The River Falls High School track and field team had a day to remember at the annual Stan Barr Relays in New Richmond on Friday, May 5.

The Wildcats tallied six top-five finishes in relay competition including the boys’ 4x100-meter, both the boys’ and girls’ 4x200 and 4x800 squads and the boys’ 1,600-meter sprint medley relay.

For Max Haskins, who coaches the Wildcats with Kady Bauschelt, his team’s success at the Stan Barr Relays in New Richmond was encouraging. He spoke about allowing his athlete to compete against elite programs while also keeping larger goals in mind.

“It’s a meet that we always try to do well at while not compromising our overall goal for this part of the season,” Haskins said. “It’s always right before we start to taper down a bit for championship season, and that currently impacts times and distances. Overall, we’re super impressed with our kids and how they competed against some really strong competition.”

River Falls didn’t shrink when the lights got bright and the competition got tough. Instead, the Wildcats rose to the occasion, which began with the boys’ 4x100-meter relay.

The squad of freshman Joseph Tarasewicz, junior Robert Anderson and seniors Jacob Gilbertson and Trey Hartung posted a time of 44.23, which earned a runner-up finish to New Richmond’s 43.51.

River Falls’ boys also finished runner-up in the 4x200-meter relay that included sophomore Charlie Loesch and the aforementioned Anderson, Hartung and Gilbertson. Their time of 1:32.92 was again bested only by the New Richmond Tigers.

The Lady Wildcats also succeeded in the short-distance relays. The squad of seniors Abi Banitt, Brooklyn Silloway, Rebecca Randleman and sophomore Maria Moran secured a third-place finish in the 4x200-meter relay with a time of 1:48.70.

While some programs have made a name for distance running and field events, River Falls has a strong tradition of short-distance relay success. Even as names and faces change, the Wildcats remain one of the stronger relay programs in the Big Rivers Conference.

“I think the short relays are something we hang our hat on as a program,” Haskins said. “We’ve had a lot of success with them and despite new faces over the years, the results are similar each season. I think it’s a testament to our kids and how hard they work. This group is fun to watch because it’s a mix of veterans and new faces who have been getting better this season.”

River Falls has also produced strong mid- and long-distance relay squads in recent years. The boys’ 4x800 relay team of sophomores Jonah Majerus and Quin Andrews, junior Morris Toppel and senior Hudsen Smith have continued the program’s healthy tradition of success.

They posted a 4x800 time of 8:40.96, which secured a third-place finish at the Stan Barr Relays on Friday night. River Falls trailed only Anoka and the rival Hudson Raiders, which ran a medalist time of 8:28.

Rainy conditions and chilly weather didn’t impact the Wildcats much, especially a freshman-laden 4x800-meter relay squad, which posted a fifth-place time of 10:48.17. That group included freshmen Olivia Halvorson and Afton Gillis, sophomore Anna Weyer and junior Lilly Jensen.

While River Falls had top-fives scattered throughout the meet, the Wildcats’ lone win was in the boys’ 1,600-meter sprint medley relay. That event included Loesch, Gilbertson, Anderson and Andrews.

Their time of 3:40.49 was more than four seconds clear of second-placed Hudson. For coach Haskins, it was just another example of his talented athletes showing their skills in short, mid and long-distance relay events.

“Mid and long-distance is another area of our program that’s been extremely strong for as long as I can remember,” Haskins said. “Our distance coach Kari Deluca does a tremendous job with those kids and consistently gets athletes to reach their potential. Similar to the spring relays, those athletes are a fun group to watch and have improved steadily this season.”

Although outdoor competition began just a couple of weeks ago, a majority of the regular season is done. River Falls now turns its attention to the Big Rivers Conference championship, which is just one week away, and the fast-approaching regional and sectional dates.

“The season flies by every year,” Haskins said. “The conference meet is going to be really fun this season with a few teams at the top on both sides. We’re excited to be in the mix. As far as regionals go, our goal is always to get a bunch of kids to La Crosse for the state meet. Our regional and sectional are highly competitive, but our kids are up for the challenge.”

River Falls is slated to be back in action at Hudson on Tuesday, May 9. Events are scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m.