The Stevens Point Area Senior High School (SPASH) girls
track team used a balanced team effort to win the Wisconsin Valley Conference
(WVC) Indoor Meet at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) Multi-Activity Center
Tuesday, April 12.

Senior Abbey Hyland won the 1,600 run and 800 run, junior
Mya Zajakowski won the 3,200 run, senior Taylor Louis won the shot put and the
Panthers added victories in the 4×200 relay and 4×400 relay to finish with 179
points, as they claimed the WVC Indoor Title for the second year in a row over
Wausau West (152) and D.C. Everest (104).

“It was an all-around, team performance,” said SPASH girls
track co-head coach Nate Olson, who shares head coaching duties with his father
Mike. “We had some girls really step it up with some big PRs (personal
records).

“From our throws to our jumps to our sprints and distance,
everybody contributed,” he said. “And it was really great to see that happen.”

The Panthers completed a sweep of the WVC Meets last season
for the first time since 2008, as they won the WVC Indoor, WVC Relays and WVC
Outdoor Titles, and then sent qualifiers to the WIAA Division 1 State Meet in
six events.

SPASH lost Kaitlin Woyak (100 dash, 4×100 relay, 4×200
relay) and relay team members Makani Peters (4×200 relay, 4×400 relay) and
Hannah Beilke (4×800 relay) from last year’s state qualifiers, but brought back
a number of returnees this season with State Meet experience.

Back from last year’s state qualifiers are Hyland (800 run,
4×400 relay, 4×800 relay), senior Elizabeth Hirzy (shot put), junior Hannah
Sankey (4×200 relay, 4×400 relay), Zajakowski (4×800 relay), junior Lauren
Woyak (4×100 relay, 4×200 relay), senior Kiana Thompson (4×100 relay), senior
Laura Canapa (4×100 relay), senior Talyn Solinsky (4×400 relay) and junior
Erica Van Helden (4×400 relay). The Panthers have also added some newcomers to
the mix.

“We had a lot of girls that really put time in the weight
room this off-season and were running in the morning,” said Olson. “So we’re
off to a good start.

“We’ve had some freshmen come on like Gabby Johnson, Renee
Hinchcliff and Grace Belson, who have stepped in right away and have started to
contribute,” he said. “We’re a young team, and we’ll continue to grow with
experience.”

SPASH opened this season with a seventh-place finish at the
Point Invite at UWSP March 18, and then had 43 points to finish second behind
Kimberly (56.5) at the Oshkosh High School Large School Invitational at
UW-Oshkosh March 28, before it won the Wausau West Invite Thursday, April 7.

The Panthers were back at UWSP Tuesday for the WVC Indoor
Meet, where Hyland won the 1,600 run and 800 run, and teamed up with Solinsky,
junior Halle Gregorich and Sankey to win the 4×400 relay.

Zajakowski won the 3,200 run and Louis won the shot put,
while Thompson, Canapa, Woyak and senior Autum Shurbert-Hetzel combined to win
the 4×200 relay.

SPASH also added second-place finishes from Belson (1,600
run), Sankey (400 dash), senior Tatum Houlihan (triple jump) and the 4×800
relay team (sophomore Miranda DeBot, senior Kimby Klein, Shurbert-Hetzel and
Zajakowski), as well as third-place finishes from Hinchcliff (55 hurdles and
200 hurdles), Gregorich (400 dash), Shurbert-Hetzel (800 run), Klein (3,200
run), Houlihan (long jump) and Hirzy (shot put).

That left the Panthers with 179 points, as they won the WVC
Indoor Title over Wausau West (152), D.C. Everest (104), Marshfield (55), Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln
(52), Wausau East (46) and Merrill (30).

“It was a lot of fun, and it was all a team effort,” said
Olson. “Any time we get on the track and compete against some of this good
competition, it’s a learning experience for any of the girls.

“As a coach you hope they learn from it, and then continue
to get better and better,” he said.

The Panthers will be back in action when they host the SPASH
Invitational at Community Stadium at Goerke Field at 4 p.m. Friday, April 29,
with the WVC Relays set to follow at D.C. Everest at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 3.

The conference season will close with the WVC Outdoor Meet
at Wausau West May 17, as SPASH looks to sweep the Conference Meets for the
second year in a row.

“For a couple of years the conference seemed to be down, but
now it’s really on an uptick,” said Olson. “Wausau West is our biggest
competition, Everest is strong, Rapids is very strong in the sprints, and
there’s girls from everywhere that are all starting to show up and score
points.

“So it’s definitely becoming one of the tougher conferences
in the state,” he said.

That will lead into the WIAA Division 1 Regionals at Wausau
West May 23, followed by the Sectional at D.C. Everest May 26, where the Top
Three finishers in each event will advance to the WIAA Division 1 State Meet at
UW-La Crosse June 3 and 4.

“With track it’s unique, because you can always race
yourself, or jump or throw against yourself, so we really encourage that, to
just keep moving forward,” said Olson. “Sometimes you might get eighth place,
but you can beat your (mark) from the week before, and that’s what’s important.

“As far as team goals, we would like to win Conference
Relays and then into the Conference Meet as well, and set ourselves up strong
for Regionals and Sectionals,” he said. “And get a whole busload
of people down to the State Meet.”