Grady Lenn and Richie Flanigan Shine on Day 1 of State Track Meet

LA CROSSE – The opening day of the WIAA state track and field meet on June 5 featured outstanding performances from two athletes hailing from the Green Bay area. De Pere's Grady Lenn capped off his impressive high school career by claiming a state title in a record-setting manner.

Lenn, a senior who has already committed to the University of Wisconsin, triumphed in the Division 1 3,200-meter race with a remarkable time of 8 minutes, 49.15 seconds, breaking his previous record of 8:52.79 from last year. In a display of sportsmanship, he took a moment during the final stretch to acknowledge the crowd at Veterans Memorial Stadium, even blowing kisses to the fans. “It feels great, just a cherry on top,” Lenn said. “I think it was cool to be able to take it in the last 100 and kind of celebrate the day and stuff.”

Throughout the race, he allowed Milwaukee Marquette's Brendan Reardon to lead for the initial 2,000 meters before making his decisive move in the last 800 meters, finishing over 13 seconds ahead of Reardon, who clocked in at 9:02.85. Lenn's victory is particularly notable as he joins an elite group of athletes at De Pere, becoming only the third to achieve back-to-back state titles in the same event.

Richie Flanigan, a junior from Notre Dame, also made headlines by clinching the D2 discus title with a throw of 176 feet, 8 inches. This achievement marked Flanigan's first state championship, adding to the legacy established by his father, Jim Flanigan, a former state champion. Flanigan's winning throw came on his fifth attempt, surpassing Hudson Samolinski of Winneconne, who finished with a throw of 173-10. Flanigan's performance was particularly impressive given he entered the meet with the sixth-best sectional throw.

Flanigan, who is set to play football at the University of Notre Dame, is optimistic about adding to his success, as he gears up for the shot put competition. Meanwhile, the Preble boys’ team also showcased their talent, with Brayden Michaels, Louis Jean-Baptiste, Jacob Nuthals, and Jordan Escobar-Goral finishing second in the 3,200 relay. Maximus Davis of Preble had a strong showing in the pole vault, taking runner-up honors after clearing 15 feet, 6 inches, demonstrating significant improvement from previous years.