Bison girls have a field day at GNAC

McCook sophomore Liviya Wier (left) placed in three events for McCook at North Platte during the GNAC championships on Thursday.

R.B. Headley/McCook Gazette

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — McCook Bison are soaring higher than ever at the track and field season’s most important time.

Any doubters should look up at GNAC high jump champion Alyssa Secord, who cleared 5’1” to surprise just about every foe from five larger schools challenging the Bison on Thursday.

“We had a great day,” coach Brent May proclaimed as McCook placed third overall behind only champion Columbus (119.5 points) and close runner-up Hastings (114).

“Big highlight was Alyssa Secord winning the high jump at 5’1” and going into our (McCook High) top 10 chart at No. 9 with three others,” May added.

The Bison delivered another GNAC championship when senior Mackenzie Smith captured another discus title at 123’10”.

Senior Jayceea Hanson placed second overall at 122’11”.

Smith, Hanson and freshman Sierra Kotschwar also delivered three of the GNAC’s five best shot put throws.

“We actually placed in all events we were entered in except one,” May observed. “We had four personal bests as well as a season’s best.”

McCook’s top track placing arrived with the GNAC grand finale Thursday evening.

Senior Laurel Schmidt, sophomore Liviya Wier, senior Robin Grigg and freshman Emma Dutton finished second behind only champion Columbus.

Wier took home three GNAC top six track places while Dutton placed in both hurdling events.

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — Team scores and McCook top six girls placers along with all GNAC champions on Thursday:

Teams: 1. Columbus 119.5, 2. Hastings 114, 3. McCook 86.5, 4. North Platte 75, 5. Scottsbluff 67, 6. Gering 62.

High jump: 1. Alyssa Secord, MC, 5’1”; 2. Randel, MC, 4’11”; 6. Liviya Wier, MC, 4’9”. Shot put: 1. A. Gerber, COL, 42’2”; 3. Mackenzie Smith, MC, 37’9”; 4. Jaycee Hanson, MC, 36’; 5. Sierra Kotschwar, MC, 35’9 1/2”. Discus: 1. Mackenzie Smith, MC, 123’10”; 2. Hanson, MC, 122’11”. Pole vault: 1. Garrett, COL, 13’; 4. Savannah Donovan, MC, 9’. Long jump: 1. M. Avila, SCOT, 16’5”; 3. Robin Grigg, MC, 15’10 1/2”. Triple jump: 1. E. Winkler, GER, 34’1 3/4”; 3. Brolin Morgan, MC, 33’4”.

100 meters: 1. J. Johnson, GER, 12.89; 6. Wier, MC, 13.43. 100-hurdles: 1. J. Garrett, COL, 15.74; 6. Emma Dutton, MC, 17.49. 200 meters: 1. P. Neff, NP, 26.92. 300-hurdles: 1. D. Sealey, HAST, 48.0; 4. Dutton, MC, 51.96. 400 meters: 1. T. Tuls, COL, 1:01.53; 6. Madison Tarencz-Rasmusen, MC, 1:10.54. 800: 1. J. Howard, SCOT, 2:34.57. 1600: 1. B. Holzworth, SCOT, 5:42.46. 3200: 1. Holzworth, SCOT, 12:04.67; 5. Elsi Rodewald, MC, 12:57.23.

400-relay: 1. Hastings 50.87; 4. McCook 52.23 (Laurel Schmidt-Wier-Grigg-Dutton). 1600-relay: 1. Columbus 4:16.03; 2. McCook 4:29.11 (Morgan-Grigg-Addison Randel-Jorlynn Chauncy). 3200-relay: 1. Hastings 10:51.3.