Cougars Try New Events, Earn Top Places at T-H Invite

By Clare Wiltse, Sports Contributor

The coaches shuffled the events for several athletes at the Tiger Invitational Track meet at Tekamah.  They got a look at Chevy Henneman, Dylan Hardeman and Darcey Simonsen in new events and they came through with top places.

A sprinter during last season, Chevy has moved up to long sprints this year and has an impressive 52 second 400M run.  At Tekamah he ran his first 800M.  The senior came through in the longest race he has ever run with a second place time of 2:12.6.

Dylan Hardeman has been running the 800M and the 300 hurdles.  Because they follow one another he can’t run both in the same meet.  In the Tiger Invite he moved down to the 400M and posted a fifth place time of 56.6.  He came back later to place third in the 300M hurdles with a P.R. of 46.2.

Darcey Simonsen has been racking up points in the weight events.  Last Tuesday, she had season best throw of 119 feet 5 inches in discus which earned the silver medal.  She followed with a sixth in the shot put with a 33 feet 3.75 inch heave.  For the first time this spring she competed on the track as she teamed with Brianne Haskell, Cierra French, and Kelly Wakeley for a fourth place 400M relay.  They ran 56.0 as they just  nudge out by Bergan.

Jon Christiansen medaled in both the long and triple jumps.  He placed second in the triple with a leap of 41 feet.    In the long jump his 18 feet 7 inch effort placed sixth.

Joey O’Connor got third in the 3200 run.  His pace got him to the finish line in 11.30.6.

Abby Peterson had her best day ever in the field events.  The junior thrower had a P.R toss of 104 feet 7 inches in the discus.  She followed up with another P.R. in the shot put heave of 33m feet 5.5m inches.  Both Marks earned fifth place.  Libby Henneman got second in the shot with a heave of 33  feet 10.5 inches.

Kelly Wakeley got a third and fifth place in the jump pits.  Her hop, step, jump of 31 feet 11 inched netted the bronze and she leaped 15 feet 1.75 inches for fifth place.

The girls got points in two track events.  Cierra French placed fifth in the 100M with a time of 14.2.  Brianne Haskell ran a 1:08.5 400M for a sixth place.

In the team competition the Cougars placed sixth with 31 points.  The Lady Cougars tallied 36 points and finished seventh.