Senior thinclads bid farewell at Zowada Invite

Cory Griffith
Posted 5/2/18

NCHS track and field seniors: Jayln McDaniel (front) and Miranda Gilkey. William Fish (back L-R), Jhuritzy Tena, Reygan Molzahn, Jake Heil, Traylin Bruegger and Kaden Gaukel. Photo/Cory Griffith

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Senior thinclads bid farewell at Zowada Invite

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After last year’s meet was canceled due to bad weather, the 2018 Zowada Invitational was held on Saturday at Fullmer Stadium. Over a dozen teams showed up to windy conditions-yet mid 60 temperatures. 

Unlike the other sports, track and field athletes don’t get a Senior Night-one or less home events just make it different. Similar to my preseason sitdowns with those seniors each season, I decided to ask these that are finishing up their final year in Tiger Red and White their final thoughts. “It’s nice to be able to have a track meet at home, since it’s the one we work hard on every day,” mentioned Traylin Bruegger. This year’s squads include an even split of four boys and girls each. They are the last eight standing from an eighth grade squad that anchored a SEWAC sweep in 2014.

As reported last week Miranda Gilkey is headed to Chadron State College to pursue a degree in physical therapy and continue her athletic career. At last week’s Best of the West in Scottsbluff, NE she cleared the long eluded 5’4” in the high jump. Miranda won the high jump and triple jump, placed third in the long jump and anchored Lusk’s winning 4x100 relay in her final home meet.

Jake Heil is off to Laramie in the fall to get his general studies out of the way, before settling on a major. He took advantage of his last home throws to cement his chances at regionals and state. Already prequalified in the shot put and discus, Jake made a heave of 47’3.5” to overtake Glenrock’s Brock Jones for first place. Against a steady wind Heil uncorked a discus toss of 144’, 15 feet beyond his season high and 17 feet further than second place to sweep both events.

Bruegger has also prequalified in his two best events, the 110 and 300 hurdles. While being edged in the 110’s by Glenrock’s Ian Arnold, Traylin came back and scorched the field in the 300’s at the Zowada Invite. He will be headed to UW studying agriculture ecology in order to become a crop duster. How many 18 year olds do you know with a pilot’s license?

Reygan Molzahn is going off to Chadron State College to get her general studies courses out of the way. She is edging closer to qualifying for state in the shot put and discus. 

Will Fish will be pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering at Northwest College in Powell next fall. The three time All-State wrestler also plans to extend his career at the next level. In the meantime he still has a bit of work to get qualified for state in the distance events.

Jayln McDaniel is once again headed to state in the pole vault and looking to get there in the 800 as well. Already in the National Guard, she is enrolled at Casper College for the fall semester.

Kaden Gaukel throws the shot put and runs the 100 and 200 sprints. He will be attending LCCC in the fall with a focus on beef production and welding.

Jhuritzy Tena came to NCHS as a freshman and is another thrower for the Lady Tigers. She is hoping to have her last few weeks be her best in the shot put and discus-as she bested both previous highs last week at the Zowada Invite. After graduation Jhuritzy would like to travel before she decides where to settle down.

While they will all be off onto their own journey soon, their diverse talents and personalities will be missed at NCHS. This goes without saying to the entire Class of 2018, Congrats!