Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney track and field team won 11 events and was runner up in 10 others Friday night at the annual Concordia Invitational in Seward.
The meet was turned into a one-day affair to avoid likely inclement weather on Saturday.
UNK’s best events were the men’s 400 and 800 (top four in each) and the women’s 400 (five of the top seven),1,500 (four of top seven) and high jump (four of top six).
On the women’s side, Dannebrog freshman Sydney Davis and Stamford sophomore Brianna Russell went 1-2 in the high jump, both clearing a season-best 5-7.25. This moves Davis into eighth place on the all-time list and makes her a provisional qualifier, joining Russell.
Next, Kansas senior Slayten Braun ran a career-best 12.13 in the 100-prelims and then went 12.04 in the finals to place second. That time vaults into fourth place on the top 10 list. Finally, the 4×4 relay team won with the program’s eighth best time (3:51.18). That squad consisted of Gothenburg senior Hannah Harrison, Kearney senior Nicole Messbarger, Aurora senior Kyla Carlson and Overton sophomore Maeli Meier.
The men won eight events led by Giltner graduate Alex Goracke in the seeded hammer (187-0) and seeded shot (55-10.50), Kearney senior Brayden Sorensen in the high jump (season-best 6-11), and Ravenna senior Jack Drahota in the 110-hurdles (14.69). After setting the javelin school-record last Saturday, Kansas sophomore Rylan Basart won again (202-11) as did Cortland junior Zach Van Brocklin (800/1:53.27), Wallace senior Micah Swedberg (400/48.13) and Scottsbluff junior Turner Scow (unseeded discus/165-7).
Among the runners up were David City junior Gabrielle Oborny (vault/season-best 11-7.75), Kansas freshman Charis Robinson (1,500/4:44.62), Alliance senior Brock Brass (200/21.85) and Fremont sophomore Tyson Baker (1,500/4:03.87).
The Lopers will be split up next week as some top distance runners will head to California with the rest of the team competing in Emporia at the Midwest Classic (April 11-13).
