Group effort gives CCS girls’ team title at Ogallala

    The Chase County girls’ track team took everything its Class B opponents threw at it and battled to a team title Saturday at the Ed Moore Invite at Ogallala.
    CCS Head Coach Troy Hauxwell said he thought the competition level at the meet was better than last year.
    He said Cozad loaded up in individual events to try to maximize points and take down the Longhorns and noted Gothenburg’s strong group of throwers and Sidney’s hurdlers and jumpers.
    None of it was enough to unseat Chase County.
    The Longhorns did it in different fashion than they have in the past. CCS had double digit first and second-place finishes at the 2022 and 2021 meets.
    This year Chase County had five first and second-place finishes, but made up the difference with six third place and four fourth place medals.
    Karsyn Leeling kept Sidney in contention with wins in the long jump, triple jump and high jump. Leeling won athlete of the meet after tying the Class B state record with a 5’10” high jump.
    Gothenburg made a late run after a 1-2-3 finish in the discus.
    In the end, it was Cozad nipping at the Longhorns’ heels.
    At the end of the meet CCS finished fourth in the 400-meter relay and shaved nine seconds off their 1,600-meter relay to take first place and secure the team championship.
    Chase County may have won four state championships and one runner-up in six years, but Hauxwell said this was one of the more exciting wins he’s had as a coach.
    “This was a true team win. I couldn’t be more proud of our kids. They did this against some good teams and athletes,” Hauxwell said.
    Bryn McNair claimed Chase County’s two individual wins, taking first in the 400 and 800 meters.
    The Longhorns’ young 3,200-meter relay, made up of sophomores Olivia Spady and Landree McNair and freshmen Miranda Spady and Ashlyn Heermann, placed first by 20 seconds.
    Spady and B. McNair paired with Ali McNair and Peyton Owens for a win in the 1,600-meter relay.
    Hauxwell gave underclassmen plenty of credit, including third place finishes by L. McNair in the high jump and Miranda Spady in the 800, as well as Adelle Eskew taking fourth in the long jump.
    CCS placed at least two athletes in the 200, 800 and 3,200-meters, high jump and triple jump.
    Three Longhorns placed in both hurdle races.
    With sickness going around, prom, the time change in the last couple weeks and state FFA convention last week making workouts tough, Hauxwell said some athletes had to gut out their events.
    “This is a legit team win. It shows the culture of what we’re continuing to build,” Hauxwell said.
Up next
    Extracirricular activites kept Longhorn athletes away from the track early this week when CCS students attend the state conventions for FBLA and FCCLA.
    CCS will be a Cambridge Thursday for the Don Stine Invite, then have a break before the Sutherland Invite April 14.
    The Chase County Invite will be April 18.
Ed Moore Invite
Team results—1. Chase County, 111; 2. Cozad, 96; 3. Gothenburg, 85; 4. Sidney, 79; 5. Ogallala, 63; 6. Chadron, 48; 7. Alliance, 31.5; 8. Mitchell, 12.5.
Individual results
100 Meters—1. Makaia Baker, 12.61, Cozad; 6. Hayley Rusher, 13.48, CCS.
200 Meters—1. Baker, 26.93, Cozad; 3. Riley Rusher, 27.91, CCS; 6. H. Rusher, 28.87, CCS; 8. Adelle Eskew, 29.57, CCS.
400 Meters—1. Bryn McNair, 59.04, CCS; 7. R. Rusher, 1:03.83, CCS.
800 Meters—1. B. McNair, 2:23.83, CCS; 3. Miranda Spady, 2:33.44, CCS; 7. Ashlyn Heermann, 2:36.92, CCS.
1600 Meters—1. Lindee Henning, 5:44.84, Ogallala; 4. Landree McNair, 6:08.09, CCS; 7. Tessa Smith, 6:22.34, CCS.
3200 Meters—1. Henning, 12:15.54, Ogallala; 5. Smith, 14:07.86, CCS; 6. McKenzie Vogt, 15:26.51, CCS.
100m Hurdles—1. Chloe Ahrens, 15.44. Sidney; 3. Tristan Nordhausen, 17.44. CCS; 6. Joee Clevenger, 17.67, CCS.
300m Hurdles—1. Karyn Burkholder, 46.97, Cozad; 3. Peyton Owens, 50.99, CCS; 5. Clevenger, 52.21, CCS; 6. Nordhausen, 52.37. CCS.
4x100 Relay—1. Sidney, 51.85; 4. CCS (H. Rusher, Ava McNair, Ali McNair, Olivia Spady), 53.41.
4x400 Relay—1. CCS (Owens, Spady, Ali McNair, B. McNair), 4:13.45.
4x800 Relay—1. CCS (Spady, L. McNair, M. Spady, Heermann), 10:22.51.
Shot Put—1. Addi Wyatt, 35’4, Gothenburg; 5. Kaylie Lotspeich, 33’9, CCS; 7. Kylee Wiest, 31’9, CCS.
High Jump—1. Karsyn Leeling, 5’10, Sidney; 2. B. McNair, 5’3, CCS; 3. L. McNair, 4’11, CCS; 8. Karlie Anderson, 4’9, CCS.
Long Jump—1. Leeling, 17’0.5, Sidney; 4. Eskew, 14’11.75, CCS; 7. Owens, 14’3, CCS.
Triple Jump—1. Leeling, 34’3.25, Sidney; 3. Owens, 32’5.75, CCS; 4. Katelyn Stamm, 31’11.5, CCS; 7. Liz Reeves, 30’2, CCS.