One of the first events of Tuesday's Fort Calhoun Invite came down to two Pioneers.
Both Bria Bench and Dala Drowne were trying to clear the high jump bar set at 5 feet, 2 inches.
“I was very nervous because it was my first time jumping over 5 foot,” Drowne said. “I achieved my goal and I was excited, but also really nervous.”
In the end, Bench — who didn't miss a jump until 5-2 — took first ahead of her second-place teammate. It was the first of four FCHS event wins on the afternoon as the girls took third and the boys were fourth.
“We both did a really good job,” Drowne said. “I'm very proud of Bria.”
The junior had a lot to be proud of, too. In addition to her individual silver, Drowne claimed two first-place finishes in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. She stopped the clock in 13.59 and 28.69 seconds, respectively.
Bench, meanwhile, was second place in the 1,600 and 3,200 runs. Also earning individual silvers were Angel Nelson (long jump) and Kaylee Taylor (triple jump).
The Pioneer girls — who finished behind first-place Douglas County West and Yutan — scored 100 total points. Their two second-place relay teams contributed 16. Drowne, Tess Skelton, Nelson, Kaitlyn Thalman, Xinzhi Huang, Harley Schwarte and Kylie Perfetti all participated in those efforts.
On the boys' side, Fort Calhoun's Lance Olberding earned a first-place finish in the 3,200-meter run. He made eight laps around the 400-meter track in 10:56.3 ahead of his second-place brother, Ely. Travis Skelton was fifth, too.
Lance Olberding was also third in the 800 and 1,600 runs.
The Pioneers' 400, 1,600 and 3,200 relay teams claimed bronze-medal status as well. Clint Dierks, Michael Pratt, Michael Maxon, Ethan Granger, Preston Johnson, Grayson Bouwman, Glenn Hunter, Tyler DeMilt, Lawson Tjardes, Eddie Lautrup, Angel Scott and Louis Diggins passed off the baton and collectively scored 18 of the boys' 66 team points.
Coach Mandy Taylor's FCHS squad next competes 10 a.m. Saturday at the Nebraska Capitol Conference meet in Yutan.
FORT CALHOUN INVITE
Tuesday at FCHS
BOYS
Team standings: Yutan 147, Douglas County West 118, Tekamah-Herman 69, Fort Calhoun 66, Mead 34, Omaha Christian Academy 26, Omaha Concordia 23, Scribner-Snyder 4, Bennington 3.
FCHS Top-6 Finishers
800-meter run: 3, Lance Olberding, 2:10.9.
1,600 run: 3, Lance Olberding, 5:11.9. 4, Lawson Tjardes, 5:12.3.
3,200 run: 1, Lance Olberding, 10:56.3. 2, Ely Olberding, 11:03.7. 5, Travis Skelton, 11:48.7.
Unified 100 dash: 1, Kameron Pringle, 15.16. 2, Morgan Ishii, 15.17.
400 relay: 3, FCHS (Clint Dierks, Michael Pratt, Michael Maxon, Ethan Granger), 46.6.
1,600 relay: 3, FCHS (Preston Johnson, Grayson Bouwman, Glenn Hunter, Tyler DeMilt), 3:48.6.
3,200 relay: 3, FCHS (Tjardes, Eddie Lautrup, Angel Scott, Louis Diggins), 9:54.64.
Throwers relay: 2, FCHS (Colton Miles, Matthew Claus, Jayce Douchey, Pratt), 53.39.
110 hurdles: 5, DeMilt, 19.26.
300 hurdles: 5, DeMilt, 47.41.
Triple jump: 6, Bouwman, 38 feet, 2 inches.
Unified long jump: 1, Ishii, 14-6. 2, Pringle, 10-1.5.
Discus: 4, Pratt, 113-9.
Shot put: 5, Dierks, 39-9. 6, Pratt, 39-6.5.
GIRLS
Team standings: DC West 133, Yutan 104, Fort Calhoun 100, Tekamah-Herman 58, Scribner-Snyder 40, Omaha Christian Academy 31, Concordia 20, Mead 7, Bennington 1.
FCHS Top-6 Finishers
100-meter dash: 1, Dala Drowne, 13.59 seconds. 5, Tess Skelton, 14.35.
200 dash: 1, Drowne, 28.69. 6, Skelton, 30.89.
1,600 run: 2, Bria Bench, 5:59.5.
3,200 run: 2, Bench, 12:38.1. 4, Kaitlyn Thalman, 14:05.9.
400 relay: 2, FCHS (Drowne, Skelton, Taylor, Angel Nelson), 54.7.
1,600 relay: 4, FCHS (Raegen Wells, Sammie Ladwig, Sam Brewer, Maddie Tinkham), 5:31.36.
3,200 relay: 2, FCHS (Thalman, Xinzhi Huang, Harley Schwarte, Kylie Perfetti), 11:39.7.
Throwers relay: 2, FCHS (Wells, Tinkham, Samantha Thomas, Mollie Dierks), 1:08.4.
300 hurdles: 5, Kaylee Taylor, 55.18.
Long jump: 2, Nelson, 15 feet, 2.5 inches.
Triple jump: 2, Kaylee Taylor, 31-5.25.
High jump: 1, Bench, 5. 2, Drowne, 5.
Discus: 6, Wells, 86-6.
