Gallatin R-5 senior Trisha Sprague hopes to have one surprise left for supporters who have watched her battle through a knee injury that would have sidelined athletes with less drive and determination.
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Gallatin R-5 senior Trisha Sprague hopes to have one surprise left for supporters who have watched her battle through a knee injury that would have sidelined athletes with less drive and determination.
Sprague, who tore an ACL in her knee at the height of basketball season, then postponed surgery in order to strap on a brace that allowed her to help the Lady Bulldogs drive to a district title, qualified for her third straight state track meet with Saturday’s second place finish in the shot put.
The GHS recordholder (37-7.75), Sprague threw 36-9 at North Platte’s Class 2 district, and will seek to better last season’s 5th place finish (37-4) in the Class 2 state championships. She won her first district title as a sophomore in 2004, and went on to finish 11th at state that year.
Gallatin junior Stephen Wood just missed qualifying for state in the 200-meter dash. He turned in the second best time in qualifying out of the preliminaries, an official 23.3 that tied the GHS record set by Jason Tolen in 1989. His time of 23.10 in the finals gave him an uncontested school record, and a third place district finish behind Trenton’s Zane Robinson (22.7) and Carrollton’s Damien Jones (22.6).
Gallatin’s boys finished with 23 points in Saturday’s district competition. Other top finishers for the Bulldogs were: Kyle Andrew, fifth in the shot put (43-9); Brett Wilkinson, 7th in the 300-meter hurdles (45.9); Cody Selby, 5th in the pole vault (10-6); Nic Burrell, 6th in the pole vault (10-6); Paul Hickey, 8th in the 3200-meter run; and the 4×800-meter relay team of Kayle Hefley, Mitch King, Nic Rogers and Kevin Chadwick, 6th in 9:12.60.
The Lady Bulldogs finished the competition with 22 points after the following medal performances: Kelly Critten, 6th in the pole vault (6-6); Tye Humphrey, 6th in the 100-meter hurdles (18.10) and 8th in the 300-meter hurdles (54.3); and the 4×800-meter relay team of Casey Sweatman, Kaddie Mott, Sam Mott and Marquis Wheeler, 7th in 11:31.
Winston sends two to state
Like Sprague, Winston’s Hannah Barker hopes to earn another state medal in the Class 1 competition. A 3rd place finisher in the state 100-meter hurdles last season, Barker will try again for a medal in that event after finishing second (17.28) in last Saturday’s district held at St. Joseph Christian.
Barker, who ran a 16.78 in the 2005 state meet, will compete in a 100-meter hurdles preliminary at 12:50 on Friday. The race finals will be held Saturday at 12:40.
Jared Lee finished second in Saturday’s district triple jump competition in St. Joe. He jumped 37-2.5 and will compete at state at 11 a.m. on Friday.