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Jan Schultz | Johnson Publications
Mason Tyerman exhibits his relief to have finished, as the Chase County senior sign looks on. Tyerman was third across for the Longhorns at Chase County’s meet last week.

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Jan Schultz | Johnson Publications
With a big kick at the finish, Mason Nordhausen races for the ninth place medal at Chase County’s home invitational among 120 finishers.

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Jan Schultz | Johnson Publications
Jordan Jablonski nears the finish at Chase County’s home meet. She won the seventh place medal in a field of 75.

In large meet, two Longhorn runners medal at home invite

    As numbers doubled for the girls and nearly tripled for the boys compared to earlier meets this season, Chase County’s home meet last week was big.
    It was both “loaded and fast,” said Chase County Coach Carl Zuege.
    COVID-19 cancellations in both Nebraska and Colorado drew some new teams here, Zuege said, including Mullen and Axtell, who had the top two runners in the boys’ varsity division. Mullen also claimed the gold medal in the girls’ race.
    Lexington’s meet held the same week was cancelled, he noted, drawing those two teams.
    Wray, Colorado was a first-timer at Chase County’s meet due to cancellations in that state.
    With 120 finishing the boys’ race and 75 in the girls, Zuege said it was a credit to both Longhorn runners Jordan Jablonski and Mason Nordhausen to medal.
    Overall, Chase County’s girls finished fourth in a field of nine teams, while the boys were eighth among 13.
Girls’ division
    Zuege said with as loaded and deep as the girls’ division was, there was bound to be a different outcome for his runners.
    Jablonski, who was the gold medalist at the team’s previous two meets this season, took seventh last Thursday. Thirty-six girls ran in each of the earlier Cambridge and Dundy Co. Stratton meets.
    He said Chase County’s meet was likely the toughest field they’ll see except for the UNK Invite and the state meet.
    “Overall, all of our girls competed well,” he said.
    Other Chase County scorers in the girls’ division were Caelyn Long, who nearly medaled in 17th; Morgan Peterson, 30th and Kambree Meeske, 31st.
    Rounding out the varsity team were Sophie Fiedler 48th and Lindsey Mendenhall, 49th.
    JV runners were Matalie Wallin and Keirsten Colton. Madelynn Hanes was ill and did not run.
    Ogallala took the meet title and brought an “excellent team” to the race, Zuege said.
    The Ogallala girls are ranked No. 3 in the Class C coaches poll, he noted, and one coach’s vote put them at No. 1.
Boys’ division
    Chase County’s meet was the first large meet most of the Longhorn runners had seen in their careers, Zuege noted.
    Mason Nordhausen was the single Longhorn medalist, finishing ninth among the 120 runners.
    All but Nordhausen and Charles Barnes are first-time runners for Chase County now, since Maxwell is out for the season.
    “I thought they handled it well,” he said.
    He said Nordhausen ran the best time of his career, as he added a big kick at the finish to edge out a St. Pat’s runner by three-tenths of a second.
    Axtell ran away with the team title with three runners in the top 10.
Junior high
    At 3,000 meters (1.8 miles), Chase County’s meet was the longest for the junior high runners.

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