Tony Ayala runs a leg in winning 1600 Relay in 2002 City Meet

Thursday, April 4, 2002
Eric Anderson Wisconsin State Journal

The city's top track and field athletes performed just the way it figured they would at the City Indoor Meet Wednesday night at the Camp Randall Memorial Sports Center.

Madison La Follette senior Nathan Brown opened his season with a record-setting time in the 55-meter hurdles. Madison Edgewood's terrific senior duo of Erica Schoeller and Marianne Junck combined to win five events.

But there was one new face in the crowd of winners. And he brought down the house by bringing down an old record.

La Follette junior Lewis Stotts cleared 6 feet, 8 1/4 inches in the high jump, besting the mark of 6-8 set by Madison East's Jerry Moran in 1981.

"I wasn't even thinking I was going to jump this high. My goal today was to jump 6-6," said Stotts, whose effort was three-quarters of an inch better than the state's top performance so far this season. "But, hey, I was feeling good."

"My goal this whole year was to jump 6-10. Maybe I'll have to up it a little bit."

It was one of three records set on a night otherwise owned by Madison Memorial, which swept the team titles.

Brown -- the defending WIAA Division 1 state champion in the 300 hurdles -- destroyed the hurdles record, turning in a time of 7.3 seconds to beat the old mark by four-tenths of a second.

The University of Wisconsin recruit later won the 400, finished second in the shot put and anchored what appeared to be a victorious 1,600 relay team to cap the night.

The win in the final running event would have given La Follette its third straight city indoor team title, but the Lancers were disqualified because officials ruled some of their teammates spilled onto the track while cheering and interfered with other runners. The ruling resulted in the Spartans pulling out a one-point victory.

Boys Team scores: Madison Memorial 87, Madison La Follette 86, Madison West 48, Madison Edgewood 47, Madison East 23.

55 meters: 1, Henderson, MEd, :06.6; 2, Howard, MM, :06.7; 3, Steinhorst, W, :06.7.

200: 1, Blomker, MLF, :24.0; 2, Henderson, MEd, :24.1; 3, Lange, MM, :24.3.

400: 1, Brown, MLF, :52.5; 2, Blomker, MLF, :53.3; 3, Berndt, MM, :53.4.

800: 1, Brown, MM, 2:05.6; 2, Wampole, MLF, 2:07.0; 3, Sanders, MW, 2:07.4.

1,600: 1, Brown, MM, 4:38.9; 2, Clauss, MW, 4:39.0; 3, Seligman, MEa, 4:50.3.

3,200: 1, Allen, MM, 10:41.5; 2, Hunter, MW, 10:41.6; 3, Seligman, MEa, 10:45.2.

55 hurdles: 1, Brown, MLF, :07.3 (meet record); 2, Stotts, MLF, :08.1; 3, Gunnelson, MM, :08.3.

400 relay: 1, Madison Memorial (Albanese, Lange, Wedel, Howard), :46.8; 2, Madison West, :47.0; 3, Madison Edgewood, :47.6.

800 relay: 1, Madison La Follette (Cox, Wray, Rosas, Collins), 1:37.7; 2, Madison West, 1:38.7; 3, Madison Edgewood, 1:40.9.

1,600 relay: 1, Madison Memorial (Berndt, Hahn, Tony Ayala, Howard), 3:38.0; 2, Madison Edgewood, 3:49.3; 3, Madison West, 3:53.9.

Long jump: 1, Henderson, MEd, 20-9; 2, Cox, MLF, 20-6 1/2; 3, Howard, MM, 20-3.

High jump: 1, Stotts, MLF, 6-8 1/4 (meet record); 2, Rose, MEd, 5-10; 3, Gunnelson, MM, 5-8.

Pole vault: 1, Osterhaus, MEa, 11-0; 2, Severson, MLF, 10-6; 3, Smith, MEa, 10-6.

Shot put: 1, Okafo, MM, 48- 1/2; 2, Brown, MLF, 47-1 1/2; 3, Schultz, MW, 44- 1/2.\