Cool temps and dark grey skies were the conditions for the Mound Westonka High School track and field team competing in the Last Chance Meet at Rockford High School on May 26. Last chance meets, held after conference championships, are designed to give athletes one last shot at a season's-best performance to improve their section odds. Additionally, many athletes will compete in non-specialty events to get a mark on record for that event. While certainly all business, there is a celebratory - and at times comical - side to the meet, where distance runners will attempt a throwing event and shot putter will triumphantly cartwheel across the finish line post running race. 

In her 16th season as head coach, a proud Sara Schwartz said, “The team competed really well and had some great performances heading into the section meet. I am excited to see what these athletes can accomplish next week.”

The girls 4x100 team of junior Micah Boyce, junior Ellen Pruitt, senior captain Bella Lund and freshman Avery Olson delivered  a 50.96 and finished with a commanding lead with their one time around the track. The girls 4x400 also took top place on the podium with Pruitt, junior Laura Sunnaborg, eighth grader Lexie Rehman and eighth grader Ali Butler with a 4:30.  In second, by only two tenths difference, the girls 4X200 team was denied the top spot on the results page.

On the boys side, senior captain Lance Nemecek delivered a milestone PR performance in the 800M.  Cracking the 2:00 barrier is landmark achievement, and Nemecek did just that, delivering a 1:59 and first place overall. 

Distance coach Sue Harrison was “extremely proud" of all the distance crew all running their best races of the season. "It was a very exciting evening with Lance Nemecek breaking that elusive 2:00 barrier,” Harrison said.

An additional first-place performance for the boys was in the discus by junior Sam Dioszeghy with a 150’.  This was his second best career throw.

Unique to this meet was a 4x400 mixed relay. The first time team of senior Alli Soule, junior Abby Hollenstein, junior Jack Markstrom and Lance Nemecek took second place overall.

Other top performances for the White Hawks included: Boyce, Lund and Olson delivering second, third and fourth, respectively, in the 100M; junior Payton Kasper taking second in the 110M hurdles; freshman Reese Kasper placing second in the 300M hurdles; Dimitri Anderson taking second in the triple jump with a 38”11’; and school record holder Peyton Kasper placing second with a14’6 in the pole vault.