Osmond Tigers qualify for the 2022 state track meet

HUMPHREY — Thursday the Osmond track & field teams traveled to the Humphrey Sports Complex to compete in the D-3 district track meet. The weather was a factor in the day as it started very warm and windy, moved to hot, then in the afternoon, strong storms rolled through, causing a suspension of the meet for over an hour. When it was all over, the Tiger boys finished in fourth place and the girls in seventh, with a number of state qualifiers. In the order that they qualified,

In the order that they qualified, Bradee Gubbels was the first Tiger to qualify. Bradee hit a 20-ft., 3-in. long jump on his first attempt and was never challenged. Grace Gansebom hit a 15-ft., 7-in. long jump on her last attempt to finish in fourth place, but the distance was one of the next six best marks from all Class D districts, so she qualified as an additional qualifier.

Xander Brown moved into the finals of the discus with the second best throw of 135 ft., 2 in., but in the finals was overtaken and finished third. He found himself in the same situation as Grace in the long jump. Xander’s distance was one of the six next best distances in all Class D districts, so he will compete this week in Omaha.

On the track, the boys’ 3,200-relay team of Gavin Geneski, Hudson Schultze, Karter Johnson and Ryan Schmit won the event in a quality time of 8:48.72, ahead of Wynot, who also ran a good time of 8:51.07. The Tigers can now defend their state title from last season.

Senior Bodie True raced in a loaded field in the 400 meters. He ran a strong race and was clocked in a time of 52.92, very near his fastest ever. That time was fifth, but did qualify as did all the times ahead of him for the state meet. Winning time was 50.77, run by Randal Gronenthal of Humphrey-Lindsey Holy Family.

After the intermission, the finals of the boys’ 110 high hurdles found three Tigers in the field. Kaden Polt ran a solid race and a personal best time of 15.93 to finish second and qualify to run at state. Winning time run by Tyler Baue of Wausa was 15.78.

Cali Gutz needed a furious finish in the 800 meters to hold off Hannah Baumgart of St. Francis. She did just that and out-leaned the Flyer to win the 800 meters in a time of 2:30.50, her fastest ever. Baumgart’s time was 2:30.76.

The boys’ 300 hurdles again saw three Tigers place in the top six with Polt finishing second in his fastest time of 43.46. Wausa’s Baue edged him with a time of 42.29. Immediately after the running of the 200 meter finals, the stadium was cleared because of the approaching storm and the teams went to their buses for the next hour.

Following a 20 minute warm up session, the meet resumed. The final event of the day was the 1,600-relay.

The Tiger team of Bodie True, Schmit, Gavin Geneski, and Alex Vinson ran a very good race and were clocked at 3:36.73, close to their best ever, but were overtaken down the stretch by Wynot, who won the event in a really good time of 3:35.67. The Tigers qualified as one of the top 7 fastest times in all Class D districts.

The stadium was then asked to evacuate again because of another quickly-approaching storm, then the sirens began to sound.

“These teams and individuals did a great job of handling the heat early and the storm delays late to achieve their goals of moving on to state,” Coach Joe Ortmeier praised. “We did have other individuals who were very close to being additional qualifiers but just missed the mark.”

In the field events, Sophie Gansebom placed fifth in the high jump with her best leap ever of 4 ft., 7 in. Kiera Moes finished in fifth place in the triple jump with a distance of 30 ft., 9 in. Zach Reikofski made the discus final and Macy Aschoff made the girls’ shot put final, but neither placed.

The girls’ 3,200-relay team of Gutz, Grace Gansebom, Caydence Krienert, and Keli Aschoff finished in third place in a time of 11:28.85. Erica Heiman placed fifth in the 100 hurdles in a time of 17.92, her fastest time ever.

Moes and Riley Wagner also made the final, but did not place. The boys’ 110 high hurdles saw Polt second, and Owen Severson sixth in 19.12 and Jaxon Vinson just missing a medal.

Alex Vinson finished fourth in a very fast field in the 100 meters. His time was 11.97 and the winning time was 11.26 by Brody Krusemark of Pender.

Keli Aschoff placed sixth in the 3,200 meters in a time of 15:50.74. Dominic True finished fifth in the 3,200 meters in 11:49.74. Both races were run during the hottest part of the day.

Grace Gansebom made the finals of the 200 meters, but did not place. Bodie True and Alex Vinson both made the 200 meter finals. Bodie placed fourth in 24.16 and Alex sixth in 24.41. Winning time was by LHF’s Gronenthal in 22.96.

Schmit placed fifth in the 800 meters in 2:21.74. Heiman nearly qualified in the 300 hurdles, finishing in third place in a time of 52.17.

In the boys’ 300 hurdles, Polt was second, Severson was fifth in 46.86 and Jaxon Vinson was sixth in 48.23. All three of the boys’ 300 times were season’s best times.

Cali Gutz was sixth in the 1,600 meters in 6:12.57. Robert Aschoff was fifth for the boys in the 1,600 meters in his fastest time of 5:12.03.

The boys’ 400-relay team of Bodie True, Alex Vinson, James Doyle, and Hunter Buchanan finished fourth in a time of 48.58. The girls’ 1,600-relay team placed fourth in a time of 4:36.65, their fastest time this season. Team members were Grace Gansebom, Sophie Gansebom, Heiman, and Gutz.

“As noted with all the season’s best and personal best efforts, the Tigers were ready to compete with a tough group of district teams. I am very proud of everyone’s efforts and how hard the teams worked to get to this point in the season,” noted Coach Ortmeier. “We will miss all of our seniors who were great competitors and super leaders.”

Girls’ Scores

HSF ................................... 103

Wausa ................................. 75

Bloomfield .......................... 72

Wynot ................................. 69

Pender ................................. 68

H-LHF ................................ 47

Osmond .............................. 38

Scribner-Snyder .................. 29

Randolph ............................ 21

Winside ................................. 1

Walthill ................................. 0