Area state track qualifiers

  • Jayden Slagle will compete in the long and triple jumps at the state track meet.
    Jayden Slagle will compete in the long and triple jumps at the state track meet.
  • Giltner's girls won a district championship powered by six state qualifiers.
    Giltner's girls won a district championship powered by six state qualifiers.
  • Brodey Spurling will compete in three events in Omaha, the long jump, triple jump and 100 meter dash.
    Brodey Spurling will compete in three events in Omaha, the long jump, triple jump and 100 meter dash.
  • H&H's Trent Goertzen is a state qualifier in both the 1600 run and the 3200 relay.
    H&H's Trent Goertzen is a state qualifier in both the 1600 run and the 3200 relay.

    Unofficially, the Hamilton County area is sending 33 athletes to next week's state track and field championships to Burke Stadium. 

    The Huskies feature a total of 12 state qualifiers, six apiece on the boys and girls side. Boys qualifiers include Jayden Slagle, who will compete in both the long and triple jump events after setting a new state-wide best mark of 49-6.5 during district competition. That puts him within striking distance of Holdrege's Todd Brown, who set a state and state meet record of 50-2.25 in 1978. 

    Aurora also qualified all three of its shot putters with Collin Stolpe, Jayden Smith and Derek Russell. Russell will also compete in the discus, currently having the best Class B throw of the season at 192-1.

    Peter Russell will compete for the Huskies in the pole vault while Colten Nachtigal is the lone boys competitor on the track in the 110 and 300 hurdle events. 

    For the Lady Huskies, Stella Peterson will battle in both the long and triple jumps while Kaitlyn Staehr will also compete in the triple jump. Novella Stevens is a qualifier in the discus while Josie Fink will compete in the high jump. 

    On the track, Jordyn Slagle qualified in the 400 meter dash while herself, Savanna James, Staehr and Peterson will battle in the 400 meter relay. 

    Giltner's girls claimed another district track title powered by six qualifiers. Kailyn Wilson qualified in the discus while Peyton Schutt will make a return effort in the pole vault. 

    The Lady Hornets will have its 3200 relay of Jayci Buettner, Breslyn Hunnicutt, Avery Reeson and Gracie Kreutz compete. Reeson qualified for the 1600 for a fourth year in a row while Kreutz qualified in the 800. Schutt will race in the 100 hurdles while Buettner qualified in the 300 hurdles. 

    Giltner's lone boys qualifier is Braxton Cady, who punched a ticket in three events -- the triple jump, high jump and 300 hurdles.

    For High Plains, the Storm features three boys qualifiers as Brodey Spurling competes in the long jump, triple jump and 100 dash. Levi Russell qualified in the 200 dash while Colin Howell will compete in the triple jump.

    The Storm girls have two relays qualified, including its 3200 and 1600 teams. The 3200 team consists of Peyton Hofmann, Bailey Gress, Jacey Dubas and Dakota Gress. The 1600 team is made up of Peyton Hofmann, Bailey Gress, Gahvi Lesiak and Dakota Gress.

    Unofficially, H&H has five boys qualifiers for the state meet. Trent Goertzen will race in the 1600 while its 3200 relay team of Goertzen, Mason Wiens, Brooks Burgess and Holden Switzer will run. Maddox Regier will battle in the high jump as the Bearcat boys lone field event. 

    H&H's lone girls qualifier is Tara Buzek, who punched a ticket in the 800 run. 

    The Class A and B portion of the state track and field championships from Omaha Burke runs May 20-21 with Class C and D May 22-23.