Three seniors complete their maximum three-peats in Class C and D Nebraska state track meets

Freshman year for this senior class was lost to the COVID-19 pandemic that wiped out spring sports in 2020.

Still ending their prep careers with the maximum three Class C or D titles possible in their events by winning Saturday were Nathan Baldwin of Sutton, Jessica Stieb of Arcadia/Loup City and Macy Richardson of Sterling.

Baldwin got his triple on a Class C state record toss in the discus. Stieb stayed atop the Class C shot, Richardson the Class D 100 hurdles.

Jordyn Arens had two triples in this meet. But the Crofton distance runner is a junior. She can swing for the fences in 2024.

She won her third Class C 3,200 title Friday and followed Saturday with the 1,600.

The celebration was delayed.

On her kick to overtake leader Lilly Kenning of Milford in the homestretch, Arens passed the tiring sophomore in the inside in lane one and the yellow flag went up.

After discussions involving Al Satterly, a head umpire, the move was deemed permissible.

A pair of sophomores in the 400 finals kept doubles from turning into triples.

In Class D boys, Will Cacy of Arapahoe caught two-time champion Isaiah Zelasney of Osceola. It was the last chance for Zelasney, a senior who had 100-200-400 sweeps his first two years at state, for a threepeat.

In Class C girls, Story Rasby of Sutherland outran two-time champion Bryn McNair of Chase County.

Carson Noecker of Hartington Cedar Catholic, whose triple in the Class C boys 3,200 came Friday, repeated as the Class C 1,600 winner in a highly anticipated race against the clock. But his 4:19.35 was about five seconds slower than the 4:14.37 of Class A, and gold medalist, Jack Witte of Millard West.

Just one performance Saturday garnered an all-class gold. Sophomore Roe Patton of Class D Fullerton expanded the tie for the boys pole vault gold at 14-6 from two to three. He shares the honor with Dylan Headrick of Class A Millard South and Landon Scott of Class B Waverly.

Lademi Davies of Omaha Westside was not to be denied her four all-class golds. The closest call for her was in the triple jump. Class C winner Mae Siegel of North Platte St. Patrick’s got to 38-5 (only 1½ inches from Davies) on her final attempt.

Other girls who had to sweat out the final day were Berlyn Schutz of Lincoln East (800, 1600), Kate Campos of Lincoln Pius X (300 hurdles), Omaha Burke (400 relay) and EJ Brown of Elkhorn South (high jump) from Class A and Alonna Deplama of Waverly (400), Chloe Ahrens of Sidney (100 hurdles), and Waverly (1,600 relay) from Class B.

Boys who also won out on the waiting game Saturday were Jack Gillogly of Omaha Creighton Prep (100, 200), Prep (400 relay), Braden Lofquest of Gretna, Jesse Malone of Papillion-La Vista (110 hurdles), Sam Cappos of Lincoln East (shot) and Jaylen Lloyd of Westside (long jump) from Class A, Braxton Smith of Waverly (400), Jackson Roberts of Boone Central (300 hurdles) and Waverly (1,600 relay) from Class B.

Team champions were Chase County’s boys and Wahoo Neumann’s girls in Class C and Plainview’s boys and Osceola’s girls in Class C.

Chase County punctuated its first boys title by winning the 1,600 relay. The Longhorns finished with 66 points to 52 for runner-up Battle Creek. Their other wins came from Easton Fries in the 300 hurdles and Mason Wallin in the pole vault.

Neumann’s third-place finish in the 1,600 relay lifted the Cavaliers to the school’s fourth girls title and first since 2008. Their one win was by senior Kinslee Bosak in the 300 hurdles. Kearney Catholic, which had the lead, and Chase County, which finished second to Hartington Cedar Catholic in the event, tied for second.

Plainview junior Spencer Hille won the 300 hurdles and long jump and Kyler and Jordan Mosel went 2-3 in the 1,600 as the Pirates won for the first time. Their lead was 53-33 over Axtell, Riverside and Mullen.

Fayth Winkelman of Osceola swept the 100 and 200 and ran the third leg of the 400 relay to lead the Bulldogs to their first title. They held on for a 48-42 win over Nebraska Christian, which needed to win the closing 1,600 relay to claim its first title.

Winkelman and Noecker were the only three-event winners on the weekend.​