Holden Track And Field Teams Sweep Senior Night Home Meet

 

The Eagles and Lady Eagles track and field teams both recorded team victories during Holden’s Senior Night Holden Eagle Invitational Meet at Holden High School Friday, Apr. 11.

The Holden boys track and field team totaled 80 points to edge second-place team Pleasant Hill’s 78 team points.
The Holden girls team racked up 105.5 points to take the meet title as Pleasant Hill posted 96 team points to place second.
“I felt like this was the toughest meet we have had all year, it was fun to piece our teams together, and we were able to win both divisions at a full meet,” said Holden track and field coach David Diener. “ A lot of individual effort has to go into a team winning a meet, and you saw that from our seniors and the rest of our athletes in tonight’s meet.”

Prior to the meet, Holden track and field senior athletes Carson Agcopra, Aiden Christian, Sam Comer, Sauren Folson, Rett Hankins, Caleb Koehn, Latif Lusia, Danny Mailath, Ryan Mantzey, Ethan Rice, Joseph Samilin, Trent Stout, Graysen Thieman, Wade VanMeter, Kia Harmon, Lilee Keller, Grace Kendrick, Jenna McHenry, Ava Young, McCanna Gudde, Emilia Stuven, and Ruth van der Poel were introduced on the track at Holden High School Sports Complex. The four-year team members on this years teams were freshmen during coach Diener’s first season as head coach as he enters his fourth season leading the track and field athletes.

“Track is a sport that you get out what you put into it, and our athletes led by our seniors have really established a great track culture,” said coach Diener. “I think we will continue to have bigger classes out because of the environment our seniors have helped create and the success that has been generated because of that hard work. I am thankful that this many seniors have decided to spend their last few months of high school with our team and I am looking forward to getting more athletes out each year to continue the growth of our program.”

Eagles Take Home Meet Crown
The Holden boys team built to its first-place finish by turning in one first-place relay team finish, multiple top-three medal finishes, and several top-eight team points placings with most of the 14 senior team members contributing across the board.

“This was a meet that for us to win we would have to have some special performances,” said coach Diener. “Our relays scored good points, we had lots of boys finish just out of medals but got fourth and fifths for good teams points. Without those types of efforts we don’t win that meet. Some of our runners had full meets running in three to four events and they stepped up to the challenge. I though Rett’s and Wade’s performances in the relays were great. Ethan and Trent came through on tough legs of relays. Then, Sam had a big night scoring points for us in the sprints and sprint relays. Sauren and Agcopra got us points as well. Then, our younger guys supported those efforts led by the seniors. Thankful for this group and glad they were able to pull off a tough victory for the boys team.”

The Holden boys 4x800m relay team of seniors Wade VanMeter, Ethan Rice and Rett Hankins, and freshman Liam Claxton set the tone for the boys team by placing first in the first race of the day. The team turned in a time of 8:55 in its gold medal finish.

Hankins went onto place third in both the 1600m run and the 3200m run. Hankins timed out at 4:39 in the 1600, and clocked a time of 10:06 in the 3200.

“Rett is such a hard worker on his off days,” said coach Diener. “He is always out pushing himself, and the boys on his relays want to match his effort. Not only is he improving but he is leading other guys to better marks each meet as well.”
Hankins noted the team’s first-place finish in the 4x800m relay.

“We’ve never gotten first in a 4×800, so it’s a really good accomplishment for the team,” said Hankins. “We set an 11-second team PR, too.”

Hankins reached a time goal he set for himself in the 1600m run, and strategically worked to his third-place finish in the 3200m by passing and holding off a North Platte tunner.

“I’m just coming off a sickness, so I was really just trying to go sub-4:40, and work my way back to my PR,” said Hankins in regard to his 1600m run. “I was going for a 4:36. I went 4:39. I can’t be too mad about it because that’s my second fastest mile time, so good day, for sure.”

Hankins passed North Platte runner Drake Keraus late in the 3200m run as the two battled for a medal spot.

“With 800 to go, I tried to increase my gap distance because I knew if we were close, he could probably out-kick me,” said Hankins. “I realized it was just me and him for third place.”

For the Holden track and field senior athletes, including Hankins the home meet marked the final regular season meet of their careers, and the second season on the newly resurfaced track at Holden High School as the team worked to a title win against a large field of competitors.

“It’s really good compared to freshman and sophomore year when we had that other track,” said Hankins. “I just really feel like I like this track a lot. The competition at this meet is some of the most competition I’ve had at any meet ever.”
VanMeter scored team points with a seventh-place finish in the 800m run in a time of 2:09.

VanMeter closed out competition on the night by carrying the baton on final leg of Holden’s 4x400m relay team in a fourth-place finish as senior Trent Stout on the first leg, and sophomores Evan Killion and Brody Bockover composed the relay team.

“Wade was a big addition last year and even better as a senior,” said coach Diener. “He has improved into an even stronger runner this year.”

Senior sprinter Sam Comer scored points with a seventh-place finish in the 200m dash, and carried the baton in both the 4x100m relay, and the 4x200m relay in points finishes. Comer turned in an 11th-place finish in the 100m dash.
“Sam has worked hard all the way through,” said coach Diener. “It’s great to see his work ethic improve his natural talent.”
In the 200m dash, Comer timed out at 24.08 seconds.

In the 4x200m relay, Comer, Killion, Bockover, and junior Owen Doogs toted the baton to the finish line in a time of 1:35 to place fifth. That same group of runners placed seventh in the 4x100m relay.

Senior Graysen Thieman displayed his versatility by placing seventh in long jump and eighth in pole vault to score points. Thieman went 5.43m in the long jump pit, and cleared 3.2m in the vault. He placed 10th in the 300m hurdles with a time of 48.81 seconds, and 16th in the 100m dash with a time of 12.15 seconds.

“Graysen has turned himself into a great athlete,” said coach Diener. “All of the sudden he keeps finding himself in more and more events. We will dial him into exactly what we want for his state run, but right now he is able to score points for us and he likes doing any event we put him in.”

Senior Sauren Folson placed fourth in javelin with a distance of 44.18m for team points as Stout placed 31st, and senior Latif Lusia placed 38th. Folson placed ninth in high jump with a height of 1.65m.

Senior Carson Agcopra placed sixth in shot put with a distance of 12.69m to score points as Lusia placed 29th. Agcopra placed 19th in discus with a distance of 31m for Holden’s top discus finish on the day. Stout placed 31st in discus with Lusia placing 38th.

Senior Ryan Mantzey placed 16th in triple jump, 21st in long jump, and 27th in the 100m dash.

Rounding out senior athlete performances, Rice placed 19th in the 800m run, and Caleb Koehn placed 43rd in the 100m dash and 33rd in the 200m dash.

Sophomore pole vaulter Neil Tebbenkamp placed third in the event with a clearance of 3.65m.

“Neil keeps flying high on the pole vault and is much stronger and faster, so he is going to keep getting better as the weather keeps improving as well,” highlighted coach Diener.

Sophomore hurdler Dwight Meads placed third in the 110m hurdles for a medal finish and scored a team point in the 300m hurdles by placing eighth. Meads timed out at 17.25 seconds in the short barriers race, and clocked a time of 47.44 seconds in the long race.

Killion placed third in long jump with a distance of 5.73m to earn a medal spot.

Doogs placed fourth in triple jump with a distance of 11.86m.

Bockover placed sixth in the 400m dash with a time of 54.84 seconds.

Lady Eagles Secure Home Meet Title
The Holden Lady Eagles track and field team rose to the top of the field in the team scores by securing three first-place finishes, three second-place finishes, and three third-place finishes to claim medals, along with several fourth through eighth-place points placings.

“Our girls are very talented and have scored lots of points in multiple events,” said coach Diener. “ They will keep getting better as the weather warms ups and jumps, throws, and times all get better. I am thankful for their leadership and toughness they have brought to our girls team, and it has been led by this group of seniors. It was fun to see them go and win a tough meet as we know our conference and districts will also be tough meets that we have goals to go get.”

Senior team member Kia Harmon recorded the first-place title finish in high jump by clearing a height of 1.55m, and placed second in long jump with a distance of 4.49m….

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