WAUSA – Wausa varsity track and field’s 2024 season keeps running along.
The Vikings and Lady Vikings traveled April 15 to Hartington for the Hartington-Newcastle Wildcat Invitational and then co-hosted the Tom Martin Memorial/Wausa Invitational in Pierce April 18.
At the Wildcat Invitational, the Wausa girls finished as runners-up to Bloomfield after scoring 85 points and the Wausa boys finished in fifth place after scoring 74 points.
At the Pierce/Wausa Invitational, the Lady Vikings finished with 15 points and the Vikings finished with six points.
“We had a really good day on (April 15) with several PRs (personal records) in that same old song ‘The Wind,’” Wausa head coach Greg Conn said.
“On (April 18), the competition was big and tougher to score points, but if you are going to get better, then you have to compete against the big competition,” he said. “There was plenty to go around at this meet in every event and we had some athletes take advantage of the that.”
At Hartington, sophomore Preston Schlote set personal records and placed third each in the shot put, with a throw of 43-6”, and the discus, with a throw of 138’7”, respectively.
“You’ve got to work hard to get there, and (when) it happens, it feels good,” he said.
Schlote noted he struggled with his throws during his freshman year.
“To see myself succeed (this year) is a good thing,” he said, noting he has goals of setting personal records as much as possible in his events this season and qualifying for the state meet.
At Hartington, freshman Elle Brazel and her teammates junior Jayden Gillilan, junior Kendall Story and senior Hadley Vanness placed third in the 4-by-800-meter relay with a time of 12:40.17.
Brazel noted she has a goal of “trying to do better and get better each time” she competes in one of her events.
For the Wausa girls at Pierce, senior Kate Lundberg finished in fourth place in the shot put with a new personal record of 33’8”. Freshman Reagan Gillilan placed fourth in the 400 meters with a time of 64.52 and sophomore Mackenzie Suhr earned third in the high jump with a mark of 4’8’.
For the Wausa boys at Pierce, sophomore Luke Woockman set a season best in the 3,200-meter run with time of 10:51.
“We are a little nicked up,” Conn said, adding his teams “need to get healthy before this home stretch run.”
The Vikings and Lady Vikings were scheduled to compete April 24 at the Creighton Invitational. They then are set to travel to the Norfolk Track and Field Classic on April 24 and to the Lewis and Clark Conference Track Meet on April 27 in Ponca.
Hartington-Newcastle Wildcat Invitational Boys’ Results:
- 100 meters: Senior Jyler Petersen, 11.71, third.
- 200 meters: Senior Jyler Petersen, 24.31, fourth.
- 400 meters: Freshman Matthew Schindler, 57.66, third; Brady Kristensen, 59.13, fourth.
- 800 meters: Senior Cade Wakeley, 2:21.98, fourth.
- 1,600 meters: Sophomore Luke Woockman, 5:12.31, second.
- 3,200 meters: Sophomore Luke Woockman, 11:41.52, second.
- 110-meter hurdles: Sophomore Gaven Nipp, 19.76, sixth.
- 4-by-100-meter relay: Junior Colton Baue, senior Cade Wakeley, freshman Mac Carlson and senior Jyler Petersen, 48.03, fifth.
- 4-by-400-meter relay: Senior Jyler Petersen, freshman Mac Carlson, sophomore Gaven Nipp and freshman Brady Kristensen, 4:01.53, third.
- 4-by-800-meter relay: Sophomore Luke Woockman, senior Cade Wakeley, sophomore Gaven Nipp and freshman Matthew Schindler, 9:22.34, second.
- High jump: Freshman Ryan Kleinschmit, 5’10”, sixth (PR).
- Long jump: Freshman Matthew Schindler,18’11.50’, fourth.
- Shot put: Sophomore Preston Schlote, 43-6”, third (PR).
- Discus: Sophomore Preston Schlote, 138’7”, third (PR).
Girls’ Results:
- 200 meters: Sophomore Lexi Wright, 29.63, third.
- 400 meters: Freshman Reagan Gillilan 65.33, first.
- 800 meters: Sophomore Taylor Dawson 2:49.80, second.
- 100-meter hurdles: Freshman Kennedy Gillilan, 18.39, fourth.
- 4-by-100-meter relay: Freshman Kennedy Gillilan, freshman Reagan Gillilan, sophomore Lexi Wright and sophomore Taylor Dawson, 56.14, fourth.
- 4-by-400-meter relay: Freshman Kennedy Gillilan, freshman Carlie Kleinschmit, sophomore Taylor Dawson and sophomore Lexi Wright, 4:50.18, second.
- 4-by-800-meter relay: Freshman Elle Brazel, junior Jayden Gillilan, junior Kendall Story and senior Hadley Vanness, 12:40.17, third.
- High jump: Freshman Kennedy Gillilan, 4’10”, third; sophomore Mackenzie Suhr, 4’10”, fourth; freshman Carlie Kleinschmit, 4’10”, sixth.
- Long jump: Freshman Reagan Gillilan, 15’8”, first; sophomore Lexi Wright, 14’9”, fifth.
- Shot put: Sophomore Tierney Alexander, 32’6”, third; senior Kate Lundberg, 32’5”, fifth.
- Discus: Sophomore Tierney Alexander, 100’4”, second (PR).
