Press-Gazette Media all-area girls track and field team
Brielle Buechler, so., Wrightstown: One of two area girls to win a WIAA state title this year. Buechler lived up to her top seed by winning the D2 pole vault championship, making it five straight years a Wrightstown girl has won the event.
Erin Dunning, so., Ashwaubenon: Finished as the D1 runner-up in the shot put in her first state appearance with a throw of 43 feet, 11½ inches, which was fifth on the state honor roll and a school record. Won a second straight Fox River Classic Conference title in the shot put and her first conference title in the discus with a school-record throw of 121-1.
RELATED STORY: Hiedeman jumps at chance to compete, repeat
RELATED STORY: Area girls track and field honor roll
Brehna Evans, fr., West De Pere: Won Bay, regional and sectional titles in the 800-meter run on the way to advancing to the D1 state meet. She reset a 30-year-old school record on multiple occasions in the event, including at state by placing sixth with a time of 2 minutes, 14.99 seconds.
Halie Ferry, sr., G.B. Notre Dame: Won FRCC, regional and sectional titles in the 200, which she advanced to D1 state in for the first time with a school-record time of 25.62 seconds. Ferry, who ran a leg on the Tritons' 800 relay at state, qualified for state eight times over three years in the sport.
Natisha Hiedeman, sr., G.B. Southwest: Won her second straight D1 state title in the triple jump and was a state medalist in all three jumping events for the first time. The 12-time state qualifier's triple jump of 40 feet on May 9 led the state honor roll and was 4 inches off the state record.
Kailyn Jessel, sr., Pulaski: The Butler University recruit qualified for the D1 state meet in the 1,600 and 3,200 but was unable to compete at the event because of a stress fracture. Jessel posted the area's fastest times in both events and finishes her prep career as a seven-time state qualifier.
Kris Lindow, jr., Ashwaubenon: Qualified for D1 state for a third straight year in the shot put and reached the state podium for the first time by placing her third. Won a third straight sectional title. Her personal-best throw of 43-6¼ on April 9 at the FRCC West indoor meet ranks seventh on the state honor roll.
Jenna Long, sr., Bay Port: The Northern Michigan University recruit capped her prep career by anchoring the Pirates' 800-meter relay to the D1 state podium for a third straight year with a sixth-place finish. Long, who also advanced to state in the 100 and 200, was the only competitor at the FRCC meet to become a four-time champion in an individual event (100).
Liz Markland, jr., G.B. Notre Dame: Advanced to state in one of the hurdle races for a third straight year, finishing ninth in D1 for the 100 hurdles. Markland, who won FRCC and regional titles in the 100 hurdles, also competed at state as a leg on Notre Dame's 1,600 relay team.
Grace Matzke, fr., De Pere: Won FRCC, regional and sectional titles on the way to placing fourth at the D1 state meet in the 400. Matzke broke a school record in the 400 (57.69 seconds) at regionals and served as the anchor leg on the Redbirds' 1,600 relay, which placed sixth at state with a school-record time of 3:58.31 seconds.
Shaelyn Opichka, jr., De Pere: Medaled for the second straight year in the D1 pole vault by placing third. Broke an FRCC meet record along with teammate Kylie Swiekatowski by clearing 12-6.
Sydney Otto, jr., De Pere: Placed third in the triple jump in her second D1 state appearance and finished seventh in the long jump. She won FRCC, regional and sectionals titles in the triple jump. Her triple jump of 39-1½ on May 7 was second on the state honor roll and ranks eighth all-time. Broke school records in the shot put, long jump and triple jump. Advanced to sectionals in jumping events (triple, long), a throwing event (shot put) and a running event (100 hurdles).
Izzy Samuels, sr., G.B. Preble: Reached the state podium for a second straight year by placing fourth in the D1 shot put. The three-time state qualifier's shot put throw of 44-4 on May 9 ranks second on the state honor roll and broke a 33-year-old school record.
Kylie Swiekatowski, jr., De Pere: Finished as the D1 state runner-up in the pole vault, which was her third straight top three finish in the event. She was the state honor roll leader in the pole vault, becoming the fifth girl in state history to clear 13 feet in the event on May 26 at the New London regional. Also ran a leg on the Redbirds' 400 relay at state for a third straight year.
Jami Turriff, jr., West De Pere: Placed sixth in the D1 discus with a personal-best throw of 133-1, which led the area this season. The throw topped her previous personal-best throw by 6 feet. Turriff also broke a 28-year-old school record in helping the Phantoms win the Bay Conference title.
Abby VanGoethem, jr., Kewaunee: Powered the Storm to a second straight Packerland Conference title. She became Kewaunee's first state qualifier since 2011 and the program's first state place-winner since 2005 by finishing sixth in the D2 triple jump. A three-event state qualifier, VanGoethem holds four school records and had the area's fastest time in the 300 hurdles.
Relay team of the year
De Pere's 1,600 (Margaret Miller, sr.; Kylie Arett, jr.; Lindsey Mirkes, so.; Grace Matzke, fr.).
The 1,600 relay team of the Redbirds reached the Division 1 state podium by placing sixth with a time of 3:58.31. After accidentally getting cut by a spike cleat of Milwaukee King's Kiersten Walker, Matzke was able to regain her form and edge Walker at the finish by 0.06 seconds.
Coach of the year
De Pere's James Boyd
The Redbirds won their first conference title since 1990 and first sectional championship since 1987. The De Pere girls team was undefeated leading up to the state meet, where it finished sixth with 30 points. It broke seven school records and had 10 state qualifiers, including five medalists.