Plenty to celebrate

By Diane Stamm

Grant Tribune-Sentinel

The Perkins County and Wallace track teams had plenty to celebrate at this year’s state track and field championships Friday and Saturday.

PCS brought home three medals and Wallace four from the weekend, including first-place finishes by the Wildcats’ Trey Robertson.

T. Robertson came into the state meet leading both races and backed up a season’s worth of wins.

Friday T. Robertson finished with a new school record, nearly 18 seconds ahead of conference and district foe Carson Trompke of Cambridge, 9:59.0-10:16.99. Also finishing in the top 11 were the RPAC’s Marcus Hernandez of Bertrand, fourth, and Marcus Weaver of Medicine Valley, 11th.

Saturday T. Robertson claimed the 1,600 title with a two second win over Plainview’s Kyler Mosel, 4:30.5-4:30.53. Plainview’s Jordan Mosel placed third. With Trompke coming in fourth and Paxton’s Rylin Johns finishing fifth, the RPAC claimed three of the top five spots.

Wallace Head Coach Danielle Snider said the story of Trey Robertson is something everyone will remember for a long time. 

“Three gold medals in total and he only competed there twice! It was a blessing and privilege to coach him,” she said.

McGreer ran against Class C’s top runner, Hartington Cedar Catholic’s Carson Noecker, in three races.

Noecker set a Class C state record and won the all-class gold in Friday’s 3,200, 9:07.73. McGreer won second by three seconds over Dyami Berridge of Winnebago. McGreer broke the 10-minute mark with a time of 9:56.83.

McGreer finished 11 seconds behind Noecker in Saturday’s 1,600 and outraced Berridge to the finish line once more and finished with a time of 4:30.3, a new school record.

In the 800, McGreer placed fourth and set a new PCS school record, 1:57.88. Logan Lebo of Lincoln Lutheran won the event with a time of 1:55.72.

Perkins County sophomore Kenna Busick also ran in a record setting race. Wakefield’s Jordan Metzler’s time of 2:14.35 set a new Class C record while beating two-defending state champions in the race. Seven runners ran under 2:18. Busick finished 11th and set a new PCS school record.

Also running in Omaha for the Plainsmen were Kailee Potts in both hurdle races and Ave Reese in the 100-meter hurdles. 

The Perkins County 3,200-meter relays both finished 11th. Running for the girls was Busick, Meredith Gloy, Charis Goodell and Libby Cole, while the boys team was made up of McGreer, Colton Kroeker, Rylee Schrotberger and Brock Tines.

Wallace picked up two other medals in Omaha. Kendyl Flaming finished sixth in the 110-meter hurdles and the Wildcats’ 1,600-meter relay, Mariana Aceves-Lopez, Dajana Garrison, Ryleigh Hanson and Flaming, finished eighth after running in the slow heat.

The relay was Wallace’s biggest surprise at state, Snider said.

“I told them when we received our heat sheets that we had to win our heat in order to have a chance. Sure enough—they PRed by five seconds! The girls’ eyes were spilling with tears of joy after realizing they made it to the podium,” Snider said.

Ashley Robertson and Garrison placed ninth and 10th, respectively, in the 3,200 and just missed medals.

Wallace’s 3,200-meter relay, Sauser, A. Robertson, Reagan Pelster and Hanson, finished 10th.

Other Wallace competitors were Flaming in the 300-meter hurdles and Kaley Sauser in the 1,600.

Snider said the Wildcats had an excellent state track meet. 

“Competing at Burke is a whole new animal and can be intimidating. This year we had some veterans and rookies run. I am very, very pleased with how all of them competed. I, of course, am very proud of everyone who qualified—there is nothing quite like competing at state track. What is even more special is seeing all of their hard work come together,” she said. 

In the team race, PCS finished 11th in Class C boys and Wallace was 14th in Class D. 

2023 State Track and Field 

Championships

Class C

Boys team scores— 1. Chase County, 66; 2. Battle Creek, 52; 3. North Platte St. Pat’s, 46; 4. Lincoln Lutheran, 37; 5. Cedar Catholic, 34; 6. Norfolk Catholic, 33.5; 7. Elmwood-Murdock, 28; 7. Stanton, 28; 9. St. Cecilia, 24; 10. Hi-Line, 23; 11. Perkins County, 21.

Girls 100m Hurdles—1, Liberty Baker, Shelby-Rising City, 14.81; 13. Ava Reese, PCS, 16.31; 18. Kailee Potts, PCS, 16.5 9

Girls 300m Hurdles—1. Kinslee Bosak, Bishop Neumann, 44.54; 11. Potts, PCS, 48.40.

Boys 800m—1. Logan Lebo, Lincoln Lutheran, 1:55.72; 4. Mason McGreer, PCS, 1:57.88.

Girls 800m—1. Jordan Metzler, Wakefield, 2:14.35; 11. Kenna Busick, PCS, 2:23.10

Boys 1600m—1. Carson Noecker, Cedar Catholic, 4:19.35; 2. McGreer, PCS, 4:30.30.

Boys 3200m—1. Noecker, Cedar Catholic, 9:07.73; 2. McGreer, PCS, 9:56.83.

Girls 4x800 Meter Relay— 1. Chase County, 10:00.30; 11. PCS (K. Busick, M. Gloy, C. Goodell, L. Cole), 10:23.06.

Boys 4x800 Meter Relay—1. Cedar Catholic, 8:16.74; 11. PCS (M. McGreer, C. Kroeker, R. Schrotberger, B. Tines), 8:29.79.

Class D

Girls 100m Hurdles—1. Macy Richardson, Sterling, 15.48; 6. Kendyl Flaming, Wallace, 16.24.

Girls 300m Hurdles—1. Zaili Benish, Leyton, 46.00; 11. Flaming, Wallace, 49.04.

Boys 1600m—1. Trey Robertson, Wallace, 4:30.50.

Girls 1600m—1. Emma Fisher, Sandy Creek, 5:28.20; 12. Kaley Sauser, Wallace, 5:54.44.

Girls 3200m—1. Hannah Swanson, Nebraska Christian, 12:00.73; 9. Ashley Robertson, Wallace, 12:57.50; 11. Dajana Garrison, Wallace, 13:10.85.

Boys 3200m—1. T. Robertson, Wallace, 9:59.00.

Girls 4x400 Meter Relay—1. Central Valley, 4:05.36; 8. Wallace (M. Aceves-Lopez, D. Garrison, R. Hanson, K. Flaming), 4:20.87.

Girls 4x800 Meter Relay—1. Humphrey St Francis, 10:01.91; 10. Wallace (K. Sauser, A. Robertson, R. Pelster, R. Hanson), 10:41.92.