ADAM HERTZBERG - 1997

Adam led off the school record 3200 meter relay at the 1997 state meet in 1:56.9 to PR by 2 seconds. An excellent "big meet" performer who always ran his best races at the end of the season. As a junior, Adam anchored the victorious 3200 meter relay at sectionals by passing three runners in the last 100 meters. Became a very good cross country runner and team captain, even though he did not participate as freshman. He was a three time state qualifier - All State in the fourth place and school record holding (7:58.96) 3200 meter relay as a senior! Adam was a very confident athlete who always came through in pressure situations. He set the tone for our state championship because he was the first Park athlete on the track and he gave his relay mates the lead with his huge PR!

picture courtesy Racine Journal Times

MIKE KROLL - 1997

The epitome of the self made athlete. As far as distances and times are concerned, we have had many athletes at Park High School who were better track athletes than Mike but nobody has ever gotten more out of there God given abilities than he did. He should serve as an inspiration to all those athletes who feel that they are not fast enough to be a successful athlete. As a freshman, Mike was not a very good athlete. He possessed little speed and even less jumping ability. Needless to say his freshman year was not one to remember. We did not even expect him to come out for track as a sophomore, but he did. His sophomore year in track was not much better but he continued to come out for the team. At the end of his junior year there was a little light at the end of the tunnel. That year Mike ran 16.7 in the 110 high hurdles and 43.7 in the intermediate hurdles. Not great times but a sign that progress was being made. That year Mike made a decision that he was going to do what ever it took to become a better athlete as a senior. At the beginning of his senior year he came out for cross country and had a decent season, running 18:47 for 5K. All winter he ran, worked in the weight room, and worked on his flexibility. The result was a very successful senior year. At The Spartan Invitational Mike placed 4th with a time of 15.4 and at the prestigious Monona Grove Invitational he placed 4th in the 300 intermediate hurdles with a fully automatic time of 41.82. Mike was the type of individual that coaches dream about unselfish, hard working, and patient. Yes patient because success doesn't come over night. You have to work for it and then wait for it. Mike was another integral part of our 1997 State Championship Track Team.

Rance Streeter-1998

Absolutely the finest sprinter yet to run at Park High School. Rance holds school records in the 100 meters (10.4), 200 Meters (21.4), and was on the school record holding 400 meter relay team (42.1). In his junior year (1997) in the State meet, he displayed a gutsy competitiveness that has seldom been equaled. In the preliminaries Rance was the final (last) qualifier for the 200 meters which gave him lane nine in the finals. He knew that we needed for him to place no worse than 5th in the finals for Park to win the state championship. A tall order for someone in lane nine. With only a fence on the outside of him and water in his lane Rance blew out of the turn and placed third in the race, narrowly missing second place to cement Parks’ first state championship in over 20 years.

His other state meet finishes were 2nd in the 400 relay in 1997, 2nd in the 100 meters in 1998, 3rd in the 200 meters in 1998, and 3rd in the 400 relay in 1998.

Rance was a coaches dream, a tremendous attitude coupled with tremendous ability, he will be sorely missed by everyone at Park.

picture courtesey Racine Journal Times