For most, the 2015 track and field season came to an end yesterday as every team around the state had their district meet. For those athletes who looked to seal their ticket to the state meet May 21-22 at Burke High School, the pressure was on. In order to make it to the state meet, athletes or relay teams must place in the top three in their district. The Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) then takes the next four fastest times from around the state, regardless of district.

This year Westside did well in district A-2. The boys finished third overall while the girls finished fourth.

On the boys side, there were several athletes and teams who punched a ticket to Burke in the coming week. In the first event, the 4×800 relay team of Jakob Phillips, Abdi Abdinasir, Aaron Duin and Alec Reilly won first place. Later on, jumpers Njali Kowa and KaVon Neelon hit the automatic qualifying distances for long jump (Kowa later qualified for triple jump as well.) As the meet progressed, sophomore Milo Greder placed second in the two-mile run with a time of 10:08.67. The qualifiers though kept coming as Jakob Phillips once again qualified for the mile with a time of 4:27.78. Junior Michael Merical also qualified in the 400 meter dash, as he placed third with a time of 50.42.

The meet ended on a good note for the boys. Both the 4×100 meter relay, made up of Logan Duryee, Njali Kowa, Michael Merical and Braxton Anderson, and the 4×400 meter relay, composed of Sam Frankel, Abdi Abdinasir, Michael Merical and Jakob Phillips, qualified for the state meet. This made it the third event for both Merical and Phillips.

“[Qualifying for three events] is something that I’m proud of,” Phillips said. “I couldn’t have done it without the rest of the guys on both relays I ran.”

On the girls side, the meet was kicked off by a state bid as the 4×800 meter relay team who included: Joslyn Frost, Grace Ward, Taylor Butler and Quinn Weidemann, placed third. Just like the boys, the girls sent all three relay teams. Both the 4×100 meter relay (Annie Bradford, Regan Johnson, Jaylen Knight and Nachia Olsen) and the 4×400 meter relay (Joslyn Frost, Regan Johnson, Quinn Weidemann and DeKyah Rosemond), qualified through the wildcard spot. Freshman Caroline Leibel also qualified in the high jump.

To see full results of district track visit the NSAA website here. Also support the Warriors next Friday and Saturday, May 21-22 at Burke High School.