Kevin Flesner and Nolan May have run in a lot of the same races during their four years at Arlington High School.
On Friday at Concordia University in Seward, though, the seniors split up for the 800- and 1,600-meter running events during the Bulldog Challenge's Forest Division meet. As a result, both Eagles earned meet records indoors, pushing their boys team to a first-place finish in coach Kyle Buckingham's first race day in charge.
AHS topped Central City by 20 team points, 85-65, to win, while the girls team — led by Hailey O'Daniel and Taylor Arp — earned third behind Yutan and Central City.
Flesner earned his gold medal victory in the 800 run with a time of 2:05.56. He also teamed with Trey Hill, Dallin Franzluebbers and May to win the 3,200 relay in 8:47.36.
May, meanwhile, set the meet record in the 1,600 run with a time of 4:42.18. He was 18.32 seconds faster than Arlington teammate Kolby Tighe, who took second in the event.
Kaden Foust and Dallin Franzluebbers earned individual event wins for Coach Buckingham, too. Foust — who also took second in the long jump — didn't earn the top seed during the 60-meter dash prelims, but he did win the finals in 7.21, pumping his fist after his time went official on the Concordia scoreboard.
Franzluebbers, however, won the Forest Division's 400 dash, clocking in at 53.82 seconds. He was a member of the Eagles' victorious 1,600 relay team with Foust, Hill and Trent Koger, too.
John Morrison, Koger and Zane Gerrish also earned top-6 individual finishes to score team points for AHS in the boys' team race.
O'Daniel and Arp, meanwhile, led the AHS girls' efforts in Seward. O'Daniel won both the 1,600-meter run and the long jump, while Arp claimed first in the discus — the only event contested outside Friday.
O'Daniel's winning time was 5:37.22, while she also cleared 16 feet, 3.75 inches in the long jump. Arp's best throw covered 112-4.
Austyn Flesner added a second-place effort in the 60-meter hurdles for Arlington, while both Whitney Wollberg (pole vault) and Hayley Arp (shot put) added third-place finishes in their events. Peyton Timm was sixth behind Taylor Arp in the discus, too.
The Eagles get back to work quick with a quadrangular against Douglas County West, Platteview and Wahoo today in Omaha at the College of Saint Mary. The indoor event starts at 2 p.m.
BULLDOG CHALLENGE
Forest Division
Friday at Concordia University
BOYS
Top-10 team standings: Arlington 85, Central City 65, Howells-Dodge 41.33, Doniphan-Trumbul 41, Yutan 37.33, Lincoln Lutheran 35, Fremont Bergan 22, Diller-Odell 22, Centennial 22, Fillmore Central 21.
Top-6 Arlington Finishers
60-meter dash: 1, Kaden Foust, 7.21 seconds.
400 dash: 1, Dallin Franzluebbers, 53.82.
800 run: 1, Kevin Flesner, 2:05.56.
1,600 run: 1, Nolan May, 4:42.18. 2, Kolby Tighe, 5:00.5.
3,200 run: 4, John Morrison, 11:29.17.
1,600 relay: 1, Arlington (Foust, Trey Hill, Trent Koger, Franzluebbers), 3:42.4.
3,200 relay: 1, Arlington (Flesner, Hill, Franzluebbers, May), 8:47.36.
Long jump: 2, Foust, 21 feet, 7.5 inches.
Triple jump: 4, Koger, 39-5.25.
Discus: 6, Zane Gerrish, 124.
GIRLS
Top-10 team standings: Yutan 88.11, Central City 61.11, Arlington 59, Doniphan-Trumbul 39.11, Centennial 37, Lincoln Lutheran 30.11, Deshler 30.11, Osceola 29.11, Omaha Brownell-Talbot 16, Meridian 15.11, Weeping Water 15.11.
Top-6 Washington County Finishers
200-meter dash: 6, Whitney Wollberg, 29.08.
400 dash: 4, Wollberg, 1:04.88.
1,600 run: 1, Hailey O'Daniel, 5:37.22.
60 hurdles: 2, Austyn Flesner, 10.18.
Long jump: 1, O'Daniel, 16-3.75.
High jump: 4, Flesner, 4-7.75.
Pole vault: 3, Wollberg, 9-5.75.
Discus: 1, Taylor Arp, 112-4. 6, Peyton Timm, 97-3.
Shot put: 3, Hayley Arp, 33-10.75.
