Potter-Dix, Leyton dominate MAC

Katy Ernest knew where the credit belonged after recording a winning throw of 31-3 in the MAC shot put competition on Saturday: the weather. Not the weekend’s clear and warm conditions, mind you, but the icy blast that wiped out most track meets over previous two weeks.

“We spent a lot of time indoors, working on fundamentals,” the Leyton thrower explained. “Taking a step back really helped.”

On the other hand, Potter-Dix’s Bryant Knigge felt the recent blizzards almost cost him the conference pole vault title--a win he secured with by clearing 12-7.

“For two and a half weeks I didn’t touch a pole,” he admitted. “I lost a lot of confidence.”

If the effect of weather could be debated, however, the results of Saturday’s MAC event were clear. Leyton’s girls topped Potter-Dix by four points, 128-124, to take home first place, the Coyotes’ cruised past the competition on the boy’s side and the teams finished one and three overall.

Kaitlyn Berner captured gold for Leyton in both the long and triple jumps, splashing the sand at 15-6.5 and 32-8.5, respectively.

“I feel like I have to prove myself,” she said of conference competition. “It’s nice to win.”

Rachael Ernest crossed the line almost a second ahead of Potter-Dix’s Regyn Hicks to pick up the 300 hurdles win, She also picked up another first as part of the Warriors’ 4x400 squad, along with Berner, Dani McKay and Kristine Barnett. Meanwhile Kassandra Harris dominated in discus, recording a mark of 116-10.5--some 29 feet ahead of the second place fling of teammate Katy Ernest.

Leyton’s girls benefitted from a number of podium finishes, including Shaela Jenkins’ runner up in the 100 hurdles and silver medals by Jessica Houk in the long jump and 100 meter dash.

“Your heart gets pumping and you just have to run,” Houk said after finishing a few tenths behind Garden County’s Karissa Brehmer in the dash. “Then the pain sets in--but it’s a good pain.”

That Potter-Dix closed to within striking distance of the Warriors in the girl’s competition was due in a large part to the efforts of Kaidee Livingstone and Kate Woten, as well as the rest of the 4x800 side.

Livingstone opened the field portion of the day by winning in pole vault at 10-0, breaking her own school record of 9-6.

“It felt really good, but I don’t know what the key was,” she admitted.

The Coyotes’ vaulters worked a day earlier with Kimball coach Gene Mohr to refine some technique issues after the long layoff. Livingstone suggested his pointers perhaps made the difference.

“It’s hard,” she added. “We haven’t had the best weather to work with.”

In the track segment, Livingstone outraced Leyton’s Jenkins to the line in the 100 hurdles, picking up another gold. Woten then nabbed the 3200 run and helped 4x800 teammates Kinley Vowers, Hope Shepard and Ryley Hicks capture the relay by more than a football field in length.

“I thought they were right behind me,” said Vowers, who anchored the squad. “Then I looked back and thought ‘Oh, wow.’”

Woten grabbed a podium in the 1600. Regyn and Ryley Hicks also put in strong performances on the day.

Led by the Johnson brothers, Potter-Dix’s boys took the conference crown in a 41 point cakewalk. Senior Luke Johnson edged teammate Bryant Knigge in the 800 meter run, the pair treading almost ten seconds ahead of bronze medalist Julius Dickmander of South Platte. Jake Johnson battled Minatare’s Steven Juarez down the stretch to capture the 1600 title. And the pair accounted for half of the 4x800 relay team that crushed the field.

Trace Sharman and John Dvorak rounded out the 9:26.4 quartet.

The aforementioned Knigge outlasted the pole vault competition, falling just shy of clearing 13-1.

“I wanted 13 bad,” he reported. “I make it in practice, but that’s different.”

Shot putter Cody Aure, still on the mend from a knee injury last fall that threatened to cancel out his entire senior year of sports, beat Leyton’s Lane Rathman by three feet to claim what was—for him—an almost disappointing win.

“I didn’t throw as good as I can,” he said. Aure, after all, tossed a 45 at Best of the West, only to hear the judges call scratch. “I want to get to 46.”

The Coyotes were aided in their team victory by a number of points-earning podiums. In the 110 hurdles, for example, Cooper Hicks, Coby Hicks and Peter Willey filed in behind the winner, Tyson Dahlgrin of Banner County.

Leyton’s boys came close in several events, but could not find their way into first.

Jaedon Wann ran second in the 3200. Rathman inched past Garden County’s Jesse Bleidt in shot put for the runner up spot and Brennan Cruise recorded a comfortable third in the challenging 300 hurdles.

Cruise shrugged off the effect of the long winter storm layoff leading up to the MAC meet.

“You just have to work hard in practice,” he pointed out.

 MAC Track Meet

Chappell

Girls

Leyton 128

Potter-Dix 124

Garden County 94

Creek Valley 79

Banner County 49

South Platte 49

100 Meter Dash

1. Karissa Brehmer, Garden County 13.6

2. Jessica Hauk, Leyton 13.9

4. Conner Wolff, Potter-Dix 14.1

200 Meter Dash

1. Karissa Brehmer, Garden County 28.2

2. Hope Shepard, Potter-Dix 29.4

4. Jessica Houk, Leyton 30.3

6. Conner Wolff, Potter-Dix 30.7

400 Meter Dash

1. Alisha Heelan, Garden County 1:03.4

2. Kaitlyn Berner, Leyton 1:05.6

4. Dani McKay, Leyton 1:07.5

5. Kristine Barnett, Leyton 1:10.1

800 Meter Run

1. Ashley Burr, Creek Valley 2:33.6

5. Katy Ernest, Leyton 3:04.2

6. Emily Gill, Leyton 3:09.4

1600 Meter Run

1. Summer Mueller, Creek Valley 6:03.1

2. Kate Woten, Potter-Dix 6:27.3

5. Ryley Hicks, Potter-Dix 6:52..6

3200 Meter Run

1. Kate Woten, Potter-Dix 13:28.7

3. Ryley Hicks, Potter-Dix 13:38.8

100 Meter Hurdles

1. Kaidee Livingston, Potter-Dix 16.8

2. Shaela Jenkins, Leyton 17.7

3. Regyn Hicks, Potter-Dix 17.7

300 Meter Hurdles

1. Rachael Ernest, Leyton 51.0

2. Regyn Hicks, Potter-Dix 51.9

4. Shaela Jenkins, Leyton 55.9

4x100 Relay

1. Garden County 54.4

2. Potter-Dix 55.9

4. Leyton 58.7

4x400 Relay

1. Leyton 4:41.0

2. Potter-Dix 5:01.8

4x800 Relay

1. Potter-Dix 11:39.6

4. Leyton 12.36.1

Long Jump

1. Kaitlyn Berner, Leyton 15-6.5

2. Jessica Houk, Leyton 14-8.2

4. Kinley Vowers, Potter-Dix 13-10.0

6. Kristine Barnett, Leyton 13-7.0

Triple Jump

1. Kaitlyn Berner, Leyton 32-8.5

High Jump

1. Anna McLaughlin, Garden County 4-10

2. Regyn Hicks, Potter-Dix 4-10

4. Conner Wolff, Potter-Dix 4-8

5. Kaidee Livingstone, Potter-Dix 4-6

Pole Vault

1. Kaidee Livingstone, Potter-Dix 10-0

4. Ryley Hicks, Potter-Dix 7-0

Shot Put

1. Katy Ernest, Leyton 31-3

4. Courtney Lewis, Potter-Dix 30-3

Discus

1. Kassandra Harris, Leyton 116-10.5

2. Katy Ernest, Leyton 87.3.5

5. Dani McKay, Leyton 84.9.5

Boys

Potter-Dix 144

Garden County 103

Minatare 91

Banner County 67

South Platte 42

Creek Valley 37

Leyton 35

100 Meter Dash

1. Andres Mendoza, Minatare 11.0

4. Brady Knigge, Potter-Dix 11.5

200 Meter Dash

1. Andres Mendoza, Minatare 22.9

2. Brady Knigge, Potter-Dix 24.1

400 Meter Dash

1. Jerry Smith, Garden County 52.8

5. Luke Johnson, Potter-Dix 56.8

800 Meter Run

1. Luke Johnson, Potter-Dix 2:13.8

2. Bryant Knigge, Potter-Dix 2:16.7

5. Chris Melzer, Leyton 2:24.9

1600 Meter Run

1. Jake Johnson, Potter-Dix 5:00.3

6. Josh Reimers, Leyton 5:48.2

3200 Meter Run

1. Steven Juarez, Minatare 11:00.3

2. Jaedon Wann, Leyton 12:53.3

5. John Dvorak, Potter-Dix 13:41.0

110 Meter Hurdles

1. Tyson Dahlgrin, Banner County 17.0

2. Cooper Hicks, Potter-Dix 18.6

3. Coby Hicks, Potter-Dix 19.5

4. Peter Willey, Potter-Dix 20.7

300 Meter Hurdles

1. Tyson Dahlgrin, Banner County 44.1

2. Cooper Hicks, Potter-Dix 44.6

3. Brennen Cruise, Leyton 47.0

4x100 Relay

1. Garden County 45.7

2. Potter-Dix 47.6

4x400 Relay

1. Garden County 3:48.2

2. Potter-Dix 3:51.5

4. Leyton 4:04.8

4x800 Relay

1. Potter-Dix 9:26.4

4. Leyton11:12.3

Long Jump

1. Andres Mendoza, Minatare 20-8.7

2. Kelsey Rozelle, Potter-Dix 19.2.5

3. Brady Knigge, Potter-Dix 19-1.5

Triple Jump

1. Andres Mendoza, Minatare 42-0.0

4. Kelsey Rozelle, Potter-Dix 38-5.0

High Jump

1. Kane McLaughlin, Garden County 6-4.

5. Cooper Hicks, Potter-Dix 5-6

Pole Vault

1. Bryant Knigge, Potter-Dix 12-7

4. Coby Hicks, Potter-Dix 8-0

Shot Put

1. Cody Aure, Potter-Dix 44-8

2. Lane Rathman, Leyton 41-6

4. Thomas Wilbur, Potter-Dix 41-4

Discus

1. Jesse Bleidt, Garden County 129-2.0

5. Lane Rathman, Leyton 110.3,5