Lopers Spend the Weekend in Topeka and Pittsburg

2/10/2024 10:36:00 PM

Kearney, Neb. – The women's distance medley relay team set a school-record to pace Nebraska Kearney track and field this weekend in Kansas.

A herd of Lopers competed in the Indoor Gorilla Classic and the Ichabod Invitational. Both meets began Friday and ran until Saturday evening.

At Pittsburg, the foursome of Mara Hemmer (Fremont), Nicole Messbarger (Kearney), Hannah Harrison (Gothenburg) and Charis Robinson (Olathe, Kan.) turned an 11:55.99 to place fourth overall and best the UNK standard of 11:58.81 set two years ago. The new record also ranks 30th nationally.

Not to be outdone, the men's DMR team finished fourth with the fourth fastest time (9:46.43) in school history. Moving up to 10th nationally are Payton Davis (David City), Micah Swedberg (Gothenburg), Zach Van Brocklin (Cortland) and Wes Ferguson (Fremont.).

Individually at Pitt, Van Brocklin ran a 4:09.15 in the mile to put his name on the national list and move up to seventh in Loper lore. Next, Mitchell Deer (Sidney) is now ninth all-time in the 400 (49.46) with Robinson (2:12.35) and Messbarger (2:13.44) having career-best efforts at 800-meters. Both are provisional times and move them up the Top 10. Finally, Maeli Meier (Overton) won the 600-yard run (1:25.05), Jordan Soto-Stopak was runner up in the 5,000 (17:37.47) and Alex Goracke (Giltner) had tosses of 65-9 (weight throw) and 55-2.75 (shot).

At Washburn, sophomore Brianna Russell (Stamford) had a career-best 5-8 to finish third in the high jump/invite. She now ranks eighth in D2 and fourth in the UNK annuals. In the men's pole vault/invite, Alex Homan (Creighton) had a season-best 16-2.25 to finish third while Jackson Clausen (Norfolk) ran a career-best 22.13 in the 200. Finally, Brayden Sorensen (Kearney) cleared 6-10.75 in the high jump/invite and Myles Bach (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) was runner up in the 5,000 (14:29.03).

The Loper Tune Up will be held next Friday in Cushing Coliseum with some Lopers headed to Lincoln for the NU Tuen Up at the same time.

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