Loper Athletics
KEARNEY – The Nebraska Kearney track and field team won 12 events at the annual Charlie Foster Classic Friday night in Cushing Coliseum.The non-team scoring meet also featured competitors from Fort Hays State, Hastings College, Dodge City C.C. and Garden City C.C. The Lopers have one more home indoor meet — the Loper Tune Up – on Feb. 16. Veterans Alex Goracke (Giltner), Nicole Messbarger (Kearney) and Brayden Sorensen (Kearney) paced the Blue & Gold with the men having seven first place finishes and the women five. Goracke had a career-best 56-6 toss in the shot put, Sorensen went 7-0.25 to win the high jump with Messbarger taking Gold in the 400 (56.82). Goracke now ranks seventh in school-history in the shot and is in the Top 15 in D2 with Messbarger and Sorensen just off their career-best efforts. Finally, Messbarger’s time goes to a track-converted 55.68 which ranks eighth nationally. Also on the women’s side, Gothenburg senior Hannah Harrison won the 800 thanks to the eighth best time in Loper lore (2:15.26) with Kansas freshman Charis Robinson (2:16.03) right behind in second. Harrison joines Robinson on the national list. Next, Danneborg freshman Sydney Davis and Stamford sophomore Brianna Russell both reached 5-5.75 in the high jump with Davis winning and three other Lopers getting to 5-1.75. Finally, Kansas junior Slayten Braun won the 60-meter dash (7.88) with Albion junior Jordan Soto-Stopak having the best time (5:10.37) in the all-Loper mile.Besides Goracke and Sorensen, Ravenna junior Jack Drahota won the 60-hurdles (8.27), Wallace senior Micah Swedberg was tops in the 400 (49.08), Iowa senior Myles Bach was first in the mile (4:14.18) and Gretna sophomore Clayton Kelly leaped 22-8.75 to lead the field in the long jump. Swedberg’s time drops to a track-converted 47.84 to put him eighth on the national list. In the 800, four Lopers used that conversion to have provisional efforts led by Cortland junior Zach Van Brocklin (1:51.58). Finally, Kansas senior Evan Prohaska had a 60-4.50 heave in the weight throw to come in second behind Goracke (64-7.75). UNK heads to Lincoln and Crete next weekend.