Final McCook highlight recaps from Bader Invitational

McCook senior Evan Pilgrim (left) and Gary Shafer finish the 200-meter prelims at Lexington on Friday.

Rebecca Steward/Syndicate Publishing

LEXINGTON, Neb. — Coach Tom Sughroue praised his McCook Bison for conquering “gale force” winds and achieving some great feats at Friday’s Don Bader Invitational.

“Branson McDonald vaults 15’ in the windy conditions is very impressive!” Sughroue confirmed. “Alex Messersmith wins the triple jump with a mark of 43’10”. Hayden Norgaard vaults a career best 13’6” is also a very good mark for the weather conditions. Most of the events on the track were affected by the weather. Not that we didn’t compete well! With winds gusting over 60 miles per hour, events on the track are going to be affected.”

GIRLS

The bus left Lexington early on Friday but not until McCook High’s girls had won three Don Bader Invite titles along with other high places.

“The weather was obviously terrible, high winds and 95 degrees don’t make for a great day,” coach Brent May confirmed. “Our team performed well though.”

No Bison rose to the challenge better than vaulter Chayse Friehe, who soared through all that crazy wind to her career-high mark of 10’6”.

Friehe won the Bader pole vault while junior Shawna Wilkinson took home both 400 and 800-meter championships.

“Chayse has been working for this for a long time and its great to see her achieve it,” May prcoalimed. “Coach (Bills) Ramsay believes she will vault even higher this year and the prospects for her senior look great as well. Wilkinson was able to fight off three Class A Kearney Bearcats all running their career-best 800 times.

“Shawna had another great day,” May confirmed.

Junior Leah Spencer stepped to join Shawna in the 800 top five.

Senior Emma Dutton delivered a superb trio of top three places in her 200 meter, 100-hurdles and 300-hurdles races.

Senior Sierra Kotschwar took third among discus throwers just a week after setting McCook High’s new all-time record of 134’6 1/2”. She topped Mackenzie Smith’s previous Bison best 134’4”.

“ We decided because strong winds and challenges to the drive home from Lexington that we would not run the last two relays,” May concluded.

All McCook High and top eight Gazette-area placers at the Don Bader Invitational on Friday.