Potter-Dix has strong start to track season

The Potter-Dix track teams opened up the season strong as the girls finished second and the boys took fourth place at the Kimball Invite held Saturday.

"I was pleased with the performances of both the girls and boys teams, and pleasantly surprised with the high finish of the girls team," Potter-Dix track coach Bob Hilpert said. "Athletes on both the girls and boys teams realized that there were some points left on the track, and there were some missed opportunities if they might have extended their comfort zones and maybe participated in another event or two where there might have been an opening."

On the boys side, the Coyotes were once again strong in the relays after returning three of four participants from last year's state qualifying teams in both the 4x400 and 4x800 meter relays. Potter-Dix easily won both events at Kimball. The 4x400 meter relay team of Cooper Hicks, Jake Johnson, Samuel Bogert and Cameron Purcell won in 3:48.89 and finished more than 10 seconds ahead of second place Hemingford. The 4x800 meter squad of Johnson, Bogert, Purcell and Cooper Hicks won in 9:07.72 and finished over 23 seconds ahead of second place Mitchell.

Johnson also excelled in the distances, winning the 1600 meter run in 4:59.50.

Rozelle won the high jump with a top leap of 6 feet, outdistancing Banner County's Kadan Huber by two inches. Rozelle also finished second in the long jump at 20 feet.

Freshman Payge Hoffman had a strong showing for the Potter-Dix girls in her first track meet. She won the 100 meter hurdles in 17.90 seconds, besting teammate and second place finisher Payton Franklin by over half a second. The Lady Coyotes also finished strong in the 300 meter hurdles, as Regyn Hicks took third, Hoffman finished fourth and Franklin finished fifth.

Ryley Hicks won the pole vault at 8 feet while teammate Franklin finished second at 7-6. The one-two punch of Regyn Hicks and McLaughlin led the way in the high jump, with Hicks winning at 5-02 and McLaughlin finishing second at 4-10.

In the throws, Alexus Rozelle took second in both the discus and shot put. Her top throw in the discus was 104-02, while it was 35-01.75 in the shot put. Cortney Lewis took third in the shot put at 34-11.25.

In the relays, Potter-Dix finished second in both the 4x400 and 4x800. The team of Hope Shepard, Hoffman, Presley Christensen and Regyn Hicks finished the 4x400 in 4:43.93, while the 4x800 squad of Shepard, Trinity Langley, Jourdan Langley and Ryley Hicks finished in 12:16.02.

Potter-Dix returns to the track Thursday as it travels to the Bayard Invitational.

Boys team standings

1. Mitchell 137.33

2. Kimball 85.33

3. Pine Bluffs 74

4. Potter-Dix 69.33

5. Hemingford 60

6. Banner County 34

7. Minatare 33

Boys results

200 meter dash

4. Cameron Purcell 24.89

1600 meter run

1. Jake Johnson 4:59.50

300 meter hurdles

4. Cooper Hicks 45.35

6. Coby Hicks 47.96

4x100 meter relay

4. Potter-Dix 46.66

(Kelsey Rozelle, Cameron Purcell, Samuel Bogert, Cooper Hicks)

4x400 meter relay

1. Potter-Dix 3:48.89

(Cooper Hicks, Jake Johnson, Samuel Bogert, Cameron Purcell)

4x800 meter relay

1. Potter-Dix 9:07.72

(Jake Johnson, Samuel Bogert, Cameron Purcell, Cooper Hicks)

Shot put

17. Justice Palmer 28-0

Discus

9. Ed Barnes 105-05

16. Justice Palmer 78-06

18. Levi Kasten 69-03

High jump

1. Kelsey Rozelle 6-0

5. Cole Christensen 5-06

Pole vault

3. Coby Hicks 11-0

6. Samuel Bogert 9-06

Long jump

2. Kelsey Rozelle 20-0

9. Cole Christensen 16-07.75

12. Dylan Nielsen 14-05

Triple jump

9. J.T. Herboldsheimer 29-10

Girls team standings

1. Mitchell 153

2. Potter-Dix 121

3. Pine Bluffs 77

4. Kimball 68

5. Hemingford 60

6. Banner County 18

7. Minatare 8

Girls results

100 meter dash

5. Hope Shepard 14.00

400 meter dash

5. Savannah Shaw 1:12.88

6. Anna McLaughlin 1:16.09

1600 meter run

6. Ryley Hicks 6:45.50

100 meter hurdles

1. Payge Hoffman 17.90

2. Payton Franklin 18.49

300 meter hurdles

3. Regyn Hicks 53.75

4. Payge Hoffman 56.40

5. Payton Franklin 58.31

4x100 meter relay

3. Potter-Dix 56.20

(Hope Shepard, Savannah Shaw, Payton Franklin, Trinity Langley)

4x400 meter relay

2. Potter-Dix 4:43.93

(Hope Shepard, Payge Hoffman, Presley Christensen, Regyn Hicks)

4x800 meter relay

2. Potter-Dix 12:16.02

(Hope Shepard, Trinity Langley, Jourdan Langley, Ryley Hicks)

Shot put

2. Alexus Rozelle 35-01.75

3. Cortney Lewis 34-11.25

Discus

2. Alexus Rozelle 104-02

6. Cortney Lewis 79-01

High jump

1. Regyn Hicks 5-02

2. Anna McLaughlin 4-10

Pole vault

1. Ryley Hicks 8-0

2. Payton Franklin 7-06

Long jump

9. Savannah Shaw 12-10

10. Jourdan Langley 12-08.75

12. Sara Gingerich 11-10

Triple jump

4. Trinity Langley 31-01.5

6. Presley Christensen 29-07

12. Sara Gingerich 27-02