Athletes Defy Gravity In Quest For A New 'PR'

Some of the high jump athletes who have excelled in 2009 and 2010. Big 10 Champion | WIAC Champion

Ellie Grandi [D1, Burlington] is pictured above at the 2009 WIAA State Meet. Her event was held in a driving rain storm. Despite the conditions which included slippery footing when athletes planted for their take-off she finished third [5' 03].

As of April 16, Grandi a junior was the All-Division leader in the Honor Roll high jump event with a height of 5' 07. Burlington high jump coach Matthew Buteyn took the video below on April 3 at the Racine Invitational held at Carthage College in Kenosha which shows Grandi making 5' 06. Grandi later made 5' 07 in the same meet.


Junior Richelle Ranney from D2 Palmyra-Eagle jumped 5' 06 on April 13 at the Orfordville Parkville dual meet. She is pictured at the Blue Jay Invite held at Cambridge in 2009.

Whatever the season multi-sport athlete Katie Langmeier finds a way to excel. She jumped 5' 06 at the Prairie du Chien Relays on April 20.

She is pictured above at the W/TFA Meet [2010] where she finished first with a height of 5' 04.

On the right she is pictured on approach at the 2009 State Meet where she finished second to record setting Rachel Melum.

Defending D3 HJ Champion Rachel Melum had a jump of 5' 08 at the Waupaca County Meet on April 24.

She is a senior and set the record of 5' 09 [pictured to the right] at the 2009 State Meet. She shares the state record with Kate Juedes of Clear Lake. Melum is a senior.

Kayla Ashland [above] from Bloomer finished second in the D2 HJ [5' 05] at the 2009 State Meet. she jumped 5' 06 at the Bloomer Invite on April 22.

This season the senior has posted a 5' 04 height at the Hayward Invite on April 15.

Lake Mills sophomore Jessica Powers jumped 5' 03 at the Watertown Relays. She is pictured above at the Watertown Invitational. Powers finished fourth in the D2 HJ at the 2009 State Meet.

Ashlee Ballinger [above] a senior from Wauwatosa West has been consistent this season with a best jump of 5' 02. She is pictured above at the 2009 State Meet where she finished 6th in the D1 HJ.

Wayland Academy athlete Anne Rauschert who is a junior set the Midwest Classic Indoor Record in the HJ on April 13. She jumped 5' 02 to match the record set in 2008 by Rachel Aumann from Racine Lutheran. Rauschert jumped 5' 04 at the Dodge County Meet on April 23.

Rauschert who is pictured above at the 2009 State Meet finished 6th in the D3 HJ event.


Ready to challenge the group of high jumpers pictured above are the athletes pictured below. In addition there are always surprises during the year and new athletes who step up and defy the rules of gravity.

Kaukauna sophomore Kasey Ederer [above] jumping 5' 06 on April 20 in a FVA meet against Fond du Lac. Photograph above by Chris Ederer

Jenna Breaker [right] a junior from Tigerton finished 3rd in the D3 HJ at the 2009 State Meet jumped 5' 05 at the CWC Pre-Conf Meet on April 23.

Spring Valley junior Katelyn Neck [above, below left] finished 8th in the D3 HJ event at La Crosse in 2009. Wausau Newman Catholic athlete Katie Siewart [below right] finished 9th in the D3 HJ at La Crosse. She was a member of the 2009 D3 State Champions from Newman Catholic.





On April 20 at the Chilton Triangular sophomore Audra Winter from Manitowoc Lutheran set a school record in the HJ by jumping 5' 04. Winter is pictured above competing in the D3 HJ event at the 2009 State Meet. Winter also set the school record in the 100m dash by recording a 12.9 [HHT].