Lady Bear runners punch ticket to State

NORFOLK — The Laurel-Concord-Coleridge Lady Bear cross country team grabbed a ticket to this week’s Nebraska Cross Country Championships with a third-place showing at the D-2 District Meet held at Skyview Lake Park in Norfolk Oct. 16.

Shane Langford posted a 12th-place ticket to get a spot in the van headed south.

Crofton won the girls’ title with 10 points, Ponca was second with 27 and the Lady Bears were third with 34.

Homer was fourth with 54 and Oakland-Craig was fifth by virtue of a tie-breaker, also with 54.

Kate Tasler was the top LCC finisher, crossing the mat in 22-minutes, 11.80-seconds which put her in eighth place overall and seventh in the team scoring.

Teammate Leah Gould was 11th overall and ninth in the team scoring in 22:36.10.

Addy Hoeppner was 21st overall and 18th in the team scoring with a time of 23:56.40 and Faith Galvin was 34/31st in 24:56.90.

Crofton freshman Avery Arens literally ran away from the field finishing the 5,000-meter course in 17:53.70 over two minutes in front of Ava Brennan of Ponca with a 20:38.00.

Norfolk Catholic won the boys’ title with a team score of eight, Homer was second with 21 and Stanton took the last ticket with a 42.

The Bears used a score of 67 to place sixth. After Langford, Owen Johnson was 28/26th with a 20:32.50, Sebastian Van Drongelen was 31-29th in 21:07.10 and Hunter McGhee was 42/39th in 22:04.30.

Luke Jackson was 57th in 24:09.50. The 2025 Nebraska Cross Country Championships will be at the Kearney Country Club Oct. 24 with the Lady Bears set to run at noon. Langford and the Class D boys start at 1 p.m.

CLASS D-2 DISTRICT CROSS COUNTRY MEET Skyview Lake Park, Norfolk Girls Team Results (Top 3 Qualify for State): 1. Crofton 10; 2. Ponca 27; 3. LCC 34; 4. Homer 54; 5. Oakland-Craig 54; 6. Norfolk Catholic 56; Stanton 57; 8. Tri County NE 66; 9. Wisner-Pilger 94; 10. Tekamah-Herman 113; 11. Wakefield 116; 12. Lyons-Decatur 143.

Individual Results (Top 15 Qualify for State and LCC Finishes): 1. Avery Arens (CRO) 17:53.70; 2. Ava Brennan (PON) 20:38.00; 3. Azlynn Johnson (STA) 21:01.10; 4. Cecilia Wortmann (CRO) 21:49.90; 5. Sophia Wortmann (CRO) 21:34.00; 6. Callie Fischer (LUTHERAN HIGH NORTHEAST) 21:51.50; 7. Jalie Meyer (O-C) 22:05.90; 8. Kate Tasler (LCC) 22:11.80; 9. Avery Brummels (WINSIDE) 22:23.30; 10. Addyson Chytka (PON) 22:25.10; 11. Leah Gould (LCC) 22:36.10; 12. Hudsyn Stout (CRO) 22:47.00; 13. Ellinor Johnson (O-C) 22:51.00; 14. Ashley Mendez (NC) 23:00.60; 15. Alejandra Hermosillo (TCNE) 23:09.50; 21/18. Addy Hoeppner (LCC) 23:56.40; 25/22. Ava Christiansen (LCC) 24:14.10; 34/31. Faith Galvin (LCC) 24:56.90. Boys Team Results (Top 3 Qualify for State): 1. Norfolk Catholic 8; 2. Homer 21; 3. Stanton 42; 4. Crofton 52; 5. Oakland-Craig 62; 6. LCC 67; 7. Tekamah-Herm 80; 8. Tri County NE 90; 9. Ponca 91; 10. Wisner-Pilger 93; 11. Pender 99; 12. Bancroft-Rosalie 131; 13. Lutheran High NE 131. Individual Results (Top 15 Qualify for State and LCC Finishes): 1. Teddy Haake (NC) 17:33.50; 2. Andrew Kastl (NC) 17:54.70; 3. Gannon Pfister (PON) 18:18.60; 4. Aayden Harris (HOM) 18:22.40; 5. Jonah Ash (NC) 18:23.70; 6. Kaden Arens (CRO) 18:42.80; 7. William Bryant (STA) 18:54.30; 8. Caden Barclay (HOM) 18:57.90; 9. Jeff Fogarty (HOM) 19:01.40; 10. Patrick Rayburn (OC) 19:03.30; 11. Sylas Delmont (W-P) 19:07.40; 12. Shane Langford (LCC) 19:17.50; 13. Jude Rudenour (TCNE) 18:18.50; 14. Blaise Kaan (NC) 19:19.50; 15. Mason Mckie (STA) 19:20.80; 28. Owen Johnson (LCC) 20:32.50; 29. Sebastian Van Drongelen (LCC) 21:07.10; 42. Hunter Mc-Ghee (LCC) 22:04.30; 57. Luke Jackson (LCC) 24:09.50.