Wauwatosa East's Toni Bonds, 4x200 relay qualify for state track and field meet

Wauwatosa East qualified the 4x200-meter relay team and junior Toni Bonds in the 400-meter dash to finish eighth (41 points) out of 15 teams at the West Allis Hale sectional on May 26.

Those five girls will head to UW-La Crosse for the WIAA State Track and Field Championships on Friday and Saturday, June 3 and 4.

The 4x200-meter relay finished third in 1 minute, 52.43 seconds behind junior Katie Gastrau, Dominique Evans, sophomore Melina Paul, senior Olivia Metz and senior Kirsten Maxwell.

Bonds finished third in the 400-meter dash (59.86) and was the Red Raiders' only individual qualifiers.

"The highlight of the meet was the qualifying of the 4x200 relay and Toni Bonds in the 400 for the state meet," coach Glen Gardiner said. "The 4x200 relay ran a technically-sound race and ran hard all the way through to the finish and were rewarded with a spot at the state meet.

"It's a great group of girls that deserve the honor of running at state. I'm looking forward to watching them improve even further in La Crosse. This will be the first time at state for all the girls in the relay and for alternates sophomore Dom Evans and junior Cyntayla Glass."

Bonds is another first-time state participant.

"She ran a very inspired race," Gardiner said. "This was the first time Toni has been under the 60-second mark with a time of 59.86. Toni knew the task before her and she embraced the challenge. I couldn't be more proud of Toni and how she earned her ticket to the state meet."

The Red Raiders had some athletes that just fell short.

"The 4x400 relay team (junior Hannah Brooks, freshman Abby Wood, Bonds and Evans) put it all on the line and ran to fifth place (4:03.47)," Gardiner said. "This time would have won the sectional meet in many of the previous years, and is a testament to the how well the girls ran and how competitive our sectional is. It's also the fastest time for Tosa East since 2009.

"All the girls come back next year. They have a lot to be proud of for how they ran and competed on Thursday. I know they have big things in store for them next year. I also know this will be extra motivation for them in the off-season."

Junior Janet Fee in the 800 had a PR of 2:31.01 and finished fifth. Senior Zoe Schertz had the other PR in the 100 hurdles (16.92) and finished fifth.

Gardiner, who was proud of his whole team, also had some kind words for some other nonqualifiers.

The sixth-place 4x800 (10:36.96) consisted of junior Amara Green, junior Elsa Klein, sophomore Alice Farr and freshman Malia Bavuso.

"They ran against some of the best 4x8 teams in the state," Gardiner said. "I was happy with the efforts the girls put into the race and all return next year."

Regional

Here are the athletes who qualified for the sectional on May 26 at West Allis Hale after East took third (138) behind Tosa West (174) and Divine Savior Holy Angels (155).

Qualifying events: 100: Morries-Thurman (fourth, 14.01); 800: Fee (first, 2:31.75), 3200: Andrea Mabie (third, 12:00.83), 100 hurdles: Schertz (second, 17.28), Glass (18.16); 300 hurdles: Abby Wood (third, 48.48), Schertz (49.90); shot put: Rebekah Przybyl (fourth, 30-1/2); discus throw: Przybyl (fourth, 84-11; pole vault: Alice Farr (fourth, 8-0); and 400: Bonds (second, 1:02.27);

Relay results follow: 4x400 relay: Evans, Brooks, Gastrau, Bonds (first, 4:12.77); 4x800 relay: Fee, Farr, Klein Bavuso (second, 11:25.82); 4x200 relay: Evans, Metz, Paul, Maxwell (second, 1:53.15); and 4x100: Trinity Mayes, Morris-Thurman, Metz, Maxwell (third, 53.64).