMERS LOOKING FOR A BIG WEEKEND: Holmen senior Cathryn Helmers is seeded third in the Division 1 400 with a time of 57.44 seconds after winning the sectional.
She is also a qualifier in the 200 (26.24).
SMITH A DOUBLE QUALIFIER FOR LUTHER: Senior Jessi Smith is now a four-time Division 3 qualifier in the 300 hurdles.
Smith was sixth in the event as a sophomore and third as a junior. Her qualifying time of 49.75 gives her the 14th seed this year.
Smith also qualified in the long jump for the second straight year and is seeded fifth at 16 feet, 9½ inches.
TRANNEL ONLY MALE QUALIFIER: Onalaska junior Nate Trannel is the only qualifier in the boys field from Onalaska, Holmen or Onalaska Luther.
Trannel won a sectional title in the 400, and he’s seeded 19th in the field of 24 with his qualifying time of 51.16 seconds.
BIG POINTS IN THE GIRLS 800? Onalaska could walk away from the Division 1 800 with some points as senior Katie Hill and sophomore Jamie Burr are both in the field.
Hill (2:17.29) is seeded third and Burr (2:18.620 ninth.
Both of them are also part of the Hilltoppers’ qualifying teams in the 1,600 (4:03.31) and 3,200 (9:42.89) relays.
.
Advertisement 
