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Milton, Fort face new test

Milton High School and Fort Atkinson will be the new kids on the block at the Badger South conference track and field meet at 4:30 today at Fort.

The Red Hawks and the Blackhawks, former stalwarts in the Southern Lakes, will test the new waters of the Badger meet.

“We are kind of excited to see how we stack up,” Fort coach Dennis Schwedrsky said. “We are very excited to compete in the new conference. We are eager for this new challenge.’’

Fort senior distance runner Spencer Agnew, a 2008 Southern Lakes champion in the 1,600 and 3,200 runs, will lead the Fort boys team. Fort senior Kim LeRoy earned a girls Lakes titlist in the 300 hurdles.

Agnew and LeRoy, both state qualifiers, will have the advantage of competing on their home track where each won Southern Lakes titles last season.

As for Milton, coach Jeff Bachinski said his boys team is just starting to jell. Milton participated in only seven meets this spring.

“We had a very late spring break, and that hurt us,” Bachinski said. “We had the school closed because of swine flu. and we had rainouts.’’

Bachinski thinks Milton’s boys will surprise their new conference opponents.

“It’s just like football,” said Bachinski who is also the Red Hawks’ football coach. “Nobody expected us to challenge, and we won the conference.’’

Bachinski expects his team to score some points, but they won’t come easily.

“We’ve got to perform,” Bachinski said. “Monroe and Monona Grove had great track traditions.’’

The Milton coach expects good things from his 400 and 1,600 relay teams and in the shot put and discus.

Hank McIvor and Ethan Bachinski return for last season’s champion 400 relay team.

Bachinski is expected to be a top challenger the discus and shot put. He has tossed the discus 166 feet, 5 inches and is between 48 and 49 feet in the shot put this season.

Schwedrsky and coach Bachinski think Monroe and Monona Grove are the teams to beat today.

The battle for the girls team title may be wide open. Among individuals to watch are expected to be state honor-roll athletes Kiah Ehrke of Stoughton, 11:13.1 time in the 3,200, and Kari Hanson of Oregon, who has gone 5-5 in the high jump.