Just as we did in 2022, we asked Patrick Grosserode, the owner of the Trackville training facility in Lincoln, to provide a preview of field events, sprints and hurdles. And just like last year, Patrick wrote an entire article for each discipline. Patrick is uniquely qualified to opine on the current state of field events, and we're thrilled to work with him. Here is Patrick's recap of the sprints:
Class A Boys
100 Returning State Medalists (2022 State mark listed)
o Jaylen Lloyd, 10.54 (1st) - Omaha Westside (UNL T&F/FB commit)
o Malachi Coleman, 10.58 (2nd) - Lincoln East (UNL football)
o Jack Gillogly, 10.74 (4th) - Creighton Prep (UNL)
o Andrew Jones, 10.84 (6th), - Creighton Prep (Notre Dame)
o Kolten Tilford, 10.95 (7th) - North Platte
200 Returning State Medalists
o Jack Gillogly, 21.33 (1st) - Creighton Prep
o Malachi Coleman, 21.34 (2nd) - Lincoln East
o Zyon Knox, 21.61 (3rd) - Omaha North
o Jaylen Lloyd, 21.72 (4th) – Omaha Westside
o Gabe Miles, 22.08 (7th) - Lincoln East
o Andrew Jones, 22.26 (8th) - Creighton Prep
400 Returning State Medalists
o Asher Jenkins, 49.35 (2nd) - Bellevue West
o Zyon Knox, 50.34 (3rd) - Omaha North
o Gabe Miles, 50.35 (4th) - Lincoln East
o Nathan Springer, 50.58 (5th) - Lincoln Pius
o Christian Lanphier, 50.81 (6th) – Creighton Prep
Outlook: *** Double State Record Alert *** The 100 and 200 are anybody’s race this season. It is worth all of the hype. Jaylen Lloyd (10.43 PR), Malachi Coleman (10.46), Jones (10.56) and Gillogly (10.62) are national-caliber sprinters. They are next level. You are about to witness the best male sprint year in state history. Coleman ran 4.28 for 40yd on lasers this winter (I watched it). Gillogly and Jones both ran 6.85 this winter which ties the for 47th in the nation. Lloyd is one of the best long and triple jumpers in the nation. He is well coached and will be ready to go in May. Kolten Tilford's PR of 10.89 is 0.27 from the top four, but he was incredibly consistent with six races of 11.00 or faster in 2022.
While we have these top-flight returners, nine of the fifteen fastest boys (by PR) in the 100 have graduated. There are a number of boys ready to take their places. Gabe Miles of Lincoln East has a 2022-best of 10.77 and he broke 11.00 six times in 2022, but his 11.07 at State prelims was 0.07 from making the finals. He's been hitting it hard this winter with bests of 7.01 (Chicago) and 22.60 (Arkansas), and he has the state's fastest 400 in 50.12 (also Arkansas). He also ran 4.38 for 40yd on lasers this winter. The 400 field is deep and it would not surprise us to see something in the low 48’s this year.
Keynan Cotton of Westside had a limited 2022 season (while at Papio) highlighted by a 22.53 200 in early April. He ran a 7.00 60 this winter, the 4th best mark in the state. His teammate Preston Okafor returns for his junior year with PRs of 10.97 and 22.30; he ran a 7.01 over the winter. Um, Westside might be pretty good in the 4x100. Collin Fritton of LSW ran 10.81 last spring, the 6th fastest among returners, one of two times he dipped under 11.00 last year. He finished 12th at State.
When we step up to the 200, we meet some other major players. Zyon Knox of Omaha North ran 21.61 (4th best mark in 2022) and 49.39 (2nd best) in 2022. Wesley Okafor of Westside (did we mention that Westside 4x100 team?) has PRs of 11.05 and 22.31 (5th best). Bellevue West's Kyrell Jordan (10.89 and 22.21) may also be a factor.
The 400 is just as competitive as the other two sprints. Four of the five returning medalists from last year competed over the winter. Gabe Miles has the best time of 50.12, Jenkins ran 51.85, Lanphier 51.89 and Springer 52.15. The 6th-fastest returner from 2022 is Matthew Ratledge (50.75) of Millard North, followed by Alex Ienn (51.22) of Columbus and Jameson Allen (51.26) of Papio South. Ienn ran 53.58 over the winter, a solid time on a 200-meter track.
Class A Girls
100 Returning State Medalists
o Zakeirah Johnson, 12.02 (2nd) - Omaha Burke
o Neryah Hekl, 12.13 (3rd) - Lincoln High
o Iris Bumgarner, 12.83 (8th) – Lincoln Southeast
200 Returning State Medalists
o Lademi Davies, 24.37 (2nd) - Omaha Westside
o Zakeirah Johnson, 24.78 (3rd) - Omaha Burke
o Maggie Madsen, 25.60 (6th) - Elkhorn South (SDSU commit)
o Kashae' Harbour, 25.78 (7th) - Omaha North
o Brooke Rose, 25.95 (8th) - Gretna
400 Returning State Medalists
o Brooke Rose, 57.85 (3rd) - Gretna
o Vivian Dalton, 58.83 (5th) - Lincoln Pius
o Nonic Oelling, 59.68 (6th) - Lincoln Southwest
o Zakeirah Johnson, 59.35 (Prelims) – Omaha Burke
The defending champions have moved onto Division 1 schoools. Dajaz DeFrand (100/200) has been beating up ACC opponents at Florida State while Sadie Millard (400) now runs for Wichita State. With those two girls and a strong senor class moving on, these races are wide open. Zakeirah Johnson of Burke had the fastest Class A times over the winter with a 7.88 and 25.90. Neryah Hekl of Lincoln High did not appear to compete this winter, but she returns with PR of 12.10 (2nd fastest returner behind Johnson). Hekl only competed in the 100 and 4x100 last season, so we'll be interested to see if she adds the 200 in 2023.
Lademi Davies will factor into the 100 (12.46 PR), 200 (24.37) or both depending on her event load for State. She's a high-level long jumper and triple jumper (see our jumps prevents for more info), and she ran a 7.99 60 in a limited winter schedule. Maggie Madsen of Elkhorn South has PRs of 12.39 (4th fastest returner) and 25.60 (3rd fastest), and she ran 26.56 and 1:01.91 over the winter. She didn't run the open 400 during the 2022 outdoor season but this winter's indoor time likely makes her a medal contender outdoors. Kate Campos is a hurdle specialist, but she may factor into one of these sprint events since she had the second fastest indoor time in Class A for 60m (7.90) and the fastest 400m (58.59) of any class.
Two sophomores are likely to have an impact at the 100 and 200. Elizabeth Wemhoff of Columbus has PRs of 12.35 (3rd fastest returner) and 25.94 (8th fastest). Nonic Oelling of LSW had PRs of 12.64, 25.75 and 58.59 during the 2022 high school and club seasons, and she ran 26.88 and 1:03.38 over the winter.
Brooke Rose of Gretna had an outstanding sophomore season, running 25.87 (7th fastest returner) and 57.85 (top returner). Vivian Dalton of Pius returns with the second fastest 400 PR of 58.51, and her winter mark of 1:01.03 is two seconds faster than her indoor best in 2022. Look out for MaKayla Thompson of Burke, who has the 4th-fastest returning PR in the 200 at 25.68. She ran 26.44 and 1:03.48 indoors this winter and looks sharp. Teriana Taylor of Omaha North has also ran well, running 26.93 and 1:00.69 over the winter.
Finally, Katie Shafer is a freshman at Papio South and should be a factor in the 100, 200 and 400. She ran 12.69, 26.13 and 58.01 as an eighth grader. In her one winter meet she recorded the third-fastest Class A 60 in 7.94, and a 26.35 200.
Class B Boys
100 Returning State Medalists
o Grant Schere, 10.77 (1st) - Waverly
o Ethan Baessler, 10.99 (3rd) - Blair
o Victor Isele, 11.10 (5th) - Northwest
o Luke Holly, 11.11 (6th) - Sidney
200 Returning State Medalists
o Grant Schere, 22.02 (1st) - Waverly
o Quentin Moss, 22.46 (4th) - Lexington
o Isak Doty, 22.54 (5th) - Sidney
o Carsen Staehr, 22.80 (7th) - Aurora (USD commit)
o Landon Ternus, 22.81 (8th) - Columbus Lakeview
400 Returning State Medalists
o Ezra Stewart, 49.93 (3rd) - Platteview
o AJ Heffelfinger, 5.46 (5th) - Waverly
o Connor Millikan, 50.56 (8th) - Platteview
Outlook:
Mitchell Deer, the 400 champ in 2022, is now running at UNK but there's a lot of talent coming back.
Grant Schere of Waverly was the class of the field for 100 and 200m in 2022 and will look to repeat in 2023. Ethan Baessler of Blair has the fastest 100 of returners, a 10.69 in mid-April, and then his second sub-11:00 was in the State finals. Luke Holy of Sidney ran 10.84 and 10.85 at Lexington in April and should be faster as a junior. His teammate Isak Doty was running about 0.10 behind Luke for most of last season and will be a medal contender again this year. Victor Isele of Northwest had the 13th fastest 100 in 2022 but ran well when he needed it, grabbing 5th place at State.
Quentin Moss of Lexington qualified for State in the 100 and 200, but the longer distance is his strong point. He is the 2nd-fastest returner behind Schere with his 22.17. Carson Staehr, a USD commit, will likely have a busy State meet. He medaled in the TJ (1st), LJ (7th) and 200 (7th), and finished 15th in the 400. We like his chances to bring home four medals in 2023. Grant Trausch of Adams Central has a 200 PR of 22.36, 3rd best among returners, and he finished 10th at State. Aiden Mountain of Elkhorn returns with a 22.64 outdoor PR, and he ran 23.60 in an indoor meet in January. Jett Tinglehoff ran the 7th-fastest 200 (22.61) of underclassmen in 2022, and he ran 23.76 over the winter.
Landon Ternus of Columbus Lakeview appears to be a very bad man. At 2022 State, he finished 2nd in the shot put, 4th in the discus, 8th in the 200 and 12th in the 4x100. When he yells 'Track,' you'd best get out of the way.
Platteview and Waverly each qualified three boys for 2022 State in the 400, and three of the six return. Ezra Stewart of Platteview has the best returning PR at 49.93, followed by Carson Staehr of Aurora (50.42) and AJ Heffelfinger (50.45). We expect the three of them to lead the class again.
Connor Millikan has an 8th-place medal from last year, but he may be the most decorated 400-meter runner in Class B. He wrapped up his basketball career on Saturday, finishing with 2,639 career points (all-time Class B leader), 910 rebounds and 79 wins. He is also in one of my favorite photos from last year (see above).
Braxton Smith of Waverly has the 5th fastest returning time, a 51.01 he ran last year as a freshman. He ran 52.64 at State to finish 20th (plus 3rd in the 4x400), and we're guessing the 2022 State experience will pay off this season.
Caleb Funk of Blair and Jake Horner Elkhorn North each ran sub 53 this winter for 400m to lead class B. While we think Horner will focus on the hurdles, Funk is a 400/800 guy who should fight for a podium spot in 2023.
Class B Girls
100 Returning State Medalists
o RaeAnn Thompson, 12.03 (1st) -Falls City
o Kennedy Wade, 12.18 (2nd) - Bennington (USD)
o Taylor Bredthauer, 12.19 (3rd) - Norris (USD)
o Emily Penne, 12.49 (5th) - South Sioux City
o Avyn Urbanski, 12.52 (6th) - Northwest
o Jacie Rexilius, 12.62 (7th) - Lincoln Christian
200 Returning State Medalists
o Kennedy Wade, 24.71 (1st) - Bennington
o RaeAnn Thompson, 25.15 (2nd) - Falls City
o Taylor Bredthauer, 25.21 (4th) - Norris
o Jacie Rexilius, 25.64 (5th) - Lincoln Christian
o Emily Penne, 25.75 (6th) - South Sioux City
o Avery Barnard, 25.77 (7th) - Beatrice
o Avyn Urbanski, 25.81 - Northwest
400 Returning State Medalists
o Sydney Stodden, 58.27 (1st) - Elkhorn North
o Grace Heaney, 58.97 (3rd) - Elkhorn North
o Britt Prince, 1:00.89 (5th) - Elkhorn North
o Blake Barcel, 1:00.92 (6th) - Columbus Lakeview
o Payton Burda, 1:02.12 (7th) - Scottsbluff
o Shawna Wilkinson, 1:02.17 (8th) - McCook
Outlook: The big shots in the Class B sprints have returned, so buckle your seatbelts. RaeAnn Thompson of Falls City currently has the most golds of the returners, winning the 100/200 in 2021 and the 100 in 2002. Thompson ran a 7.88 60 in December and an 8.05 in January. However, junior Reese Beemer (Blair) will be a huge factor in the sprints this season. She did not compete in 2022 due to an ACL injury, but this winter she gave us a glimpse of what to expect when she ran a state-best 7.84 for 60m and a solid 26.91 200.
Taylor Bredthauer's (Norris) specialty is the long jump but she also has three individual State medals in the sprints. Kennedy Wade of Bennington has PRs of 12.18 and 24.71; her 0.44 gap over the next faster returner is a huge margin in the 200. Avyn Urbanski of Northwest has worked hard in the winter season posting exceptional times of 7.96 and 26.82.
Keep an eye out for sophomore Alonna Deplama from Waverly. She posted an indoor times of 26.39 and 1:00.42 on a flat track. Her 200 time was very impressive - it's the third fastest 200 this winter for any class - and she didn't run the event last year as a freshman.
There are a number of returning medalists that we haven't seen this winter. They're likely playing basketball, so look for them to start slow and finish strong later in the season.
In the 400, Elkhorn North has a trio of returners making their 4x400 team one of the strongest in the state. Sydney Stodden has a PR of 57.65 and is looking to repeat as 400 state champ. Britt Prince is the defending 800 meter champ but the start of her season may be delayed by a foot injury she sustained in Elkhorn North's title game last weekend. Prince is arguably the most heavily recruited basketball player - boy or girl - in Nebraska history, so hats off to her for continuing to compete in track and cross country.
Class B girls were very active at the winter track meets. In addition to those listed above, we watched Kate Langford of Bennington (27.07 and 1:01.35) and Alexis Hiatt of Bennington (1:02.97). Langford has clearly been spending quality time in the weight room and we think she's going to have a huge spring.
Class C Boys
100 Returning State Medalists
o Trevor Thomson, 11.18 (4th) - Summerland
o Mitchell Hupp, 11.31 (5th) - Stanton
o Cade Hosier, 11.42 (6th) - Elmwood-Murdock
o Jenson Anderson, 11.43 (7th) – Hastings St. Cecelia
o Brody Krusemark, 11.14 (2nd in Class D) - Pender
200 Returning State Medalists
o Caden Denker, 22.28 (2nd) - David City (USD)
o Carter Nelson, 22.66 (4th) - Ainsworth
o Trevor Thomson, 22.67 (6th) - Summerland
o Mitchell Hupp, 22.76 (7th) - Stanton
o Jackson Roberts, 23.15 (4th in Class C) - N Platte St. Pats
400 Returning State Medalists
o Logan Lebo, 50.58 (2nd) - Lincoln Lutheran (top 30 at State XC his first three years)
o Cache Gracey, 51.14 (3rd) - South Loup
o Alex Kuehn, 51.42 (4th) - Hartington CC
o Ben Alberts, 52.22 (6th) - Grand Island CC
o Caden Denker, 52.7 (7th) - David City (USD)
o August Scholting, 53.86 (8th) - Wisner-Pilger
Outlook:
100/200 champ Koa McIntyre of Fremont Bergan and 400 champ Brayton Johnson of GICC have graduated. However, there are a considerable number of studs left on the shelves, and reclassification means that Pender and North Platte St. Patrick athletes will be moving from Class D to Class C.
We saw virtually no Class C athletes at the winter meets; we're guessing they were all wrestling, playing basketball or working their butts off on the farm. Good for them - we're big proponents of multi-sport athletes.
Trevor Thomson of Summeland, Caden Denker of David City, Mitchell Hupp of Stanton and Cade Hosier of Elmwood Murdock are the top 100/200 returners. Hupp has the fastest returning 100 at 10.99, followed by Hosier (11.01) and Denker (11.02). While Thompson's 11.12 is only the 6th fastest of returners, he peaked at the right time and ran it at State to finish 4th. Hosier has PRs of 21-06.25 (LJ) and 44-09 (TJ) to go with his 11.01 and 22.88. He didn't run the 200 well at 2022 State, but he's a medal favorite in all four events. Hupp is purely a 100, 200 and relay guy with remarkably consistent times on athletic.net. Denker has an 11.02 100 PR but opted for the 200, 400 and 4x100 at State; he ran 22.09 twice last year and has a 51.04 400 PR.
Speaking of studs, Ainsworth's Carter Nelson took 4th in the State 200 along with gold in the high jump (6-10) and 5th in the pole vault (13-06). His fourth District event was the discus, where he missed a spot after having his second-worst throwing session of the season. It will be interesting to see if the junior sticks with the discus this year or trades it out for the 100, 400 or a relay.
Ryker Evans of Hi-Line blazed to a 22.31 at Districts but just missed a berth in the State final with his 23.09. Matthew Wing came into State with PRs of 11.11 and 22.77, so he should be in the hunt for a medal in 2023.
Logan Lebo of Lincoln Lutheran has the fastest returning 400 in 50.44. He ran the 400, 800, 1600 and 4x800 at State, but he's got the cross country background to pull it off. Ben Alberts of GICC has the 2nd-fastest returning 400 at 50.65, and he's also the defending 800 champ. Alex Kuehn of Cedar Catholic doesn't have a big athletic.net profile because lives in Northeast Nebraska where track results go to die, but his 50.92 and 51.42 times at State are proof enough that he's got the goods. Cache Grachey of South Loup ran 51.06 and 51.14 at State, and also ran a huge PR of 2:03.95 to finish 6th in the 800.
Finally, don't count out the new boys in Class C. Brody Krusemark of Pender has PRs of 11.08 and 23.43, while Jackson Roberts of NPSP has run 11.18 and 22.81. Also look out for Jaxon Knisely of NPSP; while his freshman PR for the 200 was 23.89, the hurdler ran 7.14 in January and may be poised for a big improvement this spring.
Class C Girls
100 Returning State Medalists
o Ella Gardner, 12.57 (2nd) - Superior (NDSU)
o Savannah Horne, 12.78 (4th) - Centennial
o Kylie Kloster, 12.86 (6th) - Logan View
o Ava Hilger, 13.13 (8th) - Aquinas Catholic
o Maya Dolliver, 13.06 - Pender (8th in Class D)
200 Returning State Medalists
o Ella Gardner, 26.09 (2nd) - Superior
o Story Rasby, 26.12 (3rd) - Sutherland
o Kylie Kloster, 26.51 (4th) - Logan View
o Savannah Horne, 26.79 (6th) - Centennial
o Sophia Reifenrath, 27.46 (8th) - Hartington CC
400 Returning State Medalists
o Bryn McNair, 58.18 (1st) - Chase County
o Story Rasby, 58.67 (2nd) - Sutherland
o Laney Kathol, 59.63 (3rd) - Hartington CC
o Hadley Cheatum, 1:00.14 (4th) -Summerland
o Jocelynn Skoda, 1:00.44 (5th) -Guardian Angel CC
o Tacey From, 1:02.01 (8th) - Valentine
o Maya Dolliver, 1:02.25 (6th in Class C) - Pender
Outlook: The 2022 100/200/110H/300H champ Adrianna Rodencal is now at Concordia and just won the GPAC Indoor Runner of the Year. She was a beast but there is plenty of talent coming back this year. Ella Gardner of Superior has PRs of 12.50 and 26.09, both from the State meet, so the North Dakota State signee is clutch. She is also the defending champ in the long jump and triple jump.
Savannah Horne of Centennial is the fastest returner in the 100 with her 12.31 PR, while Story Rasby of Sutherland ran 25.39 as a freshman that is over half a second faster than the rest of the 2023 field. Horne's winter best of 8.10 in the 60 is better than her March 2022 PR of 8.13, so she's on track for another strong year. Ava Hilger (PRs of 12.60 & 25.96) of Aquinas and Kylie Kloster (12.80, 26.08 & 1:01.48) of Logan View should be strong contenders in their senior seasons.
Maya Dolliver and her teammates from Pender move up to Class C for 2023. Maya's very abbreviated (three meets) athletic.net profile lists PRs of 12.88, 27.46 and 1:01.67. She's also a recent basketball state champion, hitting clutch free throws late in the title game during Pender's win over Oakland-Craig. She did a lot of damage on the track as a freshman; we're excited to see her performances this year.
Speaking of 2022 freshmen, look for Tacey From of Valentine to make her mark. She qualified in the 200 and 400, with PRs of 26.30 and 1:00.30.
Story Rasby (57.36 PR) and Bryn McNair (57.52) of Chase County matched up several times during 2022, and their 400/800 matchups were among the most anticipated races at State. Rasby has incredible range - from a 12.65 100 (4th fastest returner) to a 2:18:63 800 (3rd fastest returner). If I recall correctly, she had the top mark in Class C in the 200, 400 and 800 after Districts. McNair won the 400 title in 58.18, with Rasby and Laney Kathol just behind. McNair and Kathol both excel in the 400 and 800, and McNair also won the State high jump title with a 5-08 leap.
Hadley Cheathum of Summerland is also a diverse athlete, winning 2022 State medals in the 400, 800 and 300 hurdles, along with a 9th place finish in the 100 hurdles. She dipped under 1:00 in the 400 and should be a factor.
Kearney Catholic moves from Class B to Class C in 2023, and we expect a big impact. Among KC sprinters, freshman Hazel Haarberg looks to be a medal threat after she ran 8.01 in the 60 this winter.
Nerd headquarters is in Omaha but we thought the Class C 400/800 competition was one of the best stories of the 2022 season. With stud athletes back in every running event, the Class C girls meet is going to be fire.
Class D Boys
100 Returning State Medalists
o Isaiah Zelasney, 11.06 (1st) - Osceola (NWMSU commit)
o Brody Krusemark, 11.14 (2nd) - Pender (moves to Class C)
o Dillon Miller, 11.20 (3rd) - Brady
o Will Kulhanek, 11.37 (4th) - Overton
o Carson Bloom, 11.49 (6th) - Riverside
o Jackson Kerchal, 11.76 (8th) - Dundy County Stratton
200 Returning State Medalists
o Isaiah Zelasney, 22.42 (1st) - Osceola
o Dillon Miller, 22.69 (2nd) - Brady
o Jackson Roberts, 23.15 (4th) - N Platte St Pats (moves to Class C)
o Will Kulhanek, 23.27 (5th) - Overton
o Jack Molt, 23.51 (6th) - Riverside
o Blake Lusk, 23.68 (7th) - Brady
o Carson Bloom, 23.95 (8th) - Riverside
400 Returning State Medalists
o Isaiah Zelasney, 51.65 (1st) - Osceola
o Randal Gronenthal, 53.12 (2nd) - Humphrey-Lindsay Holy Family
o Lance Vasa, 53.59 (6th) - Arthur County
o Alexx Winkelman, 53.84 (7th) – Osceola
Outlook: (Tyler Hanson, a distance runner at Axtell, is helping us with the Class D previews.) Isaiah Zelasney of Osceola has been a man among boys the last two years. In both 2021and 2022, he won state titles in the 100, 200, 400 and 4x100 – and thus comes into this season with the maximum eight medals possible for a COVID senior. He's our favorite for the three individual events in 2023 but the 4x100 title will be the toughest task: two of the four boys from 2022 have graduated, but anything is possible with Zelasney as the anchor leg.
Brody Krusemark of Pender moves up to Class C this year, but there are still plenty of challengers. Dillon Miller of Brady had the fastest 100 meter time in Class D last year, a 10.84 at his District meet, and the 2nd-best 200 behind Zelasney with a 22.34 at Districts. The 2022 Nerd prediction about Will Kulhanek of Overton proved to be correct, as he became a track monster. Kulhanek put up ridiculous marks in every event he competed in last year, getting top 5 in the 100, 200 and long jump. If not for scratching from the triple jump at Districts, he likely would have been a four-time medalist. If Kulhanek keeps improving at this ridiculous rate, he could be even more terrifying this season.
The most prominent returner in the 400 aside from Zelasney is Randal Gronenthal. Gronenthal ran a 50.77 at his district meet despite howling winds. At the state meet, Gronenthal barely missed out on finals in the 200 and laid down an impressive performance in the 400 (51.25 prelims, 53.12 finals). Gronenthal is the likely favorite to achieve runner up behind Zelasney at this year’s state meet but... the gap between the two isn't that wide.
Alexx Winkelman (52.13 season best in 2022) of Osceola, Aiden Norman (52.17) of Fullerton and Lance Vasa (52.77) of Arthur County are the other boys with top marks last year. The 400 is wide open this year with fewer returners, leaving Winkelman and Vasa in better positions to improve their medaling positions from last year.
Zelasney seems to be the clear favorite for each event this year, but there is great talent directly behind him if he falters. With the likes of Miller, Kulhanek, Krusemark and Gronenthal all in contention, the boys sprinting events are absolutely stacked.
Class D Girls
100 Returning State Medalists
o Camryn Kocian, 12.66 (2nd) - East Butler
o Kiley Hejtmanek, 12.82 (6th) - Maywood-Hayes Center (Doane)
o Autumn Holt, 12.94 (7th) - Loomis
o Maya Dolliver, 13.06 (8th) - Pender (moves to Class C)
200 Returning State Medalists
o Fayth Winkelman, 26.28 (2nd) - Osceola
o Adysen McCarter, 26.78 (4th) - Overton
o Kiley Hejtmanek, 26.78 (5th) - Maywood-Hayes Center
o Rori Wieseman, 27.08 (6th) - Osceola
o Autumn Holt, 27.23 (7th) - Loomis
400 Returning State Medalists
o Kiley Hejtmanek, 1:00.83 (2nd) - Maywood-Hayes Center
o Fayth Winkelman, 1:01.49 (3rd) - Osceola
o Shawnee Gamble, 1:02.19 (5th) - Leyton
o Maya Dolliver, 1:02.25 (6th) - Pender (moves to Class C)
o Alexis Johnson, 1:03.41 (7th) - South Central Valley
Outlook: (Tyler Hanson) There are no returning sprint champs with Alexandra Eisenhauer (100/200) of Bloomfield moving on to Concordia and Carli Bailey (400) of Ansley-Litchfield also graduating. Maya Dolliver's shift to Class D opens up medal spots in the 100 and 400, but there are plenty of candidates to take them.
Camryn Kocian of East Butler has the fastest time (12.58) of any returner in the 100. Kocian hadn't clocked a sub-13.00 before Districts, but her four races at Districts and State ranged from 12.58 to 12.75. Kiley Hejtmanek (extremely cool last name) of Maywood-Hayes Center was a phenom last year, medaling in all three sprint events and the 4x400. Hejtmanek is the favorite in the 400, and looks to climb the ranks in the 100 and 200. Fayth Winkelman of Osceola is a 200/400 specialist who appears to be competing with Alex Winkelman for most State medals; he's got six after two years and she has three, but he's a senior and she's a sophomore. Fayth is neck and neck with Hejtmanek in both of her events.
Adysen McCarter of Overton snagged 4th in the 200 and the triple jump in 2022. McCarter improved her 200 results steadily as the season progressed and looks to be a real threat in the shorter sprints if she continues to develop. Something seems to be in the water in Osceola and Overton with returning spring medalists for both girls and boys.
Autumn Holt of Loomis had a phenomenal freshman campaign in the shorter sprints, capping off her season with 7th place in both the 100 and 200. With the benefit of more experience this year, Holt can make a real impact this season. Shawnee Gamble of Leyton also ran well as a freshman, medaling in the 400 and bringing in a PR of 1:01.16.
While there are only three returning medalists in the 100, don't sell short the Class D sprint competition. It's gonna be a blast.
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Originally written for and posted at www.preprunningnerd.com by Patrick Grosserode, Tyler Hanson and Jay Slagle in March 2023. If you find an error, please DM or e-mail us at jayslagle@hotmail.com and we'll get it fixed.
Patrick Grosserode is the owner of Trackville, an indoor training facility devoted to developing youth, high school and collegiate athletes. He's also the Director of the Lincoln Community Track Club, the jump coach at Lincoln Pius X, and a USATF level 2 jump and sprint/hurdle coach. Lean more about Trackville at https://thetrackville.com/.
Like this coverage of Nebraska high school distance running? There's more of this at www.preprunningnerd.com. Check out the Blog tab for our frequent stories, the Articles tab for long-form articles, the Results tab for every Nebraska high school race we could find this year, and the Rankings tab for team and individual rankings. If you want to see meet photos or just need to kill a few hours on social media, follow us on Twitter @PrepRunningNerd or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/preprunningnerd.
Finally, if you think runners, jumpers and throwers are the best things on earth, you'll enjoy our two most popular articles. In 2018 we published "The Runner with the Broken Heart" about a high school boy who finished last in nearly every race he ran. In 2022 we published, "The Fall and Rise of Emmett Hassenstab," a story about a high school triple jumper who became a quadrapalegic after a swimming accident.