Plainsmen track team competes at Dundy County-Stratton Invitational
By Emmalee Parsley Stevens
Grant tribune Sentinel
The Perkins County Plainsmen track and field teams turned in a mix of strong performances and learning opportunities at the Dundy County-Stratton Invitational on April 7, highlighted by several top-three finishes on both the boys and girls sides.
On the boys side, Perkins County saw success in distance events and relays. Ethan Swesey led the way with a first-place finish in the 1,600-meter run, clocking in at 5 minutes, 2.48 seconds. He also added a runner-up finish in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 11:20.57. Logan Barry secured third in the 1,600 meters in 5:09.30 and placed fourth in the 3,200 meters at 12:39.13.
Carson Green delivered a strong performance in the 400 meters, placing third with a time of 54.08 seconds. Alex Cole followed in sixth at 58.80, with Spencer Williams just behind in seventh at 59.86. In the 800 meters, Jesus Marquez earned a second-place finish with a time of 2:22.04.
In sprint events, Max Latella led the Plainsmen in the 100 meters with a seventh-place finish in 12.69 seconds, followed closely by Miles Knapp in ninth at 12.74 and Aaron Ornelas in 10th at 12.96. Ornelas also placed seventh in the 200 meters with a time of 26.10, while Mason Minster finished eighth in 26.14 and Tyson Schwanebeck placed 11th in 28.81.
The 4x400-meter relay team of Green, Knapp, Latella and Cole earned a third-place finish with a time of 3:51.90.
In field events, Alec Reese placed third in the shot put with a throw of 40 feet, 5.75 inches. Luke Minster added a third-place finish in discus with a throw of 124-9. Spencer Williams took second in the triple jump with a mark of 35-2, while Mason Minster placed fourth in the high jump at 5-2.
On the girls side, the Plainsmen were led by Madison Potts, who claimed first place in the 3,200 meters with a time of 12:44 and finished second in the 1,600 meters in 5:46.97. Haylea McGreer placed fourth in the 800 meters at 2:49.31.
Olivia Gengenbach had a strong showing in the sprints, placing fourth in both the 100 meters (14.03) and 200 meters (28.90). Alyssa Laber added a seventh-place finish in the 100 meters at 14.33, while Ava Seger placed sixth in the 200 meters with a time of 29.16.
In hurdle events, Ella Homan placed third in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 18.07 and captured first in the 300-meter hurdles at 50.30. Macey Cole followed with a fourth-place finish in the 100 hurdles at 19.03 and placed seventh in the 300 hurdles in 55.10.
The 4x100-meter relay team of Anley Sauder, Seger, Gengenbach and Laber earned third place with a time of 54.93.
In field events, Jacqueline Gloy led the Plainsmen throwers with a fifth-place finish in shot put at 30-6.5 and added a ninth-place finish in discus at 84-7. Paige Franklin placed ninth in shot put and 12th in discus, while Ryleigh Johnson added additional throws for Perkins County.Sauder placed fourth in the long jump with a mark of 13-4.25, just ahead of Homan in fifth at 13-3.75. Lauren Bishop finished 10th in long jump and highlighted her day with a third-place finish in the triple jump at 32-2.
Head coach Shayne Hite said the meet presented some challenges for the team.
“It was an OK day. Weather was good. Cold in the morning so we had some testing on our mental toughness,” Hite said. “Only had nine PRs. Coming off of a holiday weekend makes it tough to compete at the level we were hoping for. We now have 10 days before our next meet to get back to some basics with training.”
Perkins County will return to competition on Thursday, April 16 at the Sutherland Invitational, hosted by Sutherland Public Schools. The first event is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. Central time.