HNS Track Held a Reception to Celebrate Championship

HARTINGTON - It takes hunger to win a State Championship, and once that is won that hunger stays but the cravings change. To ice cream.

The Hartington-Newcastle Wildcats track team celebrated the boys Class C State Championship last week. As everyone still digested the accomplishment the Wildcats had some ice cream to help wash it down.

Hartington-Newcastle won the school's first state track title since the two school districts merged together. Hartington had last won a state championship in 2013, when they won the Class D title, snapping a 65 year draught from when the Wildcats had first won State Track in 1948.

This year, the Wildcats sent only four boys to the State Track & Field Championships in Omaha, and these competitors made sure to leave their mark.

Cole Schmidt started on Friday by placing second in the triple jump. He followed that on Saturday by winning the long jump, and placing second in the 100 and 200 meter dashes to score 34 total points.

Brian Santiago followed in points, placing third in the 1600 and 3200 meter runs, totaling 16 points. Lastly, Lincoln McPhillips placed third in high jump for the team's finall points.

Turner Korth was the Wildcats fourth competitor at State, competiting in the 300 meter hurdles, but he did not make the Finals.

The Wildcat boys were joined by seven Wildcat girl state qualifiers. Allie Rosener, Rayne Allvin, Belle Harms, Autumn Lammers, Abbe Morten, Evvie Krie, and Teagan Kneifl all competed in Omaha and watched the boys come home with the Class C State Championship trophy.

The competitors celebrated with an ice cream social on Wednesday, May 23rd, just days after the State Track & Field Championships. It allowed athletes, coaches, and parents to reflect on the remarkable season that they bore witness to.