June 8, 2026 – Slinger, Wi. — Slinger High School freshman Lucy Rate delivered a remarkable debut at the WIAA State Track and Field Championships in La Crosse, earning two state championships, a runner-up finish, and a sixth-place finish while competing against some of Wisconsin’s best wheelchair athletes.
Rate claimed gold medals in the girls wheelchair 100-meter race in 20.33 seconds and the 400-meter race in 1:14.55. She added a silver medal in the 800-meter race with a time of 2:39.94 and placed sixth in the shot put with a throw of 15 feet, 3 inches. Her performances also helped her earn second place in the overall wheelchair division team standings.
The success was especially impressive considering it came during her first season of high school track and field.
“I PR’d in the 100 and the 400, so both races I got first in,” Rate said. “I was close to PR-ing in my 800 and shot put. I was less than a second away from PR-ing in the 800.”
The strong finish followed months of development and training.
“The start of the season was definitely working on a lot more mechanics and stuff,” Rate said. “The second half was definitely working on more of getting speed and endurance. I definitely peaked in the second half and was able to get a lot more PRs.”
As a first-year racer, learning wheelchair racing techniques proved critical.
“Just learning how to turn the chair, when to turn it at the right time, the push mechanics,” she said. “For the wheels, you have to punch it with these gloves rather than grabbing it and pushing. Just learning how to push it right, when to turn, how to turn, setting my turns, that sort of stuff.”
Although she entered the state meet feeling confident, Rate admitted she exceeded her own expectations.
“I didn’t think I was going to do as good as I did,” she said. “I definitely felt like Megan (Egstad, Sun Prairie East), the other competitor that beat me in the 800, was doing really good too. It was definitely a good learning experience.”
Rate also had to overcome an unexpected obstacle before the 800-meter race.
While warming up, she collided with an individual who had stepped onto the track.
“I crashed into one of the people working there,” Rate said. “He walked onto the track and then I crashed into him.”
The crash tipped her racing chair over and severely damaged the front wheel.
Her father, Kyle Rate, described the frantic effort that followed.
“We were kind of running out of options,” he said. “A bunch of our coaching staff helped take the old wheel off. One of the assistant coaches ran out to a bike shop to try to fix it. We even tried a spare wheel from another competitor, but it didn’t fit.”
With about an hour before race time, help arrived through a remarkable display of sportsmanship.
“I think it was the Sun Prairie athlete, Megan, who had the contact for Paul’s Party,” Kyle Rate said. “She reached out and they were local and had an extra wheel. They were able to bring it by and we got it bolted on.
“We had a lot of coaches involved helping out and even other competitors. It was just a big group of people trying to pitch in and help make it work.”
Despite the crash and repairs, Lucy still managed a second-place finish in the 800.
Her composure throughout the weekend impressed those around her. While some athletes struggle with nerves on the state’s biggest stage, Rate said she mostly experienced excitement.
“I definitely felt a lot of nerves,” she said. “In my 100, I was so focused on getting the start that I almost false started. But it was exciting.”
Being on the podium was another unforgettable moment.
“That was really cool,” Rate said. “Being able to have all the people in the stands cheering for me and hearing my teammates cheering louder, that was really quite an experience.”
Rate, who was born with arthrogryposis, a condition that affects the joints, said she hopes her success encourages other young athletes with disabilities to try new opportunities.
“Just try harder and try doing the new thing that might seem scary,” she said. “I did not want to do track at first, but after doing it, I’m glad I did because it was really big for me.”
Initially focused primarily on wheelchair basketball, Rate wasn’t sure she wanted to add track to her schedule. Now, after a state championship season, she hopes others can learn from her experience.
“I think other people might see to try the things that seem like they don’t want to try, but that might actually be fun.”
Rate also credited several people who helped shape her first season, including Marquette University High School student Gianni Quintero, who encouraged her to join track, Beaver Dam senior Taylor Post, who helped teach racing techniques throughout the season, and Sun Prairie competitor Megan Egstad, who pushed her to improve.
“She really inspired me to be better because I knew I would have to race against her at state,” Rate said.
Photos courtesy Kyle Rate
