UNK Track: Ferguson Wins Twice as Lopers Return to Action

First Meet Since Early December; Lopers in Maryville Next Saturday

Kearney, Neb. – Defending NCAA Division II 800-meter national champion Wes Ferguson won two events as the Nebraska Kearney track and field team was back in action this weekend at The Graduate Classic in Lincoln. The large non-team scoring meet began Friday afternoon and ran until Saturday evening. The competition included many Division I teams and individuals. Ferguson (Fremont) started a productive weekend by winning the mile in 4:13.92 on Friday night. Northwest Missouri State's Reece Smith was a close second (4:14.06) in a field of 31. On Saturday, Ferguson took the 800 in a time of 1:49.97, just off his own school-record (1:49.47). Drake's Isaac Basten was runner up (1:50.77) with the field consisting of 24 runners.

UNK closed Friday by running well in both the men's and women's 3,000. McCool Junction veteran Luke Stuckey won the men's race (8:24.46) with Ainsworth junior Ben Arens the runner up (8:25.17). Stuckey cracks the schools all-time Top 10 list in an event where Arens has the record (8:12.96). On the women's side, Fremont sophomore Mara Hemmer (3rd/10:12.23), Funk veteran Baylee Alstrom (4th/10:15.82) and Kearney junior Grace Bonsall (5th/10:17.75) all moved into the Top 10. Other Friday highlights saw Stamford freshman Brianna Russell clear 5-5 to finish sixth in the high jump, York freshman Brynn Hirschfeld place fifth in the 1,000 with a time (3:06.39) just outside the UNK Top 10, Kearney junior Nicole Messbarger finish 11th out of 52 in the 400 (59.06) and Gothenburg veteran Micah Swedberg run a 48.99 to be fourth out of 62 in the 400. That is just off his career-best of 48.51. On Saturday, Aurora redshirt sophomore Kyla Carlson was ninth in the 600-meter run (1:39.86), Gothenburg junior Hannah Anderson was fourth in the 800 (2:19.73), Kearney junior Brayden Sorensen cleared 6-10.75 to be runner in in the high jump and Giltner senior Alex Goracke joined the national list with a 53-7.50 effort in the shot, good for ninth place. The Lopers head to the annual Northwest Missouri State Open next Saturday.