Coach Mandy Taylor's Fort Calhoun boys team won Thursday's track and field meet at Louisville High School.
In taking first, the Pioneers contributed four of their school's five overall event wins, outscoring eight other schools competing on the Lions' track. Altogether, FCHS finished second overall when combining boys and girls team points, finishing with 188.75 to Syracuse's 276.
Preston Johnson and Lawson Tjardes were their team's most prolific point scorers. They each won an individual event to go with first place finishes on relay teams.
Johnson won the 200-meter dash in 23.32 seconds, while also contributing to victories in the 400- and 1,600-meter relays. He joined Alex Schuler, Clay Bohnenkamp and Michael Maxon to win the 400 in 45.09 before running the 1,600 with Blake Welchert, Tjardes and Matthew Kelly.
Tjardes won the individual mile in 4:46.68 in addition to his 1,600 relay victory.
Maxon (100 dash), Colby Bentley (discus) and Andrew Namuth (shot put) added second-place Fort Calhoun finishes, too, while Johnson (100 dash), Travis Skelton (3,200 run), Kelly (110 and 300 hurdles), Maxon (long jump), Ty Ringler (high jump) and Dylan Keyser (discus) scored third-place results for the Pioneers. Their schools' throwers relay team of Will Maxon, Esben Carter, Bentley and Keyser won its race, too.
Bria Bench, meanwhile, led Coach Taylor's girls Thursday, earning an event win in the high jump. The FCHS senior cleared a bar set at 5 feet, 1 inch.
Senior Raegen Wells and two Pioneer relay teams secured top-three finishes in Louisville, too. Wells took the bronze in shot put, clearing 30-9 with her best attempt.
Bella McLaughlin, Ari Nelson, Ella Bouwman and Kaylee Taylor, however, joined forces for their third-place efforts. They stopped the clock in 54.32 seconds during the 400 relay and 4:34.31 in the 1,600 team race.
Next, the Pioneers host their own invite today. It starts with field events at 1:30 p.m.
LOUISVILLE HIGH SCHOOL INVITE
Thursday at Louisville High School
BOYS
Top-6 FCHS Finishers
100-meter dash: 2, Michael Maxon, 11.54. 3, Preston Johnson, 11.61. 6, Clay Bohnenkamp, 11.8.
200 dash: 1, Johnson, 23.32.
400 dash: 6, TJ DeMilt, 57.42.
800 run: 4, Seth Waters, 2:19.84. 6, Johnathon Schwarte, 2:20.49.
1,600 run: 1, Lawson Tjardes, 4:46.68. 6, Will Dennis, 4:54.08.
3,200 run: 3, Travis Skelton, 11:15.2. 6, Jay Stoa III, 12:00.9.
400 relay: 1, FCHS (Alex Schuler, Bohnenkamp, Maxon, Johnson), 45.09.
1,600 relay: 1, FCHS (Blake Welchert, Tjardes, Matthew Kelly, Johnson), 3:42.58.
3,200 relay: 2, FCHS (Waters, Chris Post-Whiteowl, Dennis, Tjardes), 8:35.22.
Throwers relay: 1, FCHS (Will Maxon, Esben Carter, Colby Bentley, Dylan Keyser), 52.36.
110 hurdles: 3, Kelly, 16.33. 6, Trey King III, 18.15.
300 hurdles: 3, Kelly, 44.24. 4, Schuler, 44.49. 5, King III, 44.55.
Long jump: 3, Maxon, 19 feet, 8.75 inches.
Triple jump: 5, Welchert, 35-7.
High jump: 3, Ty Ringler, 5-6.
Pole vault: 4, DeMilt, 10-6.
Discus: 2, Bentley, 146. 3, Keyser, 139-10.
Shot put: 2, Andrew Namuth, 47-2.
GIRLS
Top-6 FCHS Finishers
100-meter dash: 6, Ari Nelson, 14.01 seconds.
3,200 run: 4, Bria Bench, 13:17.44.
400 relay: 3, FCHS (McLaughlin, Nelson, Ella Bouwman, Kaylee Taylor), 54.32.
1,600 relay: 3, FCHS (Nelson, Bouwman, McLaughlin, Taylor), 4:34.31.
3,200 relay: 5, FCHS, 12:41.79.
Throwers relay: 3, FCHS (Raegen Wells, Emily Warfield, Addie Benoit, Mollie Dierks), 1:05.57.
100 hurdles: 4, Madi Larrick, 18.04.
300 hurdles: 4, Taylor, 51.26.
Long jump: 4, McLaughlin, 14 feet, 10.25 inches.
Triple jump: 5, Taylor, 31-4.75.
High jump: 1, Bench, 5-1. 6, Emilee Thayer-Mencke, 4-8.
Pole vault: 6, Sam Brewer, 6-8.
Shot put: 3, Wells, 30-9.
