State Meet: Abbott Clears 6' 2"

With competition not yet completed, Jesse Abbott successfully cleared 6' 2", unofficially tying for third place in the boys Class C High Jump at Burke.

Abbott scratched from the 110 hurdles to concentrate on the high jump.

I'll post the official results when then are finished with the event.

Note: Results are final.... Jesse tied with Justin Kerkman of Wisner-Pilger for third.

Take the Shuttle!

For those of you who haven't yet left for the State Meet, the best advice I can give is to take the shuttle to Burke High.  Hop on the bus at Westroads (northeast corner) and leave the driving to the friendly folks behind the yellow school buses.  They will drop you off at the south gate, just steps away from the track.  One more tip: buy the tickets at the Westroads..... otherwise the nearest site is on the east or west entrance.  They do not sell tickets at the south entrance.

Poor Conditions... Lions Persevere

Anyone planning an outdoor activity this spring would be well-advised to check the Louisville High School Track and Field Schedule then plan the event on the day before or after a Lions' meet.

I admit to being a weather-wimp (see previous posting) but it seems to be one of those years when the teams can't catch a break.  The conditions seem to be getting worse as the latest meet held at Malcolm featured rain, falling temperatures and a brief bout with sleet while the day before and after would have been excellent days for a meet.

Early forecasts show Tuesday's weather predicted to be good for the Yutan Invite.  But if the trend continues, keep the rain gear ready for the meet and plan the picnic for Wednesday.

Thank-You, Bennington!

After spending most of last Tuesday afternoon in the cold and wind at the Conestoga Triangular, I was grateful to hear that Bennington had postponed the Badger Relays!  I'm fairly certain there are others who felt the same way.

I'm a big track and field fan..... when the conditions are bearable. 

Two More State Tidbits

Besides Mead, I was pulling for Ralston, Syracuse and Sterling in class B, C1 and D2, respectively, as each has a Louisville tie.

Ralston and Syracuse are coached by Louisville alums.  Bill Heard, class of '94, led the Rams to a Class B championship while Mark Hrabik, who graduated from LHS in 1976, took the Rockets to the C1 state tournament.

Jese Salberg, point guard for the Sterling Jets, celebrated his team's state title with grandparents Chris and Karen Salberg, both of whom graduated from Louisville.

Mead Wins

Congratulations to the Mead Raiders for winning the D1 basketball championship this weekend!

With E-M earning the C2 title last year, the East Central Nebraska Conference has had earned the honor of one of the best basketball conferences in this part of the state.

The Raiders qualified for the state tourney with the second of two wild card bids after losing to Bruning-Davenport in the district finals.  As it turned out, three of the six district finals were decided by fewer than three points. Had the ball bounced the other way and another outcome resulted from those district games, Mead wouldn't have gotten the wild card and, therefore, no state championship.

Just goes to show you what happens when a team takes advantage of an opportunity.  Mead has a championship and all the accolades that go with it.  I was cheering for the Raiders all the way.... I've been impressed with the Johnson-Moline combo for the past three seasons and was happy for the duo and their coach, PJ Quinn.

ECNC Basketball State Tournament Hopes

The East Central Nebraska Conference still has two teams in the hunt for district titles and automatic trips to the 2009 Boys State Basketball Tournament.

Weeping Water's win over Louisville pits the Indians against Freeman for a district title and a ticket to C2 state while Mead must defeat heavily favored Bruning-Davenport to get to the D1 State Tourney.

With Elmwood-Murdock losing to Fremont Bergan, the Knights must rely on a wild card to return to Lincoln.  One of the two wild cards will most likely go to C2 ratings leader, Axtell, an upset loser last night.  Using the latest NSAA power ratings, E-M will be rooting for Freeman to defeat Weeping Water and Ravenna to beat Blue Hill in district finals on Monday.  Should one or the other lose, the final wild card bid would go their way leaving the Knights at home.

Johnson County Central carries ECNC hopes for a district championship and a visit to next the girls state tourney March 5-7.  Mead's upset loss in the subdistrict and subsequent losses by other rated D1 squads have eliminated the Raiders from wild card contention.

The odds are good that the ECNC will be sending at least one team in both the girls and boys State Tournaments.  That's good for the conference which has a history of strong showings in Lincoln.

Added 3-4-09..... glad to see that I dismissed Mead's chances of a wild card berth and will be in the D1 field at the state tournament.  The ECNC won't have a representative in the girls tournament this weekend but will have two teams in the boys tourney with E-M joining the Raiders as a wild card entry with the Knights gaining a C2 bid.