KEARNEY — A wind-swept Kearny Country Club golf course did nothing to slow down the kids competing for medals and team trophies at the Nebraska State Track and Field Championships.
Athletes from all four Star-area schools were among the hundred participating, and one runner came away with a medal.
Ponca sophomore Kole Krusemark capped his first year as a cross country runner with a 15th place medal in the Class D boys race, helping the Indians to a tight fifth-place finish out of 18 teams.
Krusemark was sitting in 17th place with less than 1,000 meters to go, but made a late push to get past two runners and make it to the medal stand.
Teammate Gannon Pfister followed in 22nd place and Broderick Hogan finished 36th to round out Ponca’s team scoring. Lucas Dendinger finished 44th and freshman Micah Dendinger was 104th.
Homer’s boys also competed as one of the 18 teams in Class D and finished eighth.
Knights’ runners Tommy Reed and Jett Fogarty led the way, finishing 31st and 35th, respectively. Triston Owens finished up the team scoring by plcing 55th. Logan Albrecht was 57th nad Jessup Snowball was 59th.
Two area runners competed as individuals in the Class D races. Ponca senior Jaelen Templeman finished 33rd in girls competition, and Tri County Northeast senior Jude Ridenour was 59th in the boys race.
Five South Sioux City runners competed in the Class B races later in the afternoon.
In the girls race, senior Kalianne Norton came home in 53rd place.
In boys action, Angel Vargas-Vazquez placed 38th, Nabiil Yussuf, 42nd, Michael Munzambi, was 53rd and Caleb Preciado finished 60th.
Complete story in next week’s edition of the Dakota County Star.
