The weather helped it become a banner weekend for the WIAA state track and field meet held in La Crosse.
Nearly 20,000 passed through the gates to cheer on the best athletes in the state, including 8,918 for Saturday’s finals.
That number surpassed last year’s total of just over 17,300.
The weather made an impact, as last year was hot and humid with temps in the 90s.
Explore La Crosse estimated the economic impact of having the meet was around $3 million for the area.
Locally for the Division 1 boys, Logan High School senior CJ Siegel took part in four events, including a third-place finish in the triple jump (45 feet, 5.5 inches). He also took seventh in the long jump (21-11.75) and helped the 800-relay team to an eighth-place finish (1:29.78).
On the girls side, Central High’s Abbi Stafslien-Dumale took fourth place in the shot put (42-5).
Onalaska freshman Lydia Malacek took fifth in the 800 (2:17.34) and fifth in the 3,200 (10:58.54). Not one runner in the 3,200 came in with a seed time under 10 minutes, yet the Top 5 finished in under 10 minutes at state.
Malacek also anchored the 3,200 relay to a seventh-place podium finish (9:28.39). Also on that team, made up of all freshmen, was Claudia Delgado, Kora Malacek and Amalia Malacek.
In Division 2 for the boys, Aquinas finished eighth overall thanks to its relays.
The 400 relay of Evan Weber (jr.), Conley Malone (sr.), Bryant Meyer (so.) and Jackson Mashak (jr.) finished second (43.56), after a fifth-place finish in the preliminaries.
The 800 relay of Lukas Beck (fr.), Evan Weber (jr.), Nick Cambio (sr.) and Conley Malone (sr.) finished third (1:30.67).
That, too, is where the 1,600 relay of Lukas Beck (fr.), Evan Weber (jr.), Rory Campbell (sr.), Conley Malone (sr.) finished, as well, in 3:23.86).
Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau sophomore Davis Wenthe took third in the 110-meter high hurdles (15.10) and eighth in the 400 (50.87), while senior teammate Cameron Hanson took sixth in the long jump (20-6.25) and eighth in the triple jump (43-2).
West Salem senior Tony Weilandt took eighth in the discus (153-0), while Westby junior Cameron Nelson took fifth in the pole vault (14-0).
On the girls side, Aquinas sophomore Lexi Donarski medalled with a fourth-place finish in the 200 (26.29). She also anchored a 400 relay to a silver medal (50.0). That team included Emma Burke (jr.), Mae Leslie (sr.) and Kimmee Schmitz (sr.).
G-E-T junior Dana Fayen won titles in both the 1,600 (5:00.20) and 3,200 (10:36.06).
Black River Falls senior Trevonna Rave took second in the discus (136-4), while senior teammate Stephanie Brauner finished fifth in the 100 hurdles (15.84).
Westby freshman Grace Hebel took fourth in the 100 (12.69) and anchored the eighth-place 400 relay (51.01). Also on that team was Miranda Delmedico (sr.), Lexi Crume (sr.) and Heaven Saunders (sr.).
In Division 3 on the boys side, Bangor had competitors all over the place in finishing tied for second overall.
The highlight for Bangor was Caleb Midema and Cade Ambron taking first and third in the high jump. Both hit the 6-4 mark, but because of faults, Miedema won the gold.
Miedema also took fourth in the long jump (21-3) and ran in two relays that took fourth and fifth place.
Senior teammate Adam Tallman, who was also on those relays, took fifth in the 200 (23.69), while senior Garrett Krueger took eighth in the shot put (48-4.5).
Onalaska Luther junior David Vannucchi won the 1,600 (4:19.25) and 3,200 (9:17.39), while junior teammate Sam Larson was right behind in third place (9:46.80) in the two-mile.
Those scores propelled Luther to a seventh-place finish as a team.
On the girls side in Division 3, Bangor finished sixth overall thanks to two gold and a silver.
Those two golds came from Ashlie Lockington in the triple jump (37-10) and the 800 relay team of Kiana Moore (jr.), Ariana Hundt (sr.), Allison Everson (jr.) and Lockington, winning in 1:47.56).
Bangor’s 400 relay of Claire Reynolds (sr.), Hundt, Everson and Lockington took second, while the 1,600 relay of Everson, Moore, Hundt and Lockington took seventh (4:12.12).
Luther’s Emily Dobberstein finished third in the 300 hurdles (47.2) and, along with Ali Karr, Cianna Hoppe and Jessie Maedke, took fourth in the 1,600 relay (4:09.01).