Grothoff, Jahr new BCLUW track head coaches

“Tradition never graduates” was a staple motto that defined how Les and Theresa Penick approached coaching at BCLUW High School.
 
Dustin Grothoff and Anthony Jahr are striving to show it never retires, either.
 
Grothoff and Jahr are stepping in as new head coaches for girls and boys track and field at BCLUW after the Penicks’ retirement at the end of last season.
 
“That’s kind of our motto this year, too,” Jahr said, “We’ll continue the high level of expectations for our track and field teams.”
 
Grothoff is moving up in the coaching ranks, a middle school girls coach in the BCLUW system for the last four years. He’s been in close discussion with the Penicks in the past as athletes transition from middle school to high school. The current group of BCLUW athletes competed under Grothoff’s coaching at the middle school for at least one year.
  
The shuttle hurdle team of Kiersten Kruse, Payton Pekarek, Lizzie Garber and Olivia Hughes all return with aspirations of doing more at the state meet this season. The group finished 23-hundredths of a second out of a spot in the state finals last spring. Garber also had a close call with making the 100 hurdles finals as a freshman, missing the qualifying time by 0.15 seconds.
  
“It’s a good group to be around,” Grothoff said. “We’ve got very few seniors but a lot of girls that have leadership capabilities. Some of these girls fell short of their goals last year but I think as a team, we’ll put up some points this year across the board.”
 
For the full story, see this week's Grundy Register. Subscribe by calling (319) 824-6958 or clicking here.