DeForest boys' claim Badger-Large title in conference track meet

“Conference champion” has a nice ring to it. “Two-time conference champion” sounds even sweeter.

Competing at the 2026 Badger-Large Conference Championship track meet on Tuesday, May 19, at Waunakee High School, the DeForest Norskies boys’ team clinched its second-straight conference title, while the girls’ team finished seventh.

The boys won the meet with 180 team points, 59 points ahead of second-place finisher Oregon. The girls finished their meet with 46.5 points as a team.

The boys picked up plenty of points across the board, starting with their relays. The Norskies’ 4x100, 4x200 and 4x800 relay quartets all raced to first-place finishes.

In the 4x100 relay, junior Aidan Nolan and seniors Shane Schroeder, Kyle Skoug and CJ Galloway teamed up to secure first-place honors in just 42.49 seconds.

Schroeder, Skoug, Galloway and sophomore Logan Swoboda raced to a time of 1:29.25 in the 4x200 relays, while seniors Wyatt Parker, Mason Hobbs, junior Parker Stanosz, and sophomore Chandler Pabon scored a time of 8:24.33 in the 4x800 relays, marking the third first-place finish for the Norskies’ relay events.

Then came Lucas Tanner, an NCAA Division I commit to Furman University.

The senior won three events: the 800 meters, the 1600 meters and the 3200 meters.

Tanner won the 800 meters with a time of 1:58.80, while racing to a first-place time in the 1600 meters at 4:28.83. Tanner capped his impressive finish at the meet with a season-best time in the 3200 meters at 9:49.59.

Meanwhile, success continued in the field when senior Isaac Ziegler leaped to a 22-4.5 distance in the long jump, while clearing six feet and four inches in the high jump to place second.

Senior Brooks Ohmen wasn’t too far behind Ziegler, placing fourth in the triple jump at 41-6.5 and third in the high jump at 6-2.

The girls’ success in Waunakee was headlined by its performance in the 4x100 relay, the shot put and the 100 meters.

In the 4x100 relay, sophomores Penelope Loeffelholz and Morgan Sadeghpour, junior Mackenzie Botham and senior Jenna Graske teamed up for a second-place finish with a time of 50.79 seconds.

In the shot put, senior Ali Schneider secured a personal-best throw of 32-6 to place third, while Graske led the Norskies in the 100 meters with a time of 13.40 seconds, placing fourth.

Up next for DeForest is the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) State Tournament. The Norskies will begin their playoff push on Tuesday, May 26, in regionals at Madison Memorial High School.

2026 Badger Large Conference Championship Team Scores

Boys

1.) DeForest: 180

2.) Oregon: 121

3.) Waunakee: 95.5

4.) Monona Grove: 90

5.) Baraboo: 78

6.) Milton: 76.5

7.) Watertown: 48

8.) Beaver Dam: 13

Girls

1.) Waunakee: 182

2.) Oregon: 106

3.) Baraboo: 94

4.) Monona Grove: 87

5.) Watertown: 72

6.) Beaver Dam: 70.5

7.) DeForest: 46.5

8.) Milton: 43