OMAHA — Late-afternoon showers didn’t dampen the efforts of area athletes who competed in the first day of Class C action at the Nebraska State Track and Field Championships.
Weather conditions were fantastic for most of the day at Burke Stadium before rain began falling around late afternoon.
During the morning field events, Ponca picked up a pair of medals as senior Zach Luze improved on his school record with a throw of 54 feet, 4 1/2 inches, good enough to finish in sixth place in a talented field.
In girls discus action, Elsie Keller’s first throw of the day was good enough for a third-place finish, as the sophomore’s best effort was at 120 feet, 2 inches.
On the track, Ponca’s girls 3,200-meter relay team didn’t defend its state title from 2024, but did set a school record as the foursome of Ellesyn Hrouda, Alex Mcghee, Olivia Taylor and Ava Brennan finished fourth in the race with a time of 9:52.24.
Ponca junior Zyan Conrad earned a medal in the Class C boys 400-meter dash, placing seventh with a time of 50.56 seconds.
Closing out the day’s area medal haul was Homer junior Lilly Harris, who improved her school-record time by 25 seconds with a clocking of 11:59.53, good for seventh place.
Action continues Saturday morning at Burke Stadium. Check the Dakota County Star's Facebook page for updated medal results for area athletes.
