By MIKE KEMMETER
of The Gazette
Several Pacelli High track and field athletes are in the running for individual state titles at the Wisconsin Independent Schools Athletic Association state meet Friday and Saturday in Waukesha.
Nate Swenson leads the way for the Cardinals with top four seeds in a trio of events. The senior is seeded first in the high jump (6-foot-7), second in the triple jump and third in the long jump.
"If he jumps the way he's capable, he could win the high jump and maybe the triple jump," Pacelli coach Tim Olson said.
Swenson is also on Pacelli's 400 relay, which is tied for the top seed with Kenosha St. Joseph at 44.44 seconds, with Pete Ziolkowski, Matt Kruzicki and Neil Jurgella. The team ran a 44.2 at the conference meet last Saturday, setting the conference record by .6 seconds.
Other top-three seeds for the boys are Greg Snow (second in the pole vault), Paul Marten (third in the discus), Jurgella (tied for third in the pole vault) and the 1,600 relay team of Jurgella, Kruzicki, Nick Gross and Justin Anderson (third).
"The 4x400 should do all right. They should be in the top four," Olson said. "Greg and Neil should do pretty well in the pole vault."
Also competing for the Cardinals are Jurgella in the high jump (tied for seventh), Franz Klein in the 3,200 (ranked ninth), Matt Kruzicki in the 200 and triple jump, Pete Ziolkowski in the 100 dash, Dustin Fahney in the 110 hurdles, Jordan Wotjalewicz in the shot put and the 3,200 relay of Klein, Chris Fletcher, Gross and Nate Kryshak.
"Most of the guys who are going are capable of finishing in the top six," Olson said.
As a team, Olson said he would like to be in the top five, adding Lake Mills Lakeside Lutheran, Manitowoc Lutheran, Kenosha St. Joseph and Eau Claire Regis are teams that could contend for the team title.
For the girls, Laura McCorkell's fourth-seed in the 800 is Pacelli's highest individual seed. The 3,200 relay team of Erin Van Hammond, Angela Peters, McCorkell and Katie Hansel is also seeded fourth.
Kristin Mitchell is ranked fifth in the triple jump and the 1,600 relay team of Val Glodowski, McCorkell, Cindy Lila and Joy Jacoby is seeded seventh.
"We should be able to place in every event we have people in," Pacelli girls coach Kate Luebke said. "It will be a total team effort. It's not like we have one person who is going to score all of our points."
Also competing for Pacelli in individual events are Emily Swenson in the 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles and triple jump; Katie Hansel in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters; Angela Peters in the 3,200; Cindy Lila in the 200; Joy Jacoby in the 400; Lisa Ksionsk in the long jump; and Mitchell in the 300 hurdles.
Kim Schulist, Swenson, Mitchell and Ksionsk will team up in the 400 relay and Schulist, Ksionsk, Lila and Jacoby comprise Pacelli's 800 relay team.
"I think we should be able to finish in the top six for sure," Luebke said, adding that Fond du Lac Springs and Chippewa Falls McDonell are the top teams. She said the Cardinals would try to beat Marshfield Columbus. "We did a real good job together as a team and we need to keep doing that at the most important meet of the season."