All three Washington County high schools competed Friday during the Wahoo Warriors' home invitational.
The Blair Bears, however, secured the top finishes. They were first in the girls' team standings with 106 points — 17 more than second-place Wahoo Neumann — while the boys were second to their hosts by 21.5.
“Pretty good day all around, and always a great day to be a Bear,” coach Bryan Soukup wrote in a post-meet text message.
Fort Calhoun and Arlington, meanwhile, finished with identical 33-point totals in the boys' team standings. They finished sixth and seventh, respectively, while the AHS girls took eighth and FCHS was ninth.
Bears win 10 events
Altogether, Blair earned 10 event wins Friday, combining for the most team points among both boys and girls results.
One Bear in particular, though, stood out to Coach Soukup with her efforts.
“We had a lot of great performances, but it's pretty hard to top the day Reece Ewoldt had,” he said, noting her victories in the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs. “That's a tough day we challenged her with and she competed above and beyond our expectations.”
The senior won the 800 in 2:21.04, the 2-mile in 11:33.34 and the mile in 5:11.92, breaking her own school record.
BHS' Hailey Roewert and Greta Galbraith also contributed event wins to the Bears' first-place girls finish. Roewert cleared a bar at 5 feet, 2 inches, to win the high jump, while Galbraith earned first in the pole vault at 10 feet.
Additionally, Kate Wulf, Ryleigh Schroeter, Lainey Bilau and Jade Wickwire took first in the 3,200-meter relay. The team clocked in at 10:13.94.
Two Blair boys relays won, too. Ben Holcomb, Ethan Baessler, Hayden Daggett and Colin McCabe sprinted to a first-place finish in the 400, crossing the finish line in 43.54 seconds.
McCabe, Daggett, Chase Cottle and Baessler later won the 1,600 relay in 3:29.47 as well. The race capped a three-medal day for Baessler, who also won the individual 100 dash in 10.79 seconds.
Caleb Funk, meanwhile, earned his second gold-medal finish of the week with a time of 2:00.85 in the 800 run. He won the race in Plattsmouth three days earlier, too.
Notably, the Bears' Emma Ammon, Allie Czapla, Daggett and Declan McCabe earned top-three individual finishes in Wahoo as well. Their team next competes 10 a.m. Thursday in a varsity meet at Schuyler.
Tjardes, FCHS' relay team shine
The efforts of the 400-meter relay team and Lawson Tjardes stood out to Fort Calhoun coach Mandy Taylor on Friday.
“There were many positives,” she said. “We have a lot of kids working hard, and got some good (personal records) today.”
Tjardes was fourth in the 1,600-meter run, finishing his four laps in 4:40.76. His teammate, Will Dennis, was fifth in 4:50.04, too.
The Pioneers' 400 relay squad of Alex Schuler, Clay Bohnenkamp, Michael Maxon and Preston Johnson, however, tied for their overall team's top finish. They were second in 44.38, while Bria Bench earned her own silver medal in the high jump, clearing a bar set at 5 feet.
Fort Calhoun's Ari Nelson and TJ DeMilt secured third-place finishes as well. Nelson leapt 32-6.25 in the triple jump, while DeMilt cleared 12 feet during pole vault competition..
Coach Taylor's team next competes 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Louisville. There is a junior varsity meet today in Wahoo, too.
Shorthanded Eagles compete
Arlington's track and field teams combined for 64 overall points Friday despite being shorthanded.
“Today was a tough meet, but I thought we competed really well,” coach Kyle Buckingham said. “We were missing about 20 athletes today because of state FBLA and state skills, so others had opportunities.”
When asked who stood out, the coach named both Nolan May and Hayley Arp. May, a senior, helped his 3,200-meter relay team of Dallin Franzluebbers, Kaden Foust, Trey Hill and he to a second-place showing in 8:22.28. The Eagle also set a new personal record in the 1,600 run, stopping the clock in 4:34.02 for third.
Arp, meanwhile, was second in the discus and fourth in the shot put.
“Two personal bests for her as well,” Buckingham said.
The freshman's top discus attempt covered 114 feet, 11 inches, while her best throw in shot put was 36-10.75.
Like Arp, AHS' Hailey O'Daniel and Foust earned individual silver medals in Wahoo. O'Daniel took second in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:24.07, while adding a third-place result in the 1,600.
Foust, meanwhile, was second in the long jump, covering 20-8.5, and third in the 400 dash. He and the varsity Eagles next compete 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Platteview. They, too, will compete in junior varsity competition today at Wahoo, though.
WAHOO INVITE
Friday at Wahoo High School
BOYS
Team standings: Wahoo 95.5 team points, Blair 74, Albion Boone Central 67, Seward 48, Wahoo Neumann 43, Fort Calhoun 33, Arlington 33, Ashland-Greenwood 32, Douglas County West 31.5, Omaha Concordia 31, Omaha Roncalli 26, David City 10, Raymond Central 3.
Top-6 Washington County Finishers
100-meter dash: 1, Ethan Baessler, Blair, 10.79 seconds. 5, Colin McCabe, B, 11.53.
200 dash: 4, McCabe, B, 22.92.
400 dash: 2, Hayden Daggett, B, 51.43. 3, Kaden Foust, Arlington, 52.5. 5, Caleb Funk, B, 53.01.
800 run: 1, Caleb Funk, B, 2:00.85. 3, Declan McCabe, B, 2:04.35. 4, Dallin Franzluebbers, A, 2:04.59.
1,600 run: 3, Nolan May, A, 4:34.02. 4, Lawson Tjardes, Fort Calhoun, 4:40.76. 5, Will Dennis, FC, 4:50.04.
3,200 run: 6, John Morrison, A, 11:03.19.
400 relay: 1, BHS (Ben Holcomb, Baessler, Daggett, C.McCabe), 43.54. 2, FCHS (Alex Schuler, Clay Bohnenkamp, Michael Maxon, Preston Johnson), 44.38.
1,600 relay: 1, BHS (C.McCabe, Daggett, Chase Cottle, Baessler), 3:29.47.
3,200 relay: 2, AHS (Franzluebbers, Foust, Trey Hill, May), 8:22.28. 3, BHS (Funk, Cottle, Charlie Gutzmann, D.McCabe), 8:24.42. 4, FCHS (Seth Waters, Travis Skelton, Dennis, Tjardes), 8:53.25.
110 hurdles: 4, Matthew Kelly, FC, 16.57.
300 hurdles: 4, Kelly, FC, 42.93.
Long jump: 2, Foust, A, 20 feet, 8.5 inches.
High jump: 4, Daggett, B, 6.
Pole vault: 3, TJ DeMilt, FC, 12.
Discus: 5, Braden McGill, B, 146-8. 6, Andrew Namuth, FC, 146-5.
GIRLS
Team standings: Blair 106, Neumann 89, Seward 75, Roncalli 51, Wahoo 38, David City 38, Boone Central 35, Arlington 31, Fort Calhoun 25, Ashland 24, DC West 12, Concordia 2, Raymond Central 1.
Top-6 Washington County Finishers
100-meter dash: 6, Reese Beemer, Blair, 12.9 seconds.
200 dash: 5, Beemer, B, 26.55.
400 dash: 4, Audie Keeling, B, 1:03.03.
800 run: 1, Reece Ewoldt, B, 2:21.04. 2, Hailey O'Daniel, Arlington, 2:24.07. 4, Kate Wulf, B, 2:30.07.
1,600 run: 1, Ewoldt, B, 5:11.92. 3, O'Daniel, A, 5:21.39. 6, Ryleigh Schroeter, B, 5:44.99.
3,200 run: 1, Ewoldt, B, 11:33.34. 3, Allie Czapla, B, 12:06.43. 6, Raeann Massey, Fort Calhoun, 12:58.01.
400 relay: 4, BHS (Jacy Schueth, Beemer, Keeling, Brynn Lundgren), 51.68.
1,600 relay: 4, FCHS (Madi Larrick, Ari Nelson, Bella McLaughlin, Kaylee Taylor), 4:23.94.
3,200 relay: 1, BHS (Kate Wulf, Schroeter, Lainey Bilau, Jade Wickwire), 10:13.94.
100 hurdles: 4, Emma Ammon, B, 16.97.
Long jump: 5, O'Daniel, A, 15 feet, 2.5 inches.
Triple jump: 2, Ammon, B, 33-1.5. 3, Nelson, FC, 32-6.25. 4, Taylor, FC, 32-0.75.
High jump: 1, Hailey Roewert, B, 5-2. 2, Bria Bench, FC, 5. 3, Ammon, B, 5. 6, Emilee Thayer-Mencke, FC, 4-10.
Pole vault: 1, Greta Galbraith, B, 10. 4, Mia McClain, B, 8. 5, Ali Wheeler, B, 8. 6, Afton Byelick, FC, 8.
Discus: 2, Hayley Arp, A, 114-11. 5, Britt Nielsen, A, 105-3.
Shot put: 4, Arp, A, 36-10.75. 6, Taylor Arp, A, 35-10.25.
