The Sidney Sun-Telegraph - Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper

Sidney’s Red Raider Cross Country team traveled to Kearney on Friday for the NSAA State Cross Country Championships and the boys’ squad finished second with 99 points to first place Milford with 87 points.

Junior Daniel Bashtovi led the boys’ squad with a seventh place finish at 17:01, earning him his second state medal after he finished fourth in 2019.

Sidney’s girls’ squad placed two runners in the top twenty finishers with freshman Talissa Tanquary earning 12th place with a time of 12:18 and junior Lydia Peters placing 18th at 20:47, leading the Lady Raiders to a seventh place finish overall.

The boys’ squad has now earned a state title, a third place showing and now a runner up finish in the last three years. The boys return all of their runners except senior Rhett Dykstra next season, so look for the Sidney squad to be favored to win another state title in 2021.

Sidney Head Coach Donna Wiedeburg was thrilled and thankful for the way the season turned out, as in the summer it wasn’t a certainty that there would be any Fall Sports Season due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

“In June, I hoped we could make it to July and in July, I was hopeful for a meet or two and that’s pretty much the tone of the entire season. Grateful for one day and hopeful for the next,” said Wiedeburg.

After the meet Wiedeburg said, “The girls team and the boys team both had good days. I am super proud of them for how they raced but I am even more proud of them for how they behave when they aren’t racing. To see how supportive both teams have been all season to one another makes me proud as a coach.”

Wiedeburg concluded, “The Sidney Cross Country program logged thousands of miles as a team, brought home 78 High School medals, 33 Middle School medals, four second place High School team finishes and two first place High School team finishes. This season has surely been one none of us will ever forget and it has made us stronger as people and stronger as a team.”