After a couple of weather postponements, the Arlington High School track and field team was a late addition to Thursday's Douglas County West Invitational.
Fort Calhoun was scheduled to be in Valley from the start of the season, but it was far from alone. The host Falcons noted on social media a day before the meet that “571 athletes will compete at our home track invite tomorrow!”
In the end, though, three Washington County teams secured top-four team finishes at the stacked event. The AHS boys took second, while the Eagle girls and the FCHS boys earned fourth, respectively.
The Pioneer girls finished 10th, too.
Distance runners lead Arlington
Hailey O'Daniel and Nolan May won individual events in Valley, leading coach Kyle Buckingham's Arlington squad.
O'Daniel finished the 1,600-meter run in 5:29.49, while May ran double the distance in 10:08.39 for his first-place result. The latter Eagle also contributed to his squad's victorious 3,200 relay team. Trey Hill, Dallin Franzluebbers, Kevin Flesner and he finished in 8:29.45.
AHS' Kevin Flesner, Whitney Wollberg, Britt Nielsen and Zane Gerrish finished just out of first place in second Thursday, too. Flesner and Wollberg finished their 800-meter runs in 2:04.56 and 2:33.89, respectively, while Nielsen's best discus attempt covered 103 feet, 6 inches of ground.
Gerrish's second-place shot put effort traveled 45-6.5.
The Eagles' 1,600-meter relay squad of Franzluebbers, Trent Koger, Hill and Flesner took runner-up honors as well, stopping the clock in 3:40.74.
Additionally, Arlington's Kelise Krivohlavek, Franzluebbers, Jacob Beans, Cameron Hancock and Koger contributed individual third-place finishes. Their Eagles next compete in a varsity meet Friday at Wahoo.
FCHS' DeMilt, Johnson win events
TJ DeMilt and Preston Johnson led coach Mandy Taylor's Fort Calhoun track team Thursday in Valley.
The Pioneers won events with DeMilt pole-vaulting over a bar set at 12 feet, 6 inches.
Johnson, meanwhile, claimed the 200-meter dash title in 23.99 seconds. The sprinter added a second gold-medal effort in the 400 relay alongside teammates Clay Bohnenkamp, Blake Welchert and Michael Maxon. Collectively, they stopped the clock in 44.87.
Johnson was second in the 100 dash as well, crossing the finish line in 11.6 seconds.
Lawson added another runner-up result for Calhoun in the 1,600 run. The senior finished four laps around the track in 4:49.78.
Bria Bench, meanwhile, secured the FCHS girls' top finish. The senior was second in the high jump, clearing a bar set at 5 feet high.
Lastly, Michael Maxon notched the Pioneers' lone individual third-place finish. He stopped the 100-meter dash clock in 11.62 just behind Johnson.
Fort Calhoun next competes 11 a.m. today at Logan View before Saturday's meet in Wahoo.
DOUGLAS COUNTY WEST INVITE
Thursday in Valley
BOYS
Team standings: DC West 83, Arlington 74, Elkhorn Mount Michael 70, Fort Calhoun 66, Omaha Concordia 46, Palmyra 42, Syracuse 39, Elmwood-Murdock 36, Boys Town 26, Conestoga 25, Cedar Bluffs 7, Weeping Water 5, Cornerstone Christian 4, Omaha Christian Academy 4.
Top-6 Washington County Finishers
100-meter dash: 2, Preston Johnson, FCHS, 11.6 seconds. 3, Michael Maxon, FC, 11.62.
200 dash: 1, Johnson, FC, 23.99.
400 dash: 3, Dallin Franzluebbers, AHS, 54.56.
800 run: 2, Kevin Flesner, A, 2:04.56.
1,600 run: 2, Lawson Tjardes, FC, 4:49.78.
3,200 run: 1, Nolan May, A, 10:08.39. 4, Kolby Tighe, A, 10:34.07.
400 relay: 1, FCHS (Clay Bohnenkamp, Blake Welchert, Maxon, Johnson), 44.87.
1,600 relay: 2, AHS (Franzluebbers, Trent Koger, Trey Hill, Kevin Flesner), 3:40.74. 5, FCHS (Johnson, Welchert, Maxon, Matthew Kelly), 3:47.71.
3,200 relay: 1, AHS (Hill, May, Franzluebbers, Flesner), 8:29.45. 4, FCHS (Travis Skelton, Chris Post-Whiteowl, Will Dennis, Tjardes), 8:44.91.
300 hurdles: 5, Alex Schuler, FC, 45.34. 6, Kelly, FC, 45.96.
Triple jump: 3, Koger, A, 40 feet, 3 inches.
Pole vault: 1, TJ DeMilt, FC, 12-6. 3, Cameron Hancock, A, 10. 5, Hill, A, 9-6. 6, Trey King III, FC, 9-6.
Discus: 4, Andrew Namuth, FC, 137-11.
Shot put: 2, Zane Gerrish, A, 45-6.5. 3, Jacob Beans, A, 45-1.5.
GIRLS
Team standings: Syracuse 107.5, DC West 68, Conestoga 57, Arlington 50, Elmwood-Murdock 35, Cedar Bluffs 35, Palmyra 35, Cornerstone Christian 32, Boys Town 26, Fort Calhoun 24.5, Concordia 21, Mead 12, Omaha Brownell-Talbot 12, Omaha Christian Academy 12.
Top-6 Washington County Finishers
800-meter run: 2, Whitney Wollberg, AHS, 2:33.89. 3, Kelise Krivohlavek, A, 2:35.53.
1,600 run: 1, Hailey O'Daniel, A, 5:29.49.
400 relay: 5, FCHS (Ari Nelson, Bella McLaughlin, Ansley Elofson, Kaylee Taylor), 55.44.
1,600 relay: 4, AHS (Wollberg, Rylie Kyllo, Krivohlavek, O'Daniel), 4:29.62. 5, FCHS (Madi Larrick, Nelson, Maelie Nelson, Taylor), 4:30.35.
100 hurdles: 5, Austyn Flesner, A, 18.03.
300 hurdles: 5, Larrick, FC, 53.8.
Long jump: 4, O'Daniel, A, 15 feet, 9 inches. 5, McLaughlin, FC, 15-5.
Triple jump: 6, Taylor, FC, 31-6.
High jump: 2, Bria Bench, FC, 5. 6, Afton Byelick, FC, 4-6.
Pole vault: 4, Wollberg, A, 8. 5, Byelick, FC, 7.
Shot put: 4, Jaydin Allen, A, 31-1.5. 5, Mollie Dierks, FC, 31.
Discus: 2, Britt Nielsen, A, 103-06. 5, Dierks, FC, 98-5. 6, Raegen Wells, FC, 98-1.
