Broncos qualify in three events at record-setting district

    Wednesday’s D-7 district track meet left its mark for its performance and uniqueness.
    The girls 100-meter dash not only saw a state record set by Cambridge’s JoLie Farr, but also had all eight finalists qualify for the state meet, including Wauneta-Palisade’s McKenna Doetker. Besides the two automatic qualifiers, the other six runners in the final claimed all six of the Class D additional qualifiers.
    Head Coach Dawn Doetker said she’s never seen this in 18 years of coaching.
    “For McKenna, we knew that she had to make the final and then needed to PR in her race to try to get one of the fastest six times to qualify. When she ran her time, we knew she had a good chance to get in,” Doetker said, while adding she knows she was disappointed in not getting a medal because they only placed the top six.
    The district also qualified six high jumpers, including WP’s Lillian Dinnel who placed second, and five 1,600-meter relays.
    Dinnel, a sophomore, was very focused and knew what she had to do at districts, Doetker said.  
    Last year was heartbreak for her as a freshman, Doetker continued, but Dinnel gave it her all last week and is ready for her trip to Omaha.
    “She had nothing to lose.  Being consistent on your approach is key when jumping higher heights. That was her focus at districts,” Doetker said.
    The Broncos’ 400-meter relay, Doetker, Emma Acton, Cheyenne Parrish and Izabelle Stehno, placed third and earned an additional qualifier position at state.
    Doetker said the relay came down to who the Broncos needed to beat.  
    “That was Hitchcock County.  The girls had to leave it all on the track and they did. We knew we had to PR and hope for a fast time to get in,” Doetker said, adding her team’s hand-offs were almost perfect.  
    “They were so excited!”
    Rounding out state qualifiers for the Broncos is senior Peyton Cox, last year’s fourth-place finisher in shot put. Cox was an additional qualifier who has her sites set on a 40-foot throw at state.
Up next
    Doetker said WP is focused and know that it isn’t over.  
    “Their next goal is to medal and making it to state will be an experience they will never forget,” Doetker said.  
    The team’s focus will be on breathing, and calming the nerves on top of having fun and representing southwest Nebraska as a WP Bronco.  
    Cox’s leadership will help the younger girls for this weekend, Doetker added.  
    “I have no doubt that Peyton is ready and wants to break 40 feet,” Doetker said.  
    Cox will throw early Saturday morning.
    Dinnel has learned she had to stay relaxed but be competitive and that is what she will do Saturday morning in Omaha, accoring to Doetker.  
    McKenna Doetker’s 100-meter prelims will be Friday afternoon.
    The 400-meter relay will be the second running event Saturday afternoon.
D-7 District Meet
Boys team results— 1. Dundy County Stratton, 109; 2. Bertrand, 76.5; 3. Cambridge, 66; 4. Maywood-Hayes Center, 59; 5. Medicine Valley, 54; 6. Arapahoe, 43; 7. Loomis, 39.5; 8. Southwest, 27; 9. Hitchcock County, 18; 10. Southern Valley, 12; 11. Wallace, 11; 12. Wauneta-Palisade, 9.

Individual Results
100 Meters—1. Laken Wissink, 11.12, DCS; 4. Ashton Wheeler, 11.78, WP.
400 Meters—1. Jerry Ingison, 51.14, MHC; 7. Kameran McCrumb, 58.65, WP.
4x100 Relay—1. DCS, 45.14; 5. WP (Casey Walker, Kameran McCrumb, Konner McCrumb, Trey McCrumb), 49.52.
Shot Put—1. Brock Bailey, 54-06.25, DCS; 5. Draven Miner, 40-09.00, WP.
Triple Jump—1. Thunder Nelson, 42-06.75, Bertrand; 6. Trey McCrumb, 38-10.00PR, WP.

Girls team scores— 1. Wallace, 82; 2. Cambridge, 66; 3. Dundy County Stratton, 65; 4. Loomis, 60; 4. Southern Valley, 60; 6. Maywood-Hayes Center, 45; 7. Wauneta-Palisade, 41; 8. Arapahoe, 28; 9. Hitchcock County, 25; 10. Medicine Valley, 22; 11. Bertrand, 20; 12. Southwest, 12.
Individual results
100 Meters—1. JoLie Farr, 12.35, Cambridge; 7. McKenna Doetker, 12.99, WP.
100m Hurdles—5. Emma Acton, 18.16, WP.
WP.4x100 Relay—1. Cambridge, 51.43; 3. WP (Acton, Cheyenne Parrish, Izabelle Stehno, Doetker), 52.87.
4x400 Relay—1. MHC, 4:13.15; 6. WP (Acton, Jewel Holthus, Doetker, Parrish), 4:32.36a.
4x800 Relay—1. MHC, 10:06.72; 3. WP (Holthus, Lillian Dinnel, Ansley Bartels, Addalyn Einspahr), 11:38.09.
Shot Put—1. Kennedy Bailey, 39-10.50, DCS; 3. Peyton Cox, 37-06.50, WP; 6. GraCee Goings, 32-06.00, WP.
Discus—1. Chloe Anderson, 123-06.00, Loomis; 4. Goings, 108-04.00, WP; 6. Cox, 102-04.00, WP; 8. LiLeigh Littrel, 94-02.00, WP.
High Jump—1. Zeigh Booe, 5-03.00, Loomis; 2. Dinnel, 5-01.00, WP.
Triple Jump—1. Madysen Carlson, 35-08.25, Hitchcock County; 4. Parrish, 32-06.00, WP; 5. Dinnel, 31-07.25, WP.