Here are athletes to watch and top central Wisconsin storylines for the WIAA state track meet

Zac Bellman, Stevens Point Journal
·3 min read
SPASH’s Roisin Willis looks at the clock as she nears the finish line of the 4x400 relay during the Wisconsin Valley Conference track and field meet May 17 at Merrill High School. Willis could set the state record in the 800 this weekend in La Crosse.
SPASH’s Roisin Willis looks at the clock as she nears the finish line of the 4x400 relay during the Wisconsin Valley Conference track and field meet May 17 at Merrill High School. Willis could set the state record in the 800 this weekend in La Crosse.

STEVENS POINT – As central Wisconsin athletes congregate in La Crosse for the WIAA state track and field championships this weekend, here are athletes and storylines to watch as events unfold.

Five athletes to watch

Reese Rogowski, Wittenberg-Birnamwood: The Chargers junior qualified in four events in Division 2, led by third-place seedings in the 200-meter dash and the 400. She is also seeded sixth in the long jump and 12th in the 100.

Terrence Roberson, Auburndale: The Eagles senior will participate in four events, with his highest seeding being second in the long jump in Division 3. He is also seeded 10th in the 200, 11th in the 100 and will contribute to a 4x100 relay team that is seeded 12th.

Sophia Bablitch, Rosholt: The sophomore competing for the Hornets qualified in three events in Division 3, led by a second-place seeding in the 1,600. She is also seeded seventh in the 800 and is scheduled to compete with the 4x400 relay team also seeded seventh.

Wittenberg-Birnamwood's Reese Rogowski will compete in four events at the WIAA Division 2 state track and field meet this weekend in La Crosse.
Wittenberg-Birnamwood's Reese Rogowski will compete in four events at the WIAA Division 2 state track and field meet this weekend in La Crosse.

Alyssia Zvolena, Loyal: The Greyhounds junior qualified in three events, led by a top seeding in the high jump in Division 3. She will also participate on a third-seeded 4x100 relay team, as well as a 12th-seeded 4x200 relay team for Loyal.

Joe Sullivan, Medford: The Raiders senior distance runner will participate in two events, led by a third seeding in the 1,600 in Division 2. He will also compete in the 3,200 as the seventh seed.

By the numbers

3: This number of central Wisconsin event winners from 2021 who will have an opportunity to defend their titles, with all being in the Division 3 boys meet. Caden Decker of Athens is the defending champion and top seed in the pole vault, while the Edgar 4x200 and 4x400 relay teams also return after last year's wins. Edgar will be without graduated seniors Drew Guden, Konnor Wolf, Kyle Brewster, Nate Drabek and Austin Dahlke from 2021's state championship teams, but will return relay veterans Karter Butt, Mattison Butt,  Ayden Weisenberger, Kohlbe Weisenberger and Avery Normington. Helping round out the Edgar teams will be newcomers Ev Brehm in the 4x200, and Teegan Streit and Jase Apfelbeck in the 4x400.

Rosholt's Sophia Bablitch and D.C. Everest's Sara Mlodik compete in the 3,200-meter run during a track and field invitational April 29 at Goerke Field in Stevens Point.
Rosholt's Sophia Bablitch and D.C. Everest's Sara Mlodik compete in the 3,200-meter run during a track and field invitational April 29 at Goerke Field in Stevens Point.

2:05.68: The Division 1 state record in the girls 800-meter run may be eclipsed this weekend by the same central Wisconsin athlete who set it in 2019. Roisin Willis of SPASH has not been able to compete in a WIAA state track meet since her freshman year, but has been steadily improving through this spring. In February, Willis set a U.S. high school girls indoor record in the 800, finishing in 2:00.06 at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston. Then in April, she was part of a distance medley relay record-setting performance on a New Balance All-Star team consisting of Heather MacLean, Kendall Ellis and Elle Purrier St. Pierre. Willis' outdoor state-qualifying time of 2:03.09 in the Marshfield Sectional also suggests she has a good chance to set the state mark.

7: This is the number of top-seeded athletes in all three divisions among boys and girls from central Wisconsin going into the state meet. Among them are Willis in the D1 girls 800, Elizabeth Schmidt of Merrill in the D1 girls 1,600, Zvolena of Loyal in the D3 girls high jump, Leah Zastrow of Spencer in the D3 girls pole vault, Malayna Rieck of Colby in the D3 discus, Decker in the D3 boys pole vault and Aiden Janke of Athens in the D3 boys shot put.

Contact USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin sports reporter Zac Bellman at zbellman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ZacBellman_WNY.

Thanks to our subscribers for making this coverage possible. Your support helps local journalism.

This article originally appeared on Stevens Point Journal: Central Wisconsin athletes to watch at the WIAA state track meet