Cross Country team claims L&C title

BLOOMFIELD - The Hartington-Newcastle cross country team has been running extremely well over the past few weeks.

On Friday, the boys' varsity team won the conference meet, edging out Osmond by two points. 

“it was insane,” said Dagen Joachimsen. “The fastest I’ve ever ran it felt like.”

Brayden Kathol agreed by saying, “It felt like you were flying.”

Kathol finished in first and Joachimsen in second in a tight race between Johnson Chishiba nad Jared Bessmer of Osmond.

Hartington-Newcastle would end up defeating Osmond by two points for the conference title. 

At Bloomfield, HNS had six runners finish in the top 16. Behind Kathol and Joachimsen, Bode Noecker finished in sixth, Sam Harms in 13th, Chase Lammers in 14th, and Parker Albers in 16th.

Since Harms was declared on the junior varsity team before the race, his placing did not count for HNS points, and he did not receive a medal despite his 13th place finish.

The girls ran strong as well. Sara Burbach did not compete, but Sara Reifenrath finished in third with Jayda Bernecker in sixth.

It is not just the varsity teams that have excelled this year. The junior high boys and girls teams have surpassed expectations and head coach Mandy Hochstein says she is eager for when the young runners can join varsity next year. 

For the junior high boys, a group of five runners have taken over meets. Carson Noecker, Carson Arens, Alan Santiago, Lukas Wortmann, and Jude Krie have each medaled recently. In Bloomfield, Arens placed fourth, Santiago sixth, Wortmann 11th and Krie 12th.

On Saturday the boys ran at the State Cross Country meet at Papillion-LaVista South and Carson Noecker finished in first out of 271 runners to win the Junior High State Cross Country Meet. 

The boys also finished in second place at the Pierce Junior High Invite behind Yankton. Noecker won that race as well.

For the junior high girls, Laney Kathol, Kylie Clinebell, Kalli Breen, and Ava Noecker have shown great promise. Kathol finished in sixth at Bloomfield and 15th at Pierce. Kathol was followed by Clinebell and Breen in Bloomfield, finishing ninth and 10th, respectively.

Now varsity will focus on the District meet on Thursday at the Boone Central-Albion country Club. Hartington will face off against Boone Central/Newman Grove, Columbus Lakeview, Columbus Scotus, North Bend Central, O’Neill, Ord, Pierce, St. Paul, Wayne, and West Point-Beemer in District C-2.

Conference Boys Top 15

Brayden Kathol, HNS, 18:12; Dagen Joachimsen, HNS, 18:12; Johnson Chishiba, Osmond, 18:13; Jared Bessmer, Osmond, 18:14; Graysen Shultze, Osmond, 18:48; Bode Noecker, HNS, 18:59; Toby Heinemann, Winside, 19:05; Cory Martinson, Bloomfield/Wausa, 19:06; Ryan Bathke, LCC, 19:10; Alex Carlson, Winside, 19:12; Dillon Olson, LCC, 19:18; Ryan Schmit, Osmond, 19:22; Sam Harms, HNS JV, 19:25; Chase Lammers, HNS, 19:26; Willie Wingett, Winnebago, 19:32.

Conference Girls Top 15

Jade Rickard, Plainview, 20:32; Bree Eisenhauer, Bloomfield/Wausa, 21:03; Sara Reifenrath, HNS, 21:46; Ann Woockman, Bloomfield/Wausa, 22:06; Brooklyn Kumm, Plainview, 22:07; Jayda Bernecker, HNS, 22:28; Hannah Hubers, Bloomfield/Wausa, 22:31; Ella McFarland, Bloomfield/Wausa, 22:41; Addison Villwok, Randolph, 22:48; Emily Woockman, Bloomfield/Wausa, 23:12; Kaydi Daudt, Plainview, 23:25; Kate Bruns, Bloomfield/Wausa, 24:07; Jayla Price, Winnebago, 24:32; Mackenzie Schram, Ponca, 24:49; Nayeli Cabrales, Ponca, 24:58.

Pierce Junior High Invite Boys Top 15

Carson Noecker, HNS, 11:00; Kolter Van Pelt, Stanton, 11:12; Isaac Ochoa, Norfolk, 11:13; Mesuidi Ejerso, South Sioux City, 11:40; Mac Ryken, Yankton, 12:18; Gavin Geneski, Pierce, 12:21; Ty Lammers, Norfolk Catholic, 12;24; Oliver Dooley, Yankton, 12:26; Alan Santiago, HNS, 12:32; Ashton Koch, Pierce, 12:34; Carson Arens, HNS, 12:36;; Hunter Schultz, Wayne, 12:37; Isaiah Schelhass, Yankton, 12:38; Cesar Martinez, Norfolk; 12:39; Owen Ash, Norfolk Catholic, 12:42.

Pierce Junior High Invite Girls Top 15

Shae Rumsey, Yankton, 13:05; Esther Protzman, Norfolk, 13:11; Taeya Waggerman, Norfolk, 13:46; Laura Hasermann, Wayne, 13:54; Molly Meier, Norfolk, 13:57; CC Kann, Norfolk Catholic, 14:02; Fatima Lucas-Garcia, Wayne, 14:06; Nicole Hasebrock, Norfolk, 14;08; Hannah Baumgart, Humphrey St. Francis, 14:10; Claire Terishinski, Yankton, 14:13; Nora Welker, Yankton, 14;17; Rachel Mortimer, Norfolk, 14:18; Elizabeth Novak, Yankton, 14:19; Nishyia Ponniah, Norfolk Public, 14;26; Laney Kathol, HNS, 14:29.

Junior High State Championships Boys Top 15Carson Noecker, HNS, 10:09.10; Drew Arduser, Lux, 10:20.3; Isaac Ochoa, Norfolk, 10:20.6; Kolter Van Pelt, Stanton, 10:32.5; Jace Freeseman, Gordon-Rushville, 10:47.1; John Brase, La Vista, 10:48.2; Grant Hunsaker, Millard North, 10:48.7; Quintin Kara, Papillion, 10:54.1; Nate Billey, Garden County, 10:55; John Fiedler, Liberty, 10:56.6; Carter Holen, Lincoln Christian, 10:59.7; Christian Townsend, Norris, 11:06.2; Joey Hartnett, Russell, 11:06.6; Elijah Dix, Plattsmouth, 11:06.9; Kyler Seaman, Westside, 11:08.1.