Lopers Split Up, Compete at Concordia & Nebraska

2/5/2022 6:54:00 PM

Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney track and field team won nine events (four women and six men) at the Concordia Classic and Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational this weekend in Seward and Lincoln.

The split-squad saw some Lopers compete Friday in Seward with another herd in Lincoln taking part in a two-day meet. Both events were non-team scored and featured a variety of competition.

At UNL, redshirt freshman Wes Ferguson (Fremont) broke his own school-record in the 800 by running a winning-time of 1:49.53. The effort came in the "special invite session" on Saturday evening as he came in ahead of AJ Green from Kansas (1:50.60). Already ranked number one in D2 in this event, Ferguson's old record of 1:50.00 happened January 22 at Northwest Missouri. Wes Ferguson

In other "special invite sessions", juniors Seth Simonson (Hastings) and Luke Stuckey (McCool Junction) turned in career-low efforts in the mile. Simonson was fourth (4:08.71) with Stuckey seventh (4:10.03); both are all-time top 10 efforts. Next, the 4x4 relay team came in third with the 10th fastest time (3:18.89) in Loper lore. That foursome consisted of junior Micah Swedberg (Wallace), sophomore Jack Drahota (Ravenna), Simonson and senior Cole Willis (Kearney). Finally, the women's mile saw Maddie Bach (Cedar Rapids, Ia.) place sixth with a time just off her career-best (5:02.83).

Earlier on Saturday, sophomore Myles Bach (Cedar Rapids, Ia.) turned in a 4:09.00 mile (invitational) to win. He was nearly four seconds ahead of the runner up with his time placing him in the Division II Top 35 and moving him into fourth on the UNK all-time list. A day earlier, junior Ben Arens (Ainsworth) won the 5,000 with a career-best 14:35.45. He was one of three Lopers in the top sixth with a time that vaults him into fifth place on the record board. Finally for the men at UNL, sophomore Brayden Sorensen (Kearney) cleared 6-10.75 to place third in the high jump and finish ahead of seven D1 athletes with Willis having a career-low 1:21.83 in the 600-meter run to be seventh. That is another top 10 time.

The UNK women saw junior Sinclare Fiala (Ulysses) win the mile on Saturday thanks to a 5:14.39 with freshman Mara Hemmer (Fremont) fourth at 800 meters. That time ranks sixth best in UNK history. Also cracking the records books was sophomore Grace Bonsall (Kearney H.S.) in the 5,000. She had a 17:58.84 on Friday night to finish third.

At Concordia, senior Andrew Schuller (Central City) had a season-best 60-3.75 to win the weight throw. That moves him into the D2 Top 40. Next, junior Ross Berggren (Batavia, Ill.) won the shot thanks to a 52-6 with junior Justin Spencer (Mitchell) clearing 15-3 to take the pole vault. He was one of five Lopers in the top six with two teammates also reaching 15-3.

On the women's side, sophomore Abby Everitt (O'Neill) won the high jump (5-3), the 4x4 relay team placed second thanks to a 4:01.12, junior Baylee Alstrom (Funk) turned in a 5:12.21 mile to place first and junior Cassidy Snyder (Holdrege) was first in the shot (44-1.50) and second in the weight throw (54-3.75).

The Lopers head to Topeka, Kan., next Saturday for the Washburn Invite. A small group of men will run at Pittsburg State as well.

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