Division 1 state track recap: Arrowhead's record haul, Zielinski's triple and a wall of meet records

LA CROSSE — The biggest classification at the 2026 WIAA State Track & Field Championships produced the deepest record book of the weekend: six Division 1 meet records, a clutch of multi-event champions and one of the great single-meet hauls a program has put together at state. When it was over, Arrowhead had its name all over the results, and Waukesha West's Cole Zielinski had walked off with three gold medals.

Start with the distances, where De Pere's Grady Lenn swept the boys' 1,600 and 3,200. He took the mile in 4:03.90, then came back to win the 3,200 in 8:49.15 — a meet record — capping one of the toughest doubles in the sport. Homestead's Jemekhi Tally added a record of his own in the 800, winning in 1:51.00 [MR], and Homestead also took the 4x800 in 7:43.00. Whitefish Bay's Karstin McCabe won the girls' 3,200 in 10:24.22.

The middle distances belonged to Menomonie's Lauren McCalla, who doubled in the girls' 800 (2:08.68) and 1,600 (4:38.54), the latter a meet record. Menomonie completed a big distance weekend by winning the girls' 4x800 in 9:04.13.

The sprints crowned a pair of doublers. Arrowhead's Trey Resch swept the boys' 100 (10.59) and 200 (20.98), while Brookfield Central's Kyenret Rinkam did the same on the girls' side, winning the 100 in 11.62 and the 200 in 23.82. Wausau East's Parker Schmitt took the boys' 400 in 47.97, and Arrowhead's Avery Bott won the girls' 400 in 55.19.

The hurdles delivered the weekend's gutsiest storyline. Holmen's Jakai Ayed won the boys' 110-meter hurdles in 14.22. Pulaski's Keaton Dauk took the 300 hurdles in 37.91. And De Pere's Niyer Clayborn authored a remarkable two-act day: he ripped a 13.80 in the 110-hurdle prelims to set a meet record, then bounced back from a fall in the final to win the 300-meter hurdles in 37.87 — proof of a competitor who refused to let one race define his meet. On the girls' side, Oshkosh West's Sydnee Nelson won the 100 hurdles in 13.94 and West Bend West's Rylee Faehling took the 300 hurdles in 42.00.

The field events were where Arrowhead and Waukesha West really stacked the podium. Zielinski swept the boys' long jump (25-9¾) and triple jump (48-2), then ran a leg on Waukesha West's record-setting 4x200 — three state titles in one weekend. Arrowhead's Payton Eicher matched the jump double on the girls' side, winning the long jump (19-9) and triple jump (39-9¾). Homestead's Luka Ivancevic won the boys' shot put at 57-8¼, and Waukesha West's Chetan Malkan took the discus at 172-5. Neenah's Emma Severson swept the girls' throws, winning the shot put (47-11½) and discus (156-6).

Up high, Germantown's Aiden Dykstra cleared 6-9 to win the boys' high jump and Franklin's Ella Anderson took the girls' high jump at 5-7. River Falls' Blake Schneider won the boys' pole vault at 15-6, and Arrowhead's Elise Schroeder cleared a meet-record 13-6 in the girls' vault.

The relays produced two more records. Arrowhead set a meet record in the boys' 4x100 (40.84) and also won the girls' 4x100 (46.52). Waukesha West's 4x200 (1:25.76) was a meet record. New Richmond won the boys' 4x400 (3:18.54), Mukwonago took the girls' 4x200 (1:39.39), and Stevens Point set a meet record in the girls' 4x400 (3:50.41).

Between Resch, Eicher, Schroeder and a record 4x100, Arrowhead's weekend in La Crosse will be remembered for a long time — and so will Zielinski's three-title masterpiece. Six meet records, a fistful of doubles, and a Division 1 field that pushed each other to all of it.