LA CROSSE — She was crying and smiling and saying nothing but complimentary things about the people — coaches, family, friends — that were waiting for her on the other side of the fence.
It was officially over. Holmen High School senior sprinter Lydia Lazarescu had run her final race as a Viking, and that group of more than a dozen wanted to both congratulate and console her.
“I’m sad,” she said. “But I’m also happy to be here with all of these people right now.
“Some of the best people I’ve ever known in my life are standing right over there, and I can’t wait to say hi to them and hang out with them and thank them for the support they’ve given me.”
Lazarescu completed her high school track and field career with three silver medals on Saturday, and the emotion reflected that. What seemed to matter more than the medals, however, was the camaraderie.
Lazarescu, who won the WIAA Division 1 100- and 200-meter races as a sophomore, did nothing alone on Friday or Saturday. She had senior teammate Abry Bloyer there with her in prelims and finals for both of those races and ran twice with Bloyer, sophomore Hadley Johnson and freshman Ava Newman in the 400 relay.
Seniors Brenna Schmidt, Alivia Wickstrom, Sabrina Lechnir, Naomi Wedan and Bela Waters and sophomores Ruby Kinsman and Isabel Archer were there, too, and the collective effort resulted in 34 points and a fourth-place finish among Division 1 girls teams.
Lazarescu was second in the 100 (11.66 seconds) and 200 (24.02) and ran a wicked anchor leg with a memorable close in the 400 relay’s second-place performance (46.9).
“We knew that if we were anywhere near the front, Lydia was going to get it,” Holmen girls coach Chad Wedan said of Lazarescu, who made up a 20- or 25-meter gap to pass an Appleton North runner and give the Vikings second place with a school record.
“She’s a great chaser with that competitiveness. She refuses to lose, and she was shot out of a cannon on that one.”
Bloyer, who ran the second leg of the relay, was able to see Lazarescu’s close and finish, which was two spots better than last year’s third place in the same event.
“She just walked down that girl, and I was screaming and excited,” said Bloyer, who qualified for six state events during her career and will continue to run with Lazarescu at UW-La Crosse. “I was so happy.”
“… When we ran really fast (in the Friday prelim), we were so pumped. Then (Saturday), when we got a 46, our 46.9. It’s always fun to beat your recor, especially a team one.”
But it was set up by Newman, Bloyer and Johnson. Bloyer and Johnson were part of last year’s team, and Newman stepped in as the leadoff this spring. She had to contend with a visibly strong start from Arrowhead’s Peyton Eicher.
“I got out (of the blocks), and I heard her coming up on me,” Newman said. “I was trying my best to just go and focus on myself, and that’s what I did.”
The handoff to Bloyer was a good one, and so was an adjusted handoff that Bloyer and Johnson have been working on to get Johnson off to the best possible start in the third leg.
What they did was push Johnson’s mark back to keep the baton in Bloyer’s hand a touch longer. That proved a little troublesome, but Johnson said she nailed the mark during a morning run-through and duplicated it during the finals.
“We hit it, and it was perfect and golden,” Johnson said of the practice run “Wedan said that was a great one and would take us far. It went really good (during the final).”
Lazarescu simply manifested the necessary confidence to make up the difference she faced behind Appleton North.
“I relaxed my face and relaxed my shoulders, and I was like, ‘I got this, I can do this, I can catch up.'” she said. “I’m doing this for my team, I’m doing this for my little freshman and sophomore and Abry. I was carrying them all with me and that baton.”
Both of Lazarescu’s sprint finals were tight finishes. Brookfield Central junior Kyenret Rinkam won the both, clipping Lazarescu by .04 seconds in the 100 and .2 seconds in the 200.
Rinkam fell as she crossed the finish line in the 100 and left a memorable image by putting her arms up in celebration while laying flat on her back.
Lazarescu’s career includes one championship, two runner-up and one third-place finish in the 100 and one championship and two second-place finishes in the 200. She also has the second- and third-place finishes in the 400 relay to her credit.
She talked after her final race about putting her three new medals in her little stash of them, but it takes an elite athlete to be able to say he or she owns nine state medals — all of which are for third place or better.
“The competition at this meet, honest to God, gets so much better every year,” Lazarescu said. “I’m glad I get to add to my little (medal) stash that I have in my room. I guess it’s big, but hopefully I can prove even more in college.”
Schmidt will also turn her attention to college success — as will Wickstrom (Winona State) and Lechnir (Winona State) — after completing a two-medal weekend.
Schmidt, who will throw at the University of South Alabama, followed up Friday’s sixth-place performance in the shot put with a sixth-place finish in the discus on Saturday.
She hit her best throw of 130 feet in her first attempt. The rest of her throws, she said, felt good but just didn’t improve her position.
“I’m so excited about this, and I’m so happy with a podium finish,” Schmidt said after the discus. “I would have liked to go a little farther, but this feels good.”
“I’m just happy to go out as a Holmen Viking like this.”
She quickly pivoted to her teammates and the connection they had built over the years. Competing together at the biggest meet of the season was as important as any of the outcomes.
“I got to the podium, and I see Lydia out there, so I gave her a hug,” Schmidt said. “Seeing my teammates succeed like we did this weekend was great.”
According to Wedan, statements like Schmidt’s are common when it comes to the way his team interacts.
“It’s special,” Wedan said. “We were joking on the way in that not many teams have to take a bus to state. They are all really supportive of each other and watch each other compete.
“This senior group has been a fun group to coach.”
