Wisconsin Future Stars: May 18-24 Underclassmen Highlights

Wisconsin's Class of 2028 and 2029 athletes continued to make their mark during conference championship week. 

Sprints & Hurdles

Freshman Mateo Aizpurua (Amery) led all Wisconsin underclassmen in the 100 meters with a 10.82 runner-up finish at the Middle Border Conference Championships, while sophomore Devin Ward (West De Pere) followed at 10.90 during the FRCC Championship Meet. Aizpurua also topped the underclass rankings in the 200 meters with a 22.55 performance.

The girls sprint rankings featured several breakout stars. Sophomore TyJah Horton (Pius XI Catholic) and freshman London LaBlonde (Bay Port) both ran 12.41 in the 100 meters, while freshman Katie Hutchins (West Bend West) won the Glacier Trails Conference Meet in 12.49. Hutchins also led the underclass rankings in the 200 meters with a personal-best 26.13.

Several athletes delivered notable breakthroughs during conference competition. Freshman Javan Butler (Menomonie) lowered his 100-meter best to 10.85 at the Big Rivers Conference Championship Meet, setting a school record and moving to No. 2 among Wisconsin freshmen. Sophomore Samara Crowley (Pius XI) improved to 12.25 while winning the Woodland West Conference title, establishing a school record and moving to No. 3 among Wisconsin sophomores.

In the hurdles, sophomore Cedric Bolden (Wisconsin Lutheran) led the boys underclassmen rankings with a 14.45 victory at the Woodland West Conference Championships, while sophomore Selci Sirrell (Berlin) swept the girls hurdle events at the SCC Championship, leading all underclassmen with times of 14.56 in the 100 hurdles and 46.05 in the 300 hurdles.

Sophomore Nico VanderPerren (Pulaski) highlighted the breakthrough performers after dropping his 110-hurdle best to 15.12 at the FRCC Championship Meet, ranking third among Wisconsin sophomores.

Distance

Sophomore Cade Wanie (West Bend West) led the boys underclass rankings in the 800 meters after winning the Glacier Trails Conference Meet in 1:58.72. In the 1600, sophomore Kaleb Mroz (Somerset) topped the future stars rankings with a conference-winning 4:24.24 at the Middle Border Conference Championships.

Freshmen dominated the boys 3200-meter rankings, led by Owen Drier (Richland Center), who won the SWC Championship Meet in 9:43.31, while Max Karns Bingham (Lake Country Lutheran) followed closely in 9:49.37.

On the girls side, sophomore Abbie Hoage (Altoona) led the underclass rankings in the 800 meters with a winning 2:17.23 at the Middle Border Conference Championships. Sophomore Mia Caygill (Mount Horeb) paced the 1600-meter rankings after winning the Badger Small Conference title in 5:03.79.

The girls 3200 meters produced one of the deepest underclass fields of the week, led by sophomore Reina Ebeling (Wisconsin Lutheran) at 11:08.79. Close behind were sophomores Macie Boe (Amery) and Arya Shefchik (Green Bay Preble), both under 11:11.

Several distance runners also posted major personal records. Freshman Jenna McDaniel (Marshfield) improved nearly 48 seconds in the 3200 meters with an 11:44.54 runner-up finish at the Wisconsin Valley Conference Meet, while freshman Hazel Bruns (Somerset) lowered her best to 11:29.72 and set a school record at the Middle Border Conference Championships. Freshman Alex Richardson (Waunakee) also dropped over 12 seconds in the 1600 meters to run 5:23.69.

Jumps

Sophomore Aiden Hansen (Oregon) led the boys underclass rankings in the high jump after clearing 6-7 to win the Badger Large Conference Championships. Freshman Dearius Gray (Wisconsin Lutheran) topped the triple jump rankings with a winning leap of 44-1.5 at the Woodland West Conference Championships.

Sophomore Parker Schellhorn (Somerset) led the boys long jump rankings at 21-7.5, while sophomore Oliver Carmody (Sturgeon Bay) cleared 14-0 to lead the pole vault rankings at SPE Vault Fest.

For the girls, freshman Abigail Barrett (Shorewood) led all underclassmen in the long jump at 17-7.5, while sophomore Selci Sirrell (Berlin) added a triple jump victory of 37-2 to complete one of the week's strongest all-around performances.

The girls high jump rankings were topped by sophomores Lana Mannetter (Westosha Central) and Helina Slamka (The Prairie School) at 5-3. Freshman Aubrey Kempen (West De Pere) led the pole vault rankings after winning SPE Vault Fest with a clearance of 11-3.

Throws

The boys throws were highlighted by sophomore Wesley Keller (Burlington), who led all underclassmen in the discus with a winning throw of 173-9 at the Southern Lakes Conference Championships while also placing among the week's top shot put performers at 47-8.

Sophomore Nic Busalacchi (Monona Grove) delivered one of Wisconsin's biggest breakthrough performances of the week, improving nearly 16 feet in the discus to 166-10 for third place at the Badger Large Conference Championships. Sophomore Connor Janisch (Milton) also improved significantly, reaching 153-6 in the same competition.

On the girls side, sophomore Vonna Shill (Pius XI Catholic) produced a dominant conference championship performance, leading the underclass rankings in both the shot put (38-2.5) and discus (123-7) while winning both events at the Woodland West Conference Championships.

An additional throwing breakthrough came from sophomore Logan Czerwinski (Brillion), who improved to 146-2 in the discus while winning the Eastern Wisconsin Conference title.

Overview

Conference championship week showcased the depth of Wisconsin's future stars. Freshmen such as Mateo Aizpurua, Katie Hutchins, Owen Drier, and Dearius Gray continued establishing themselves among the state's top young talents, while sophomores including Selci Sirrell, Vonna Shill, Wesley Keller, and Abbie Hoage delivered championship-winning performances that led the underclass rankings. With regional and sectional competition on the horizon, Wisconsin's Classes of 2028 and 2029 appear well-positioned to make a significant impact throughout the remainder of the postseason.