Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney track and field team won eight events and had several national list efforts at the annual Fort Hays State Spring Invitational Friday in Kansas.
This was the Lopers first outdoor meet of the spring; a few men’s javelin throwers tried to compete at the TCU Invite last Saturday but that event was cancelled due to weather. Today’s mid-sized meet included student-athletes from Hays, Emporia, Washburn, Pitt and NW Missouri.
The men’s javelin was one of UNK’s best events today as four cracked the top six with each having a provisional toss. They group consisted of Kansas sophomore Rylan Basart (3rd/207-10), Kansas sophomore Kenyon Forest (4th/202-3), Kansas senior Evan Prohaska (5th/200-0), and Kansas freshman Wyatt Hammond (6th/198-8). The first three were close to career-best efforts with Hammond now fifth on UNK’s all-time list.
Giltner senior Alex Goracke may have had best beet overall as he won the hammer (193-2), was runner up in the shot (career-best 56-5.25) and placed fifth in the discus (163-5). He puts his name on the national list in both the hammer and shot and moves up to eight in Loper lore in the shot. Also in the field events, Scottsbluff junior Turner Scow was third in the discus (167-7) with Creighton junior Alex Homan winning the pole vault (16-2). They move onto the national list as well. On the track for the men, Wallace senior Micah Swedberg won the 400 (49.43) with Omaha sophomore Nick Abdalla first in the 1,500 (4:07.01).
Coming off an All-American effort at the NCAA Indoor Championships, Stamford sophomore Brianna Russell won the high jump by clearing 5-5.75. That ranks her second nationally. Right behind her was Dannebrog freshman Sydney Davis (5-3) with UNK having five of the top six finishers overall. Finally in the field, Kearney senior Courtney Thee and Holdrege junior Samantha Schemper both cleared 11-6.50 to place in the top six in the vault.
Kearney senior Nicole Messbarger paced UNK on the track as she had a career-low 24.96 in the 200 (fourth place; tied for 10th in school history) and won the 400 (56.48). Also coming in first was the 4×4 relay team (3:58.97). That squad consisted of Kansas sophomore Abby Rose, Overton sophomore Maeli Meier, Aurora senior Kyla Carlson, and Gothenburg senior Hannah Harrison. Finally, Rose (400/59.14), Kansas freshman Charis Robinson (800/2:19.76), and Kearney junior Grace Bonsall (1,500/ 4:58.16) each were runners up.
UNK and Hastings College co-host the annual Central Nebraska Challenge next Saturday (March 30) at KHS.
Loper track starts outdoor season
