State hopes on the line, area athletes shine at districts

Though Kate Woten of Potter-Dix trailed by about 100 yards in the early going of the 3,200-meter run, the cool-headed two miler didn’t panic. After gaining the lead on the second-to-last lap only to lose it again on the final backstretch, she still didn’t panic. There was something she wanted and it showed.

Depite a spring of rainouts, snow days and bad weather all around it was ready-or-not time at the Class D District Track Meet at Chappell yesterday. On the line were invites to the 2013 NSAA State Track and Field Championships at Burke Stadium in Omaha, May 17-18.

Along the way there was plenty jubilation but so too was there the heartbreak of what might have been.

As for the district meet, Potter-Dix won the overall title with a combined boys and girls total of 215.33 points. Garden County (183.33) was second and Leyton (104.33) third. Creek Valley finished ninth with 68.33 points.

Potter Dix’s overall total was powered by strong performances from both boys and girls. With 120.33 points the Coyote’s edged Garden County (113.33) for the girls title. Minatare was third with 94 points. Leyton finished eighth (25) and Creek Valley was ninth (20.33).

The Potter-Dix boys had to settle for second with 95 points to Crawford’s 100. Leyton finished third with 79.50 points and Creek Valley (48) was fifth.

As for the qualifiers to Omaha, Potter-Dix is sending nine individuals (two of which qualified twice) plus two relay teams. Additionally, three Potter-Dix relay teams finished second.

For those second-place teams there was a waiting game. Second-place teams could have qualified on time, based on the results of the other district meets around the state. Unfortunately, when the late results became known, the Potter-Dix teams came up short.

Leyton is sending three individual winners to Omaha and perhaps four. Shaela Jenkins finished slightly behind Regyn Hicks in the 100 hurdles but earned the same time (16.70). Jenkins can still get in on time. The Warriors must also await a verdict on a second-place relay finish.

For the Creek Valley Storm, two girls earned a trip to the state’s in three events.

(Potter-Dix)

Among those heading for Omaha from Potter-Dix is the cool-headed Woten. She earned her trip in the 3,200-meter run in 13.14.20. Though this is only the second time this season Woten had run the 3,200 she had prior experience as a freshman.

“I knew (Amanda Harrison of Banner County) would go out fast but I knew I just had to run my race,” Woten said. “I knew I would catch up eventually.”

Though Woten did pass her eventually, what she didn’t plan on was that Harrison too was full of fight. Harrison passed Woten again nearing the end of the backstretch and held that lead around the final turn.

“After she passed me I thought I still had it in me to finish strong,” Woten said. “I wanted it so bad.”

Woten won the race with a charge down the last straightaway to win by nearly two seconds. The heart Harrison showed earned her a trip to Omaha as well.

Two Coyotes qualified for state’s in two individual events. Regyn Hicks second-place finish in both the 100-meter hurdles (16.70) and high jump (5-0) punched her ticket to Omaha. Brady Knigge won the 400-meter dash (53.80) and took second in the long jump (20-2 1/4). Knigge also teamed up with Kelsey Rozelle, Luke Johnson and Cameron Purcell to win the 4 x 400-meter relay.

Though Knigge jumped 20-4 last year and 22 feet in practice as a freshman, his district effort was the best result he’s had so far this season. Knigge, a senior, made the state tournament in the long jump as a sophomore but missed out last year.

“I kind of choked last year, I just wasn’t able to get my footwork right,” Knigge said. “I’ve been working out alot trying to get stronger in my legs.”

The Johnson brothers, Luke and Jake, are also headed to Omaha. As for Luke, he was second in the 800 meters in 2:11 about six seconds off his best from last year.

“I think the snow days may have had something do with being a little off,” Johnson said. “But it’s not something you can worry about. You still have to run your race.”

After Jake won the 1,600 in an even five minutes, he found a bottle of water and dumped it over his head, walked around a little then flopped straight into an easy chair.

“Those last five minutes were the payoff for all the hard work and all the great coaching I’ve had all year,” said Johnson still breathing hard. “It feels great to go to the states.”

In the pole vault, Brady’s younger brother Bryant didn’t have to work too hard to earn his place. Hobbled by a strained hamstring, Knigge reached what is a modest height for him of 11-4. Since it was a mark good enough to win, Knigge folded his cards and readied himself for the rest of the meet.

“There was no point in going on,” Knigge said of his mission accomplished. “I really wanted to run the (4 x 100) relay for the team.”

Though Cody Aure scratched on his last three attempts in the shot-put finals, he earned his way to the big show too. Aure finished second with a put of 43-11, one foot off his personal best.

“I’m not happy with second at all,” Aure said.

As for his scratches, “I’ve lost a big part of my senior year with a knee injury so I just wanted to do something special today,” he said.

Aure will prepare himself for Omaha by doing some weight training - something he says he’s been neglecting lately. Mentally, Aure says he just needs to “throw it and not think about it too much.”

Kaidee Livingstone won the pole-vault competition (9-1) early in the meet.

“That’s a big weight lifted off my shoulders,” she said. “Now I can relax and enjoy the rest of the meet without so much pressure.”

Cooper Hicks also earned a seat on the bus to Omaha with a second in the 110-meter hurdles (19.00).

In addition to the 4 x 400-meter relay, the Coyotes 4 x 800 team (Cooper Hicks, Luke Johnson, Jake Johnson and Bryant Knigge) won in 9.03.50.

Among those who came close for the Coyotes, Courtney Lewis, a freshman, was less than a foot away in the girls shot put. Despite her close call she was upbeat about her prospects for the next three years.

Hope Shepard completed the 200-Meter Dash just a tenth of a second out of second place.

(Leyton )

Kaitlyn Berner must have loved playing in the sand as a little girl. She returns to the state tournament in two events with a win in both the triple jump (33-7) and long jump (15-4 1/2). Though her long jump was about a foot off her best she nearly earned a personal best (33-11)in the triple jump. While her official jump was four inches shy of her best, she scratched at 35 feet.

“I don’t get nervous that much,” Berner said of her feeling about going to Omaha. “I was just four inches short of making it to the finals last year. This year I’d like to make the finals.”

Leyton’s other qualifiers were Rachel Ernest with a second in the 300-meter hurdles (50.40) and Kassandra Harris who returns to the show in the discus (118-07). The throw from Harris, a junior, is a personal best and inches her closer to one of her goals. The Leyton school record is 120 feet. For Harris this will be her third trip to Omaha.

“It’s a great privilege to go to state, it really is,” Harris said. “It was a little overwhelming the first year and I was kind of nervous, but not anymore.”

As for Harris’s other goals: She hopes to be throwing in the 130’s or 140’s before she graduates next year.

In the 100-meter dash, Jessica Houk was shaded by just one-tenth of a second (13.60) to finish third.

(Creek Valley)

Qualifying for the Storm are Hannah Schievelbein and Summer Mueller. Schievelbein came in second behind Harris in the discus with a throw of 92-7. Mueller qualified in two events. She won the 1,600-meter run (6:01) and was second behind Livingstone in the pole vault (8-9).

Though 8-9 is Mueller’s best height in the pole vault this year, she still feels she can do better. Last year Mueller jumped nine feet.

“At state I’d like to place or at least get a personal best,” she said.

Among the close calls for Creek Valley, Ashley Burr was caught for second in the late stages of a very competitive 800-meter race. Jerry Straber too didn’t miss by much, missing out in the girls triple jump by eight inches. Together, however, they picked up 12 points for the Storm.