Sports News - April 14-30
by PHS Journalism Students
May 01, 2008
Junior High Teams Place At Battle Creek Invite by Michael Blunck
Pierce Junior High’s track teams competed in the Battle Creek Invite on Tuesday, April 15 in Battle Creek.
Overall the seventh grade boys received second place.
Individual performances included Dillon Ronspies third in pole vault, Matt Lukens first in the long jump, Mason Zimmerer second in the high jump, Lucas Osborn third in the triple jump. Matt Lukens took first and Trent Spieker third in the 110 meter hurdles, and Trent Spieker won first place in the 300 meter hurdles. Mason Zimmerer was first in the 1600 meter run and Zimmerer was first with Zach Kremlacek third in the 800 meter run. Matt Lukens took third in the 200 meter dash. The 4x100 meter relay team of Kris Turk, Trent Spieker, Matt Lukens, and Nate Meier took second. The 4x400 meter relay team also took second place. The 4x400 team consisted of Kris Turk, Dillon Ronspies, Christian Beery, and Nate Meier.
Overall the eighth grade boys ran to first place.
Individual performances included Shane Thayer third in the shot put, Shelton Dvorak second in the pole vault, Austin Koehlmoos first in the long jump, Connor Reed third in the triple jump. Katlin Ruppert took first and Tyler Lindsay second in the 110 meter hurdles. Ruppert was first and Tyler Lindsay second in the 300 meter hurdles. Austin Koehlmoos sprinted to first in the 100 meter dash. Tyler Steckelberg was first, Blake Douglas second, and Jarold McWilliams third in the 1600 meter run. Shelton Dvorak took first and Zach Mayfield second in the 400 meter dash. Jarold McWilliams was third in the 800 meter run, and Austin Koehlmoos first in the 200 meter dash. The 4x100 meter relay team and the 4x400 meter relay team both won first place. The 4x100 team was Austin Koehlmoos, Katlin Ruppert, Shelton Dvorak, and Tyler Lindsay. The 4x400 team was Katlin Ruppert, Shelton Dvorak, Connor Reed, and Austin Koehlmoos.
Overall the seventh grade girls took third place.
Individual performances included Morgan Siedschlag first in the shot put, Rachel Wiedenfeld third in the high jump, Katie Atkins second in the 100 meter hurdles, Katie Atkins first and Rachel Wiedenfeld second in the 300 meter hurdles, and Katie Atkins third in the 200 meter dash. The 4x100 meter relay team and the 4x400 meter relay team both were second place. The 4x100 relay team consisted of Devin Gnat, Mallory Rowley, Amber Steckelberg, and Katie Atkins. The 4x400 relay team consisted of Rachel Wiedenfeld, Mallory Rowley, Emily Ronspies, and Devin Gnat.
Overall the eighth grade girls took third place.
Individual performances included Timaree Reed second in the long jump, second in the triple jump, third in the 100 meter hurdles, and third in the 300 meter hurdles. Brooke Guenther took third in the 100 meter dash. The 4x100 meter relay team received third place. The 4x400 meter relay team won their race. Both teams consisted of Eleanor Pytleski, Payton Wragge, Morgan Hoeferer, and Brooke Guenther.
Lady Jays Win Invite by Marque Van Fleet
The Pierce High girls’ track team won the Bluejay Track Invite held in Pierce on Thursday, April 17. The Lady Jays won with 164.66 points, followed by Norfolk Catholic with 137 points and Crofton with 134.33.
Three varsity sophomores were Pierce’s leading scorers for the meet. Heather Wachter had 32 points, followed by Joey Koehn with 30 points and Meghan Vogt with 28 points.
Joey Koehn was the meet champ in the 300 meter hurdles with a time of 49 seconds; Koehn also won the 100 meter hurdles in 16.3 seconds. The Lady Jays’ 4x400 time was 4:27.4 to win the event. The team consists of Briana Adams, Joey Koehn, Meghan Vogt, and Heather Wachter. Wachter won the high jump with a leap of 5’2”. Lachel Milander took first in the shot put, throwing 39’11”.5, followed by Sara Retzlaff, who finished fourth.
Vogt got second place in the 400 meter race in :64 to earn 8 points. The Lady Jays’ 4x100 relay team also won second in :52.9. This relay team consists of Adams, Courtney Schultz, Vogt, and Wachter. Adams, Stefanie Koehler, Skyler Lippman, and Kara Polt got second in the 4x800 relay. Sara Retzlaff threw 121’04”.5 in discus, followed by Cortney Koepke in fourth and Milander fifth. Tahnee Reed jumped 15’10” in the long jump. Lacey Adams vaulted 8’. Reed also got second in the triple jump with a jump of 35’03.75”.
Tiffany Guenther finished third, followed by Chelsea Atkins fourth and Kara Polt fifth in the 1600 meter run. Atkins also finished fourth in the 3200 meter run. Lippman won third and Stefanie Koehler finished sixth in the 800. Kaelee Stuchlik finished third in the 100 hurdles, followed by Allison Hubert in fourth.
Wachter finished fourth in the 100. Adams won fourth in the 200, followed by Brittany Spieker in sixth. Kaelee Stuchlik got sixth in the 300 meter hurdles. Laura Retzlaff and Morgan Hahn tied at fourth in the high jump. Vogt finished fifth in the triple jump.
Golfers Compete at Mid-State Conference Tourney by Josh L. Hoelscher
The Pierce High golf team competed April 19 at West Point on a beautiful day in the third invite of the year. The team placed eighth out of eight teams, and was led by sophomore Tyler Woslager with a 103. Nobody from the team shot well enough to place.
The rest of the team had a disappointing day with Josh Hoelscher shooting a 109, Kody Kern shooting a 118, Zach Neuhalfen shooting a 127, and Dillon White shooting a 129. The team also took some JV golfers to the tournament. Tanner Brown shot a 115, Cody Hilkemann shot a 123, and Cody Schulz shot a 132.
Everyone on the team improved on the back nine of the course. The team’s next tournament will be in Hartington, and they hope to improve with each tournament that they see action in. Sophomore golfer Tyler Woslager said, “For being on one of the toughest courses that we play on, it showed us where we have to get better and where we can improve as a team.”
The team’s next tournament was a triangular with Hartington CC and Wayne on April 21. After that the team will go back to Hartington to golf in the Hartington CC Invite on Tuesday, April 22.
Pierce Boys Are Runners-Up at Bluejay Track Invitational by Mack Baumann
The boys’ varsity track team took the runner-up spot in their own Bluejay Invitational on Thursday, April 17. The Bluejays fell short of the title to Norfolk Catholic by 161 points to the Knights’ 214.
To start the meet Lee Krohn took the second place spot on the podium in both the shot put at 50’1”, and the discus at 134’4”. Michael Blunck and Brock Stonacek shared the second place spot in the high jump, both with jumps of 5’6”.
Ending the field events were Kyle Wiedenfeld with his fourth place finish in the long jump at 16’6.25”, and Brody Unger in the pole vault with a second place finish at 13’ even.
Starting the running events for the Bluejays was the 4 x 800 relay team of Derek Wiedenfeld, Shawn Koehler, Colton Stepp, and Logan Sudbeck with a sixth place finish. Kevin Paulsen and Cody Spreeman kept the Bluejays rolling with their first and third finish in the 110 m. high hurdles. Paulsen took first with 14.6 seconds, and Spreeman was third with 15.0.
Eric Koehlmoos won the 110 m. dash, adding to the Bluejays’ scoring, with a time of 11.1 seconds. Teammate Aron Eddy was just behind Koehlmoos with second in 11.1 seconds. For the distance races, there was Nick Koeppe claiming the fourth place spot in both the 3200 m. run in 10:43.3 and the 1600 m. run in 4:57.0.
The Bluejays took a clean sweep of the 200 m. dash with Mack Baumann claiming first in 22.5 seconds, Koehlmoos second in 23.0, and Eddy third in 23.2. Baumann also took first in the 400 m. dash in 51.4 seconds with teammates Chays Ronspies in third with 54.4 and Tony Lauters fifth with 54.9 seconds.
To end the day the Bluejays once again swept both of the relays. First the Bluejays’ 4 x 100 m. relay team of Baumann, Koehlmoos, Eddy, and Paulsen crossed the tape in 44.2 seconds to claim the top spot. Then the 4 x 400 m. relay team--Baumann, Koehlmoos, Paulsen, and Spreeman--took first also in 3:36.2.
Kevin Paulsen commented on the meet saying, “It was very nice to get some better competition like Catholic to help push us harder, and it showed because most of our times improved today.”
The Bluejays’ next meet will be on Thursday, April 24, at Norfolk Senior High for the Norfolk Track and Field Classic, an invitation-only, individual meet. Then the team will be in Wayne for the Mid-State conference meet on Saturday, April 26.
Junior High Track Competes by Michael Blunck
The junior high track team competed in the Pierce High Invite on Monday, April 21 in Pierce. Due to the number of kids participating in the invite, there were two divisions. Pierce’s boys’ division one team placed first, and the girls’ division one team placed fourth. The boys’ division two team placed eighth, and the girls’ division two team placed fifth.
Individual performances for the boys’ division one team included Austin Koehlmoos placing first in the 100 meter dash with a time of 11.9 seconds. Tyler Lindsay placed first in the 195 hurdles with a time of :27.5. Austin Koehlmoos placed first in the 200 meter dash with a time of :24.8. Shelton Dvorak placed first in the 400 meter dash with a time of :58.2.
The boys’ 4x100 meter relay team placed first with a time of :50.9. The 4x100 team consisted of Trent Spieker, Brandon Freeman, Tyler Lindsay, and Katlin Ruppert. The boys’ 4x400 meter relay placed first with a time of 4:08. The 4x400 team consisted of Zach Mayfield, Shelton Dvorak, Connor Reed, and Bryce Druyor.
Katlin Ruppert placed second in the 195 hurdles, Shane Thayer second in the discus, Zach Mayfield second in the long jump, and Shane Thayer second in the shot put. Matt Lukens placed third in the 200 meter dash, Colby Huff third in the 800 meter run, Jarold McWilliams third in high jump, Tyler Lindsay third in the 110 hurdles, and Connor Reed third in triple jump.
Individual performances for the girls’ division one team included Timaree Reed placing first in the 195 hurdles with a time of 31.7 seconds. Morgan Hoferer placed first in the shot put with a throw of 18’ 8”. The girls’ 4x100 meter relay team of Samantha Grome, Brooke Guenther, Morgan Hoferer, and Payton Wragge placed first with a time of :58.0.
Timaree Reed placed second in the long jump and second in the triple jump, and the girls’ 4x400 meter relay team placed second. The 4x4 team consisted of Brooke Guenther, Morgan Hoferer, Payton Wragge, and Eleanor Pytleski.
Individual performances for the boys’ division two team included Nate Meier placing third in the 195 hurdles. Jesse Roberts placed third in the pole vault, and the 4x100 meter relay team of Eric Hoffmann, Colby Johnson, Jaron Suhr, and Nate Meier placed third.
Individual performances for the girls’ division two team included Katie Atkins placing first in the 195 hurdles with a time of 31.1 seconds. Katie Atkins placed first in the 100 meter hurdles with a time of :18.1 and second in the 200 meter dash.
Rachel Wiedenfeld placed second in the high jump, and the girls’ 4x400 relay team of Devin Gnat, Mallory Rowley, Amber Steckelberg, and Rachel Wiedenfeld placed second. The girls’ 4x100 meter relay team of Devin Gnat, Sasha Neitzke, Mallory Rowley, and Amber Steckelberg placed third.
Boys Track Team Runner-Up at Mid-States Conference by Tony Lauters
The Pierce High Boys Track team traveled to Wayne on Monday, April 28 to compete in the Mid-State Conference Meet. The boys’ team finished second to Norfolk Catholic with a total of 143 points.
Brody Unger helped get the field events going with a first-place finish in the pole vault with a mark of twelve feet. Logan Sudbeck was able to place sixth with a vault of eight feet six inches. In triple jump Jacob Navrkal placed fourth with a jump of 40 feet 10.25 inches. Dylan Arens finished sixth. Brock Stonacek finished third in high jump, and Michael Blunck finished fifth. In the throwing events, Reece Eberhardt placed fifth in shot put with a throw of 40 feet 11.5 inches and in discus, Lee Krohn placed fourth with a throw of 126 feet 4.5 inches.
The Bluejays were very successful in the running events as well. Aron Eddy came in first in the 100 meter dash with a time of 11.1 seconds. Just behind him was Eric Koehlmoos with a time of 11.12 to take second. The Bluejays placed all three of their runners in the 110 hurdles. Kevin Paulsen finished second in 14.4 seconds with Cody Spreeman right behind him at :14.6 to take third. Colby Jansen placed fifth with a time of 16.0 seconds.
The Jays were dominant in the 200 m. dash, taking the top three places. Mack Baumann won the event with a time of 23.2 seconds. Koehlmoos and Eddy placed second and third, respectively. Baumann took first place in the 400 m. dash with a time of 52.09 seconds. In the 300 m. hurdles, Paulsen took second, Spreeman placed third, and Colby Jansen placed sixth. Nick Koeppe did a fine job in the distance races placing fourth in the mile and third in the two mile.
The Jays broke the school record in the 4x100 meter relay with a time of 43.3 seconds. The team consisted of Eddy, Paulsen, Baumann, and Koehlmoos.
The 4x400 meter relay team placed first as well in 3:34.3. That team is Paulsen, Baumann, Koehlmoos, and Cody Spreeman.
The 4x800 team consisting of Shawn Koehler, Colton Stepp, Matt Koeppe, and Logan Sudbeck placed sixth in 9:38.03.
Norfolk Catholic won the meet with 207 points. Hartington CC was third with 46; Boone Central fourth with 35; Madison fifth with 33. Battle Creek, Wayne, and West Point CC rounded out the scoring.
Bluejays Compete in 14th Annual Track & Field Classic by Mack Baumann
Records were broken, top times were set, and memories were made for the Bluejays last Thursday, April 24, when they traveled to Norfolk High for the 14th annual Norfolk Track & Field Classic. The field of competitors for the classic is made up of the best athletes from throughout northeast Nebraska, giving it the nickname “The meet of the elite.”
Despite the very tough field the Bluejays managed to claim many spots on the podium. The first Bluejay on the victory stand was Tahnee Reed with her third place finish in the triple-jump. Reed finished with a mark of 34’11.25”. Cortney Koepke finished fourth in the discus with a throw of 108’11”.
Heather Wachter was on top of the podium with her first place finish in the high jump. Wachter won the event with a jump of 5’2”. Wachter was also a part of the 4 x 100m relay team (Wachter, Meghan Vogt, Courtney Schultz, and Briana Adams). The team finished sixth in a time of :51.92.
For the girls the story of the day was Lachel Milander. Milander not only won the shot put with her throw of 42’0.75”, but set a new Pierce High Track & Field record. The old record was held by Ashley Bruegman at 40’11.5”. Also having a very good day was Joey Koehn. Koehn came in third, just two tenths of a second behind first, in the 100m hurdles with a time of :16.48 seconds.
For the boys, once again, the story of the day was the 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m relays. Pierce swept both, demolishing the field by almost two seconds in each. The Bluejays first won the 4 x100m relay consisting of Aron Eddy, Kevin Paulsen, Mack Baumann, and Eric Koehlmoos. The Bluejays crossed the tape in a blistering time of 43.73 seconds. The Bluejays then came out and once again dominated the field in the 4 x 400m relay. Chays Ronspies, Mack Baumann, Eric Koehlmoos, and Kevin Paulsen raced the 1600 meters for first place in a time of 3:32.40.
The boys also had a very good showing in the individual events. First, Aron Eddy won the 100m dash in 11.35 seconds, with teammate Eric Koehlmoos close behind in fourth at 11.45 seconds. Mack Baumann finished second in the 400m dash in 51.24 seconds, while Cody Spreeman finished third in the 110m high hurdles in 15.56 seconds, and placed fifth in the 300m hurdles in a time of 41.65 seconds.
Aron Eddy said, “It was really nice to win the 100m dash and then come back and win the 4 x 100m relay. We wanted to break the record, but it is nice to come out and compete like we did today.”
The Bluejays’ next meet is this Thursday, May 1, for the Norfolk Catholic Invite at Norfolk Catholic High School.
Lady Jays Are Mid-State Conference Champs by Marque Van Fleet
The Pierce High girls’ track team won the Mid-State Conference track meet held at the Wayne State College track on Monday, April 28. The Lady Jays won with 157 points, followed by Norfolk Catholic with 141.
Three varsity sophomores are again Pierce’s leading scorers for the Mid-State Conference meet. Joey Koehn had 34 points, followed by Heather Wachter with 30 points and Meghan Vogt with 24.
Wachter was the meet champ in the high jump at five feet even. Lacey Adams won the pole vault at eight feet. Lachel Milander threw 38’6” in the shot put. Joey Koehn won the 100 hurdles in 15.9 seconds, followed by Kaelee Stuchlik in fifth in 16.9 seconds.
Koehn got second in the 300 meter hurdles with 49.9 seconds. Skyler Lippman ran the 800 in 2:35.3 minutes and got second, Stefanie Koehler got fifth and Kellie DeJong finished sixth. Tahnee Reed got second in the long jump with a jump of 16’2” and second in the triple jump with 34’8”. Meghan Vogt finished fifth with a jump of 32’8”.
Pierce’s 4X100 relay got second with a time of 53.2 seconds. This team is Courtney Schultz, Vogt, Briana Adams, and Wachter. The Lady Jays’ 4X400 relay also got second in 4:24.8 minutes. This team is Wachter, B. Adams, Vogt, and Koehn. The 4X800 relay team got second in 10:34.7. This team is Lippman, Chelsea Atkins, Tiffany Guenther and Stefanie Koehler.
Vogt finished third in the 400 meter race in 1:03.76. In the 1600 meter run, Kara Polt won third in 5”59.2, followed by Chelsea Atkins, fourth; and Tiffany Guenther, sixth. Atkins also finished fourth in the 3200 meter run. Allison Hubert finished third in the high jump, followed by Morgan Hahn, fourth. Megan Liska pole vaulted seven feet for sixth.
Cortney Koepke heaved the shot 32’10.75” and placed fifth, followed by Sara Retzlaff in sixth. Milander finished third in the discus, followed by Koepke fifth and Retzlaff sixth. Wachter placed fourth in the 100 meter dash in :13.4, followed by Brittany Spieker in sixth in :13.7. Kaelee Stuchlik got third in the 100 meter hurdles in :16.9.
The Lady Jays are at Norfolk Catholic Thursday, May 1.
