EAU CLAIRE – The Menomonie High School girls track and field team used a balanced attack throughout their entire line-up and captured their first Big River Conference title since 1996, May 18 at Eau Claire Memorial’s Ulrich Track.

The Mustangs were led by Athlete of the Meet recipient Lauren McCalla, who won two individual events in conference record marks and was part of the victorious record setting 4×400-meter relay team. The senior distance standout won the 800-meter run in a meet-record 2 minutes, 10.76 seconds, breaking the conference mark os 2:17.40 she set in 2025 . She later captured the 1600-meter run in 4:45.97, breaking Aubry Roberts (Eau Claire Memorial) mark of 5:00.45 in 2015. Along with Addison Schuler, Bree Barfknecht and Lauren Ohman, McCalla helped set another conference record winning the 4×400-meter relay (3:58.22), breaking a mark set in 2017 (4:05.29) in 2017 by River Falls.

Menomonie piled up 167 points to outdistance runner-up Eau Claire Memorial with 132 points. Chippewa Falls finished third with 109.

Isabel Sorensen delivered a big day in the field and hurdle events. Sorensen finished second in the 100 hurdles in 15.99 seconds, second in the 300 hurdles in 48.72 and won the triple jump with a leap of 34 feet, 9 inches.

Menomonie’s distance corps consistently delivered major points.

Barfknecht finished third in both the 800 and 1,600 runs, while Bennett Schmitt added a runner-up finish in the 3,200 run in 11:15.09. Bella Drake placed sixth in the same race.

Menomonie placed third in the 400 relay as Rachel Riepl, Ayala Armani, Sydney Norby and Mia Lambrigtsen clocked 51.53 seconds. The 800 relay team of Callie Travis, Norby, Ariana Beazley and Mari Ramirez finished fifth in 1:49.28.

In the 3,200 relay, the quartet of Schuler, Schmitt, Alexis Thalacker and Ohman finished second in 9:44.11.

Ohman also contributed individually with a second-place finish in the 400 dash in 1:01.12. Lambrigtsen placed third in the 100 dash in 12.78.

Sydney Norby placed second in the long jump at 15-11½, while Armani was fifth and Ramirez 16th. In the triple jump, Ramirez took fourth and Armani sixth behind Sorensen’s winning effort.

Cassiah Casey finished second in the pole vault by clearing 10 feet, and teammate Grace Nevin tied for fourth at 9-6. Evelyn Doyle added a fourth-place finish in the high jump and later took sixth in the 300 hurdles. Callie Travis tied for 11th in the high jump.

In the throwing events, Ellie Arndt placed third in the discus with a throw of 114-5. Sidney McWithey placed seventh in the shot put and 10th in the discus, while Brianna Klimek finished ninth in the shot put.

MHS Boys Finish Fifth
On the boys side, Menomonie finished fifth in the team standings with 75.5 points as New Richmond captured the conference championship with 155 points.

Javan Butler led the Mustangs boys team with runner-up finishes in both the 100 dash and long jump. Butler clocked 10.85 seconds in the 100 and jumped 21-2 in the long jump.

Menomonie’s best relay finish came in the 3,200 relay, where Evan Olson, Luke Ray, Noah Winder and Owen Pelzel placed second in 8:04.08. The Mustangs also finished fourth in the 400, 800 and 1,600 relays.

Winder added a third-place finish in the 800 run in 1:58.12, while Ray placed fourth in the 3,200 run and Logan Topper was sixth. Owen Pelzel finished seventh in the 1,600 run. Everett Paulson added a sixth-place finish in the 300 hurdles.

All-Conference Recipients

First Team All-Conference — Menomonie

 Lauren McCalla, 800-meter run (2:10.76); 

Lauren McCalla, 1,600-meter run (4:45.97); 

Isabel Sorensen, triple jump (34-9); 

Menomonie 1,600 relay team of Addison Schuler, Bree Barfknecht, Lauren Ohman and Lauren McCalla (3:58.22).  

Second Team All-Conference

Javan Butler, 100-meter dash (10.85); 

Javan Butler, long jump (21-2); 

Lauren Ohman, 400-meter dash (1:01.12); 

Bennett Schmitt, 3,200-meter run (11:15.09); 

Isabel Sorensen, 100-meter hurdles (15.99); 

Isabel Sorensen, 300-meter hurdles (48.72); 

Cassiah Casey, pole vault (10-0); 

Sydney Norby, long jump (15-11.5); 

Boys 3,200 relay team of Evan Olson, Owen Pelzel, Noah Winder and Luke Ray (8:04.08); 

Girls 3,200 relay team of Addison Schuler, Bennett Schmitt, Alexis Thalacker and Lauren Ohman (9:44.11).  

Honorable Mention All-Conference

Noah Winder, 800-meter run (1:58.12); 

Mia Lambrigtsen, 100-meter dash (12.78); 

Bree Barfknecht, 800-meter run (2:20.24); 

Bree Barfknecht, 1,600-meter run (5:04.93); 

Girls 400 relay team of Rachel Riepl, Ayala Armani, Sydney Norby and Mia Lambrigtsen (51.53).  

Menomonie Complete Results

Girls Team Results — 1) Menomonie, 167 points; 2) Eau Claire Memorial, 132; 3) Chippewa Falls, 109; 4) River Falls, 80; 5) Hudson, 70.50; 6) New Richmond, 62; 7) Eau Claire North, 44; 8) Rice Lake, 35.50.

Girls Individual Results
100 Meter Dash — 3) Mia Lambrigtsen, 12.78; 400 Meter Dash — 2) Lauren Ohman, 1:01.12; 800 Meter Run — 1) Lauren McCalla, 2:10.76; 3) Bree Barfknecht, 2:20.24; 1600 Meter Run — 1) Lauren McCalla, 4:45.97; 3) Bree Barfknecht, 5:04.93; 3200 Meter Run — 2) Bennett Schmitt, 11:15.09; 6) Bella Drake, 11:50.35; 100 Meter Hurdles — 2) Isabel Sorensen, 15.99; 4) Nora Pejsa, 16.54; 7) Cassiah Casey, 17.23; 300 Meter Hurdles — 2) Isabel Sorensen, 48.72; 6) Evelyn Doyle, 50.74; 11) Mari Ramirez, 53.11; 

4×100 Meter Relay — 3) Menomonie (Rachel Riepl, Ayala Armani, Sydney Norby, Mia Lambrigtsen), 51.53; 4×200 Meter Relay — 5) Menomonie (Callie Travis, Sydney Norby, Ariana Beazley, Mari Ramirez), 1:49.28; 4×400 Meter Relay — 1) Menomonie (Addison Schuler, Bree Barfknecht, Lauren Ohman, Lauren McCalla), 3:58.22; 4×800 Meter Relay — 2) Menomonie (Addison Schuler, Bennett Schmitt, Alexis Thalacker, Lauren Ohman), 9:44.11; 

High Jump — 4) Evelyn Doyle, 4-10; T11) Callie Travis, 4-06; Pole Vault — 2) Cassiah Casey, 10-00; T4) Grace Nevin, 9-06; Long Jump — 2) Sydney Norby, 15-11.50; 5) Ayala Armani, 15-09; 16) Mari Ramirez, 13-04; Triple Jump — 1) Isabel Sorensen, 34-09; 4) Mari Ramirez, 33-06.50; 6) Ayala Armani, 33-05; Shot Put — 7) Sidney McWithey, 32-11; 9) Brianna Klimek, 32-00; Discus Throw — 3) Ellie Arndt, 114-05; 10) Sidney McWithey, 100-06.

Boys Team Results — 1) New Richmond, 155 points; 2) Chippewa Falls, 123; 3) River Falls, 84.50; 4) Hudson, 77; 5) Menomonie, 75.50; 6) Eau Claire North, 74; 7) Eau Claire Memorial, 55; 8) Rice Lake, 53.

Boys individual Results
100 Meter Dash — 2) Javan Butler, 10.85: 200 Meter Dash — 12) Alexander Heckendorf, 23.07; 13) Andrew Heckendorf, 23.38; 400 Meter Dash — 9) Thomas Seim, 53.02; 800 Meter Run — 3) Noah Winder, 1:58.12; 6) Evan Olson, 2:02.42; 1600 Meter Run — 7) Owen Pelzel, 4:30.65; 3200 Meter Run — 4) Luke Ray, 9:52.11; 6) Logan Topper, 10:02.99; 110 Meter Hurdles — 11) Everett Paulson, 18.22; 300 Meter Hurdles — 6) Everett Paulson, 42.57; 13) Peyton Wiseman, 45.60; 

4×100 Meter Relay — 4) Menomonie (Rylan Holmstadt, Javan Butler, Alexander Heckendorf, John Gruber), 44.10; 4×200 Meter Relay — 4) Menomonie (John Gruber, Alexander Heckendorf, Andrew Heckendorf, Javan Butler), 1:31.30; 4×400 Meter Relay — 4) Menomonie (Thomas Seim, Evan Olson, Noah Winder, Owen Pelzel), 3:30.97; 4×800 Meter Relay — 2) Menomonie (Evan Olson, Luke Ray, Noah Winder, Owen Pelzel), 8:04.08; 

High Jump — 5) Daniel Butler, 5-10; T6) Myka Fox, 5-08; T11) Trevor Robert, 5-06; Pole Vault — 6) Aiden Anderson, 11-06; T9) Rhiley Pernsteiner, 10-00; T9) Bauer Messerschmidt, 10-00; Long Jump — 2) Javan Butler, 21-02; 14) Daniel Butler, 17-10; Triple Jump — 7) Kellen Lehman, 40-00.50; 12) Nicolas Bossany, 37-08; 15) Jasper Schwartz, 36-04; Shot Put — 11) Preston Witter, 38-11.75; 13) Grant Nigon, 37-02.50; Discus Throw — 6) Preston Witter, 133-05; 10) Cody Schaefer, 123-07; 11) Trevor Robert, 120-04.

Links to Complete BRC Results:

2026 Girls Big Rivers Track & Field [PDF]

2026 Boys Big Rivers Track & Field [PDF]