Three Schools, No Tracks, One Team: BSMS Track And Field 
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at the preseason practice at Benton High School
The Hornets [Scales Mound, IL], Zephyrs [Benton], and Miners [Shullsburg] may be the only team in the USA consisting of athletes from two different states.
Above: Maggie Neis [10] in the long jump event.
Right: Junior Tina Hurlburt [12] anchoring her teams 4x2.
Division: 3
Enrollment: Benton [60], Shullsburg [92], and Scales Mound, IL [80]. Total enrollment [232].
Head Coach: Paul Raley - 32nd year coaching.
Conference: Six Rivers
Conference Schools: Albany, Argyle, Barneveld, Belmont, Benton, Black Hawk, Cassville, Highland, Juda, Monticello, Pecatonica, Potosi, River Ridge, and Shullsburg.
Left: Sarah Redfearn [11] in the hurdle events. Redfearn who is a junior runs in the middle distance and hurdle events as well as anchoring her teams 4x4.
Above: Hurdle, relay, and horizontal jumps athlete Abigail Davis [10]
Photographs left and above by Paul Raley
Sprint relay team members L-R: Jenna Droessler [10, Wisconsin], Maggie Neis [10, Wisconsin], Katie Kruger [10, Illinois], and anchor Tina Hurlburt [11, Illinois] .
Far left: Tina Hurlburt [11] anchoring the 4x2 relay team.
Left: Sarah Redfearn [11]. Redfearn is a versatile athlete who is pictured winning the River Ridge Invitational [2012] 800m race. Later in the spring she qualified for the State Meet in the 300m LH event. She finished 8th in the 300m finals at La Crosse.
Coach Paul Raley was named the 2012 Brooks Inspiring Coach of the Year. Despite fighting a serious illness, coach Raley volunteered to coach and personally funded the restart of the Benton track and field program for the last four years. In 2013 the School District of Benton will fund the track program.
Sports writer Dennis Semrau of the Wisconsin State Journal highlighted Raley's award in a September 22, 2012 article.
An advantage of smaller schools is that students are able to have experiences in many different activities. Some of the basketball players from the Benton-Shullsburg combined team who will participate in track and field are pictured in a basketball game against Darlington held at Shullsburg on Thursday, January 3, 2013. The basketball team finished the season 23-3 and were co-champions in the Six Rivers-Western Conference. The 'Ben-Shull' squad lost to Barneveld in the sectional semi-finals. Barneveld won the sectional and will play in the State Tournament in Green Bay.
Above L-R: Jenna Droessler [#2], Blaire Lutes [#3], and Lutes draining a 3 pointer in the second quarter in a game against Darlington.
Below L-R: Maggie Neis [#10], Sarah Redfearn [#5], and Payton Bastian [#13].
Above L-R: Distance runner Bailey Redfearn [10], Sarah Redfearn [11] in the finals of the D3 300m event at La Crosse, 2012, 400m runner Brittany Davis [10], and hurdler Jenna Droessler [10]. Note Bailey Redfearn and Sarah Redfearn are not related.
Brooks Sports press release - September 2012
Coach Raley has inspired more than just his athletes on the track--his drive has united schools and communities. He single-handedly funded the Benton High School track program for more than four years, and that commitment is motivating the school district to fully fund the program in 2013. He also created a co-op track program with the neighboring Scales Mound High School in Illinois, giving it the long-awaited opportunity to have a track team for the first time. His daily efforts include searching out available practice locations--neither high school has a track--recruiting other volunteer coaches and increasing team participation to a third of the school's total enrollment.
Paul Raley: Coaching experience:
Coached @ Benton Head boys/girls from 1979 - 1987, 2 conference championships (first in school's history)
Coached @ UW Platteville 1987-1989 Head Cross Country, ast Track - took men's team to NAIA National CC Meet in 1988
Coached @ Lancaster as ast. coach 1990, 1991( boys 2nd @ State ) Then as head boys/girls coach 1993, 1994 ( boys 3rd @ State ), 1995 - (Boys conference champs, 6th @ state) .
Volunteer coach @ Fennimore 1992, 1996-2006 - 12 years
Paul Raley was an educator [Taught Jr. High; Social Studies, Math, Geography, and English] at Benton from 1979-89. From 1990 to 2006 he was at Lancaster. In 2007 after retiring from Lancaster Raley who lives in Benton was approached by some Benton sophomore boys basketball players. The players wanted to have a track and field program. Benton did not have a program at that time. Raley undertook this task donating his time and money from 2007-2011 so that the boys and girls at Benton could have a track and field team. In 2009 those same boys as seniors were the WIAA State D4 Basketball Champions.
In 2011 Scales Mound, IL, which funded its track and field program joined Benton as a cooperative team in track and field. This season the school districts of Benton and Shullsburg will fund track and field. Raley was assisted by volunteer coaches Jeff Droessler, Tim White, Julie Redfearn, Michelle Bastain, Chris Redfearn and Lisa Lawrence. Also Coaches Todd Bastain (Darlington) and Coach Emily Bartells (Cuba City) helped.
Left and above: Blaire Lutes [12] in the LJ and 100m dash events at the 2012 Sugar River Invitational held at Belleville HS. In 2011 and 2012 Shullsburg competed as a separate school. However in 2013 Shullsburg, Benton, and Scales Mound will compete as one team.
Photographs by Jeff Lutes
Left: Head boys and girls coach Paul Raley. Above L-R: Coaches Kyle Kerns [throws] and Mark Lierman [sprints, relays]. Right: Coach Julie Redfearn [HJ and Jr High] and her daughter Bailey. Julie is a former Cuba City athlete. Her husband Chris competed at Benton.
Above left: Distance coach Tom Henders led the warmups. Henders is a former Loras College runner. Above right: Benton AD Jeff Droessler is pictured with his throwers. As AD Jeff is most pleased that of the 72 students enrolled at Benton HS 35 are in a spring sport. Athletes are bused from Shullsburg and Scales Mound for the practices. However each Wednesday practice is held at Scales Mound or Shullsburg on an alternating basis.
Above left: Coach Raley instructs athletes prior to the start of the stations drill. Above right: Coach Kern organizes athletes prior to their station drill. The drills made use of the gym plus the stage with weight equipment.
The trip to Benton marked the end of the Wisconsin Track Online preseason promotion trip. By highlighting practices in a variety of schools it is hoped that an interest in the season is generated. All in all the six trips covered 1,154 miles. The facilities varied greatly. However there was one constant: The coaches and athletes all displayed a passion for the sport of track and field. This website attempts to convey that passion to viewers.
As I headed west on highway 11 the weather turned to winter conditions. An Amish buggy ahead reminded me to slow down and reflect on how lucky I am to be able to cover athletes who work hard at achieving their goals and coaches who do so much to bring athletes to their potential. DF, March 12, 2013.
For their warmup run athletes headed out of the school and the parking lot towards Alma street. They then took a right on South Van Buren street before making a 'U' turn at Zephyr street and returning to the school.
Tuesday's practice consisted of multiple station drills. On the whistle athletes quickly changed stations. The intensity of the athletes was most impressive as the Benton-Scales Mound-Shullsburg squad prepared for the beginning of the season.
Benton-Scales Mound-Shullsburg Track And Field