In the opener, the games lone run came in the third inning when Wehrman scored the lone run.

Wehrman, Joel Hoelting and Jaxen Vaughn had one single each in the game, while Brockett Reed earned the win on the pitchers mound. In five innings of work, Reed allowed just two hits and struck out eight without giving up a walk.

South Central 1, Utica-Beaver Crossing 0 UBC..................................0 0 0 0 0 -0 South Central................... 0 0 1 0 x -1 Game 1- AB R H RBI Joel Hoelting........................... 1 0 1 0 Jaxen Vaughn.......................... 2 0 1 0 Camden Wehrman.................. 2 1 1 0 Mason Johanson...................... 2 0 0 0 Wyatt Hemberger................... 2 0 0 0 Wyatt Livgren.......................... 2 0 0 0 Brockett Reed.......................... 2 0 0 0 Alex Watts............................... 2 0 0 0 Jedt Livgren............................. 3 0 0 0 So. Central Totals-............ 18 1 3 0 UBC Totals-....................... 17 0 2 0 Extra Base Hits: South Central: None. UBC: None.

Pitching stole the show during game two for South Central, as Wehrman tossed a one-run no-hit gem in five innings of work. Wehrman walked just three and recorded nine strikeouts for South Central.

UBC took an early 1-0 lead, but one run in each of the second and fourth innings and two more in the third secured the victory for South Central.

Alex Watts was a perfect 2-2 in the win at the plate, while Wyatt Livgren, Mason Johanson, Reed and Wehrman had a single each in the win.

South Central 4, Utica-Beaver Crossing 1 UBC..................................1 0 0 0 0 -1 South Central................... 0 1 2 1 x -4 Game 2- AB R H RBI Alex Watts............................... 2 1 2 1 Wyatt Livgren.......................... 2 1 1 0 Mason Johnanson................... 2 0 1 0 Brockett Reed.......................... 3 0 1 1 Camden Wehrman.................. 3 0 1 0 Wyatt Hemberger................... 1 1 0 0 Jedt Livgren............................. 2 1 0 0 Joel Hoelting........................... 2 0 0 0 Carter Kluver........................... 2 0 0 0 So. Central Totals-............ 19 4 6 2 UBC Totals-....................... 14 1 0 0 Extra Base Hits: South Central: None. UBC: None.

Sutton’s road trip against SOS only put the Mustangs at the plate nine times before storms rolled in to cancel the rest of the game.

Cash Parrish had a two run double in the win, while Weston Ohrt, Aidan Banta, D.J. Hajny and Cale Nuss all had singles in the win.

Jones gained the win on the hill for the Mustangs, throwing for just two-thirds of an inning. He walked one and struckout one.

Sutton 7, SOS 0 Sutton................................................... 7 -7 SOS........................................................ 0 -0 AB R H RBI

Weston Ohrt............................ 1 1 1 1 Aidan Banta............................. 1 1 1 1 DJ Hajny................................... 1 1 1 1 Cale Nuss................................. 1 1 1 0 Micheal Lockhart..................... 1 0 1 1 Camden Temme...................... 1 1 0 0 Payton Reed............................ 1 1 0 0 Cash Parrish............................. 2 1 1 2 Sutton Totals-................... 9 7 6 6 SOS................................... 2 0 0 0 Extra Base Hits: Sutton: Parrish: 1-Double. SOS: None.

Returning to the home confines of Mike Thompson Memorial Field at DLD Park, Reed and Jones combined for the no hit effort, with Reed gaining the win. He held Wood River scoreless and hitless while striking out seven and walking one. In relief, Jones walked two and struckout one to finish the game.

Sutton scored once in the first inning, added three runs in the second and blasted Wood River with nine runs in the third, before sealing the 14-0 win with one run in the fourth.

Ohrt drove in one run while hitting a double and a single, while Micheal Lockhart Reed, Parrish and Cale Nuss all had singles in the win.

Sutton 14, Wood River 0 Wood River....................... 0 0 0 0 0 -0

Sutton.............................. 1 3 9 1 x -14 AB R H RBI Weston Ohrt............................ 2 4 2 1 Michael Lockhart..................... 1 0 1 0 Payton Reed............................ 2 0 1 1 Cash Parrish............................. 3 1 1 1 Cale Nuss................................. 4 1 1 0 Creighton Jones....................... 1 2 0 0 DJ Hajny................................... 1 1 0 0 Aidan Banta............................. 1 1 0 1 Camden Temme...................... 3 0 0 1 Sutton Totals-.................. 18 14 6 5 Wood River...................... 14 0 0 0 Extra Base Hits: Sutton: Ohrt: 1-Double. WR: None.

How does a village of fewer than 50 people end up with one of the area’s fastest- growing travel baseball organizations?

That’s a question the families behind the Saronville Shiners hear quite often.

Over the past three years, what began as a single team has grown into a four-team organization bringing together players from communities across south central Nebraska. Today, the Shiners field teams at the 9U, 11U, 13U and 14U levels, drawing athletes from Sutton, Sandy Creek, BDS, Deshler, EMF, Thayer Central, Harvard, Hastings, Hebron, Friend, Geneva and other area communities.

But while the organization has found success on the baseball diamond, those involved say the real story is about much more than baseball.

The Shiners were not created during a single meeting or inspired by one defining moment.

Instead, the organization grew gradually from conversations among parents who wanted more baseball opportunities for their children. Many local athletes loved town ball and wanted to continue playing, but they were also looking for additional games, competition and development opportunities.

Over time, those conversations evolved into a plan. Families from several communities came together, a roster was assembled and a new travel baseball organization took shape.

What began as a single team quickly gained momentum. As word spread, more players and families became interested, and the organization continued to grow.

The growth has been fueled by a simple mission.

The Saronville Shiners describe themselves as a baseball organization focused on development, passion for the game and helping young athletes grow both on and off the field. While tournament success is certainly celebrated, coaches say the emphasis has always been on teaching lessons that extend beyond baseball.

Their philosophy is reflected in a favorite quote from baseball legend Yogi Berra: “Baseball is ninety percent mental. The other half is physical.”

The goal is not simply to develop better players, but to help young people build confidence, teamwork, sportsmanship and lifelong friendships.

The program was also designed to strengthen local baseball rather than compete with it.

Coach Corey Ebert said many talented young players were leaving area communities to play for travel programs in larger towns and cities. The Shiners offered a way for players to enjoy both travel baseball and their local Little Six League teams.

“We were losing some of the more baseball- focused kids to Hastings, Grand Island, York and other communities,” Ebert said. “We knew that to save our league, or improve it, we needed to keep those kids involved in town ball.”

The result has been a model that allows players to gain additional experience while maintaining ties to their hometown programs and communities.

The organization’s name has become one of its most recognizable features.

Because the original roster included players from multiple communities, organizers wanted a neutral name rather than identifying with any one town. Since many of the early discussions took place near Saronville, the village’s name seemed like a natural fit.

The nickname “Shiners” came from conversations about fishing with shiner minnows at Glen Elder Reservoir. The first logo concept even featured a small fish.

The name regularly catches opponents off guard.

“We get it all the time,” said Shay Jones. “How do you guys have a team with a population of 47?”

Sutton golf standout Myles Smith, a freshman at Sutton High School capped his first year of competitive high school golf for the Mustangs by claiming the Class C state runner-up spot during the 2026 Class C State Championship tournament, held at the Indianhead Golf Course in Grand Island May 27-28.

For his efforts this season and the strong finish in the state championship tournament, Smith has added a big honor to his credit, as the Nebraska Coaches Association, selectedhim as one of 16 “Super State” picks by the NCA last week.

Joining Smith on the high honors list is: Jack Alberts of Grand Island Central Catholic; Braeden Dyer and Brenson Underwood of Adams Central; Nash Malone of Kearney Catholic; Lukas Armstrong of Red Cloud; Boston Bojanski of Bergan Catholic; Kreyton Eikmeier of Elkhorn South; Zack Erstad and Carter Honnens of Lincoln East; Austin Jochum of Bennington; Harper Kalin and Thomas Kelley of Creighton Prep; Benjamin Mooss of Lincoln Christian; Brooke Theile of Bishop Neumann; and Tye Treadwell of Omaha Westside.

Ross is the son of Sonja and Lance Ross of Murray, and his grandparents are Chris and Teresa Meyer of Edgar.

The event brought together family, friends, and community members in support of Tate and his family. Funds were raised through the tournament, special events, silent auction items, and donations to assist with Ross’s future treatment, which the family hopes may begin in 2028.

Research is currently underway at a laboratory in Massachusetts, where they are in the early stages of animal studies, dosing mice with the potential gene therapy that Tate will receive.

Hadley Schoneberg (Tate’s cousin) and Kamerin Sealey helped arrange and coordinate a team of Sandy Creek golfers for the tournament. Although Hadley and Cam were unable to attend due to prior commitments, they helped secure Evan Swartzendruber, Bo Petr, Gavin Fisher, and Keaton Corman to represent Sandy Creek at the event.

The young golfers were excellent representatives of themselves, their families, Sandy Creek, and their communities.

As the youngest golfers participating in the tournament, they received compliments on both their golfing ability and their sportsmanship throughout the day.

Special thanks go to their coaches for allowing them to miss weights and football practice, as well as to their parents for their encouragement, support, and financial assistance that made participation possible.

The Sandy Creek golfers represented their school and hometown with pride while supporting Tate and his family.

Banta drove in five runs with a pair of singles during his three at bats to drive the Sutton offense.

Sutton scored six runs in the first, two in the second, three more in the third, and sealed the win with six runs in the fourth and final inning of the game.

Weston Ohrt, River Glinsmann, Cale Nuss, Brody Borgmann, and DJ Hajny all recorded one single in the win.

Ohrt earned the win on the mound for Sutton, striking out nine, walking five, while allowing two runs on just four hits.

Sutton 10, SOS 1 SOS........................................0 1 1 0 -2 Sutton................................... 6 2 3 6 -17 AB R H RBI

Aidan Banta............................. 3 2 2 5 Weston Ohrt............................ 1 4 1 0 River Glinsmann...................... 3 0 1 2 Cale Nuss................................. 1 0 1 1 Brody Borgmann..................... 2 1 1 1 DJ Hajny................................... 3 1 1 1 Camden Temme...................... 1 2 0 0 Payton Reed............................ 3 2 0 2 Cash Parrish............................. 1 0 0 0 Creighton Jones....................... 2 0 0 0 Sutton Totals-.................. 20 17 7 12 SOS.................................. 17 2 4 2 Extra Base Hits: Sutton: None. SOS: 1-Double.

Sutton freshman Myles Smith, in the eyes of his coach Randy Ahrens, who has been around high school boys golf for the better part of four decades, is a laser focused, well-prepared player.

Smith, Sutton’s lone state golf qualifier, made a name for himself during the 2026 Class C state golf championships at the Indianhead Golf Course, shooting a two-day, three-under par 141 to claim the Class C state runner-up title Thursday, May 28.

Ahrens said of Smith, “Myles is perhaps one of the most well-prepared kids I’ve ever coached in this sport. His demeanor, and focus have made Myles such a force to deal with on the golf course.”

Ahrens adds, “he puts so much time and effort into his game, his energy, to me, he never waivers, even when he finds himself in a tough position to hit from, Myles just processes what he’s thinking and gets after it.”

Smith opened his first-ever run at a high school state championship tournament on Wednesday, May 27, during the first round of play in Grand Island. He held down second place after the first day, trailing only Nash Malone of Kearney Catholic.

impressive six birdie holes, and just three bogey holes to end day one at three-under par. Malone led after day one at four-under par.

Day two for the Sutton freshman produced five birdies and five bogeys to shoot even par, but no birdie hole during Thursday’s 18-hole round was bigger than the final hole, number 18.

Smith began the final hole of the tournament tied at two-under par with three other players, Brenson Underwood and Braeden Dyer of Adams Central, along with Jack Alberts of Grand Island Central Catholic.

After Smith’s birdie on the 18th hole, he stood alone as the runner-up medalist with his two-day 141.

Smith was one of only seven freshmen in the field of 125 golfers in the Class C tournament field.

Malone, who also birdied the 18th hole, finished as the champion with a five-under par 139.

Smith finished day one with at three-under par 69, then came in at even par on day two, finishing with a 72.

Smith’s two day run in Grand Island, according to Ahrens, was “just impressive.” “Myles just has an aura about him, that I don’t need to talk him up. He has his plan, he knows his game very well. He’s just an impressive kid with a golf skill set like very few kids I’ve coached, in my career. He maintains his focus, whether or not he made a rough shot, or an impressive shot. He’s just channeled in and doesn’t get himself into many tough situations,” shared Ahrens.

Six of the top 10 medalists in the Class C state tournament came out of the same district tournament that Smith played in, the C-4 District tournament, including Malone, who finished ninth overall in district play, but came up big to win the state championship.

Others finishing in the top 10 with Smith from the C-4 District included Underwood and Dyer of Adams Central, Alberts of GICC, Casen Kavan of St. Paul, and Colten Butler of Superior.

In the final team standings, Bergan Catholic of Fremont and Adams Central both finished with two-day scores of 591, with Bergan Catholic gaining the top spot, and the Patriots, second.

Kearney Catholic ended play with a 600 to finish third in the team race.

Led by a strong outing in the Class C 3200-meter run, the Sandy Creek girls track and field season came to a close this past weekend at Burke Stadium in Omaha, during the state track and field championships, Friday, May 22, and Saturday, May 23.

The Cougars 3200-meter relay team, made up of Emma Fisher, Brielle Lipovsky, Paige Stengel, and Anna Paus, ran to an eighth-place time of 10 minutes, 4.8 seconds to score one team point for the program.

West Holt High School of Atkinson edged out second- place Chase County High School of Imperial for the event title, with West Holt finishing with a time of 9:49.49, while Chase County followed with a time of 9:50.27.

Paus went on to compete in two additional individual events for the Cougars, finishing just short of medal contention in the 800-meter run, claiming 10th place in the field of 24 runners with her time of 2:21.81. West Holt’s Pavan Larson won the event with a time of 2:18.74.

In the 1600-meter run, Paus finished 12th overall with a time of 5:37.55. Crofton’s Avery Arens claimed gold with a winning time of 5:13.92.

Sophomore Carrigan Rempe took to the Burke track in the two hurdle events, finishing short of qualifying for the finals in the 100-meter hurdles with her prelimi nary time of 16.88 seconds to finished 21st during Friday’s preliminary run.

In the 300-meter hurdle event, held Saturday afternoon, Rempe finished 13th overall with a time of 47.31 seconds. Winning the event was Shaydyn Rasby of Ogallala with a time of 42.83 seconds.

Sophomore Caitlyn Biltoft finished the Class C high jump in 18th place overall, clearing the bar at 4’ 11” in the event. The gold medalist in Class C proved to be Ord’s Trinity Chatfield with a 5’ 3” leap.

The Sutton four came up just short of medal contention in this highly contested race, loaded with highly talented teams, as Sutton finished 10th with their time of four minutes, 6.01 seconds.

The old record of 4:07.22 was set back in 2010 at the state meet, where the Fillies of 2010 placed second.

Despite falling two places short of medal contention, Sutton set a new school record in the event. West Holt High School of Atkinson claimed the gold medal over Bishop Neumann of Wahoo, as the Huskies finished with a winning time of 3:55.68, while the Cavaliers finished with a time of 3:57.2.

Kinney began the competition for Sutton in Omaha by taking on the field of 24 runners in the 400-meter dash, Friday, May 22.

Kinney, who was a district champion in the race, placed 16th overall in Omaha with her time of 60.42 seconds.

Claiming gold in the race was Anisten Wortmann of Hartington Cedar Catholic with her time of 56.34 seconds.

LILY GRIESS | CLAY COUNTY NEWS

Huxoll, who qualified for both the triple jump and long jump, opened his state meet action Friday, May 22, competing in the triple jump, where the sophomore finished with a 17th-place best jump of 40’ 6.75.” Event winner, Atreyu May of Kearney Catholic, claimed gold with a 46’ 1.5” leap.

Huxoll rebounded nicely during the long jump competition Saturday, May 23, finishing with a sixth-place medal, after hitting the 21’ 2.75” mark, falling a quarter of an inch out of fifth place, as Yutan’s Ryan Maguire hit the 21’ 3” mark for fifth.

Winning the event was Alma’s Zavier Mitchell with a 22’ 10.5” jump.

Weather conditions led to what many could call dismal to host a district golf tournament, but Monday, May 18, temperatures in the 40’s and 50’s throughout the C-4 District golf tournament, held at the Southern Hills Golf Course southwest of Hastings, along with rain and misty conditions, the field of 16 teams battled through the tough conditions, with Sutton and Sandy Creek amongst the field of teams.

When the tournament ended, Sutton freshman Myles Smith proved to be the lone state qualifier for the two county teams, finishing fourth overall, out of 12 individual qualifiers and three team qualifiers.

Smith opened the soggy day with a front nine 40, but battled back to shave off four strokes on the back nine, shooting a 36 to finish the day with an 18-hole 76, placing him fourth overall with his four-over par effort.

Adams Central’s Braeden Dyer claimed individual gold with a one-over, 73. St. Paul’s Jackson Wegner also shot a 73 to finish second, while Ord’s Caden Lytle placed third, just ahead of Smith with a twoover par, 74.

The Mustangs placed 11th a a team, combining to shoot a 370. Sandy Creek claimed the ninth-place spot as a team, shooting a combined 354.

Winning the top three spots, and automatic team qualifying spots in the C-4 tournament was Adams Central with a strong edge over St. Paul, as the Patriots outshot the Wildcats 305-323, while Kearney Catholic claimed the final team spot with a 327.

Sutton’s play was rounded out by freshman Harrison Schurman, who carded a 94, senior Carson Cline shot a 96, while Eduardo Valenzuela ended the day with a 104, and Tristan Griess, with a 110.

For the Cougars, who fell short of having a qualifier, Evan Swartzendruber shot an 82 to finish just two strokes shy of advancing to the state tournament. Keaton Corman and Gavin Fisher both fired scores of 85, while John Skalka shot a 102, and Kamerin Sealey finished with a 103.

Smith will take his game to Grand Island’s Indianhead Golf Course next week for the Class C state tournament, set to be played on Wednesday, May 27, and Thursday, May 28.

Team Scores: Adams Central 305, St. Paul 323, Kearney Catholic 327, Superior 334, Grand Island Central Catholic 338, Doniphan-Trumbull 349, Ord 349, Minden 352, Sandy Creek 354, Central City 362, Sutton 370, H&H 383, Arcadia/ Loup City 421, Wood River 437, Gibbon 465, Centura 481.

Kinney was the first to earn a trip to Omaha, winning the 400-meter dash with a time of 60.11 seconds, edging out Wilber-Clatonia’s Gabrielle Vican, who finished second with a time of 60.37 seconds.

Teammate White crossed the finish line in third place with her time of 62.47 seconds.

Sutton claimed gold in the 4x400-meter relay by just over three seconds, finishing the four-lap relay with a winning time of four minutes, 08.76 seconds. Wilber- Clatonia placed second with a time of 4:11.21.

In the final team standings, the Fillies were seventh overall, collecting 46 team points. Tri County outscored Thayer Central by 15 points to win the team title with 96 points, while Thayer Central tallied 81 points.

Junior Katie Baldwin narrowly missed a trip to Omaha in the shot put, missing the big show by an inch and a half with a 33’ 2.5” throw. Kate Breutkruetz of Centennial won with a 36’ 4” throw, while Norah Morrissey of Tri County edged out Baldwin to place second and advance to Omaha with a 33’ 4” throw.

Senior Miranda Nuss finished fourth in the shot put with a 32’ 10.5” loft.

Nuss also placed fifth overall in the discus with a 104’ 9” throw. Tri County’s Brooke Morgan claimed the discus title with a 121’ 1” toss.

Senior Addison George and freshman America Hernandez tied for fifth in the high jump, as both cleared 4’5” in the event. Sandy Creek’s Caitlyn Biltoft won the event with a 4’11” jump.

Back on the track, Sutton’s 4x100-meter relay team, made up of Hernandez, Marah Kinney, Camden Mau, and Baldwin, finished sixth with a time of 55.49 seconds. Thayer Central gained the event title with a final time of 50.77 seconds.

In the two hurdle events, Mau placed sixth in the 100-meter hurdle race with a time of 17.01 seconds, with Wilber-Clatonia’s Lusdary Anguiano winning with her time of 15.95 seconds.

Trejo earned a sixth-place finish in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 51.02 seconds, while Sandy Creek’s Carrigan Rempe claimed the win with her time of 47.18 seconds.

Team Scores: Tri County 96, Thayer Central 81, Sandy Creek 76, Wilber-Clatonia 58, Superior 52, Centennial 48, Sutton 46, Fillmore Central 29, H&H 22, EMF 17.

As a team, the Cougars finished fourth as a team, totalling 50 team points.

Tri County dominated the C-7 meet, outscoring second- place Wilber-Clatonia 133-84 for the team title.

Lorena-Parks let loose of a 162’ 2” throw that led the competition, until Thayer Central’s Cole Vonderstrasse unleashed a 175’ 5” throw in the final round of the discus to win.

Teammates of Lorena- Parks, Christian Shaw and Wes Biltoft also medaled with personal best throws, as Shaw finished third with a 158’ 11” throw, while Biltoft hit the 144’ 7” mark to finish fifth overall, as Sandy Creek gained 16 team points out of the discus. Shaw earned a place in the state meet field with Lorena-Parks as an additional qualifier for the Cougars.

The shot put was also strong for the Cougars, gaining another 12 team points in the event, led by Sam Watts’ third place throw of 46’ 3.” Cedric Oeltjen placed fourth with a 45’ 8.5” toss, while Shaw finished fifth with a 45’ 2.5” effort. Vorderstrasse claimed the win with a monster 58’ 7” throw.

Freshman Asher Eitzmann garnered third place in the high jump, clearing the bar with a 5’ 10” jump. Maddox Regier of H&H claimed the win with a 6-foot leap.

Junior Logan Tomky finished fifth in the long jump, leaping to a distance of 19-feet, which was a personal best effort for Tomky. Thayer Central’s Blake Gunn earned the win with a 21’ 8” leap.

On the track, two events medaled for the Cougars, the 4x100-meter relay team, made up of Kaeden Schmidt, Eitzmann, Ian Zikmund, and Ben Burger, finishing second behind Tri County with a time of 44.88 seconds. Tri County won with a time of 43.69 seconds.

Burger also claimed a third-place finish in the 400-meter dash with his time of 52.4 seconds, as Wilber- Clatonia’s Grayson Vican claimed the win with a time of 51.63 seconds.

Team Scores: Tri County 133, Wilber-Clatonia 84, Thayer Central 80, Sandy Creek 50, H&H 48, EMF 44, Superior 37, Sutton 31, Centennial 14, Fillmore Central 6.

In all, Sutton gained 11 medals, eight on the track and three more in field events.

Senior Miranda Nuss gained two of the three field event medals in the two throwing events, placing third in the shot put with a 32’ 6” throw, and fourth in the discus with a 100’ 1” throw.

Centennial’s Kate Breitkruetz won the shot put with a 35’ 8” toss, while Malcolm’s Mikiah Witzel claimed the discus title with a 116’ 9” throw.

Senior Addison George finished fourth in the high jump with a 4’ 7” leap. Malcolm’s Marion Teten won with a 4’ 11” jump.

On the track, two of Sutton’s eight track medals were gold medal performances, led by junior Jadlynn Kinney’s win in the 400-meter dash with a time of 60.47 seconds, beating second place Halle Dolliver of Malcolm by nearly two seconds.

Kinney then joined forces with Kali White, Isabella Trejo, and Kierra Ebert to easily win the 4x400-meter relay over Thayer Central by nearly 13 seconds. Sutton finished with a time of four minutes, 13.17 seconds, with Thayer Central finishing in a time of 4:25.86.

Kinney also added a runner- up finish to her credit in the 200-meter dash, finishing the event in 26.51 seconds, while Blair Duzik of Malcolm claimed the win in 26.28 seconds.

Two medals came to the Fillies in the 100-meter hurdles, with Camden Mau placing third in 17.53 seconds, while Trejo placed fifth in a time of 17.65 seconds. Sandy Creek’s Carrigan Rempe claimed the win with her time of 16.54 seconds.

Sutton’s throwers relay team, made up of Nuss, Zoe Salmon, Julie Smith, and Katie Baldwin, placed second overall with a time of 60.05 seconds. Fillmore Central claimed the win with a time of 57.22 seconds.

Sutton’s 4x100-meter relay team, made up of America Hernandez, Ebert, Mau, and Baldwin, finished sixth with a time of 55.25 seconds. Thayer Central won the relay with a time of 50.10 seconds.

White also placed sixth in the 300-meter hurdles with her final time of 51.51 seconds. Rempe of Sandy Creek also won this hurdle race with a time of 48.17 seconds.

The 4x100-meter relay team, made up of Kaeden Schmidt, Ian Zikmund, Asher Eitzmann, and Ben Burger, claimed the event title over Sutton by nearly a full second, as the Cougars finished in a time of 44.99 seconds, while the Mustangs finished with a time of 45.91 seconds.

Both the 4x800 and 4x400-meter relay teams finished sixth for Sandy Creek. Making up the 4x800-meter relay were Brockett Reed, Thaxton Sintek, Embry Frazier, and Owen Spray. They finished with a time of 10 minutes, 5.59 seconds. Fillmore Central claimed the win with a time of 8:55.10.

In the 4x400-meter relay, Sandy Creek’s team of Sintek, Connor Calderon, Dakota Samson, and Dawson Black finished sixth with a time of 4:48.23. Thayer Central claimed gold with a winning time of 3:33.25.

Sandy Creek’s throwing squad claimed five total medals in the shot put and discus.

In the shot put, an event won by Thayer Central’s Cole Vorderstrasse with a throw of 58 feet, Sandy Creek had a trio of medalists, led by Cedric Oeltjen with a third place throw of 46’ 6”, Sam Watts finished fourth with a 45’ 4” effort, while Christian Shaw placed fifth with a 44’ 8” throw.

In the discus, Christian Lorena- Parks was second with a 150’ 3” throw, while Shaw finished fourth with a 144’ 6” toss. Vorderstrasse claimed gold with a 161’ 6” throw.

Scoring in the meet for the Cougars was rounded out by a third-place finish in the high jump for Logan Tomky, clearing 5’ 5” in the event. Centennial’s Bentley Juranek won with a 5’ 11” leap.

Tomky and Schmidt both medaled in the long jump to round out Sandy Creek’s scoring, with Tomky finishing third with an 18’ 7” jump, while Schmidt was fifth with a 17’ 9” leap. Superior’s Lincoln Sander claimed gold with a 20’ 2” jump.

Mustang program under coach Randy Ahrens has had 4 straight conference champions

The Sutton boys golf program, under the direction of coach Randy Ahrens, has built a tradition of winning when it comes to the Southern Nebraska Conference golf championships. Ahrens has coached a player to the past four individual championship wins in the tournament, with the most recent being Sutton freshman, Myles Smith.

Smith claimed the 2026 SNC crown with an even-par 70 at the Hebron Country Club Thursday, May 7, holding off Milford’s Zephyr Mowinkel by two strokes, just two days after Mowinkel claimed the Sutton Invite individual title over Smith May 5.

With Smith’s conference title, he became the fourth Sutton winner in the past four seasons, as Jadyn Friesen claimed the SNC crown in 2023, and 2025, while Harrison Herndon won the title in 2024.

Smith shot even par throughout the day, carding scores of 35 during each of the two nine-hole rounds. Mowinkel opened play with a 35, but shot two-over-par on the back nine to end the day with a 72.

Sutton, as a team, placed third with a collective 343. Milford claimed an easy team title over second-place Superior, as the Eagles outscored the Wildcats 319-335.

Senior Carson Cline was a top-15 medalist for Ahrens and his teammates, shooting an 86 during the two ninehole rounds. Cline carded scores of 43 on both rounds of the tournament.

Tristan Griess ended the day with a 93, with scores of 48 and 45. Eduardo Valenzuela shot scores of 47 during both rounds to finish play with a 94, while Harrison Schurman opened with a 55 on the front side, but trimmed 15 strokes off of his score on the back nine to shoot a 40 and finish the day with a 95.

Sutton was to return to Hebron Wednesday, May 13, for the Thayer Central Invitational, before entering the Class C-4 District meet at the Southern Hills Golf Course southwest of Hastings on Monday, May 18.

The meet is slated to begin at 9 a.m. with a strong field of 16 teams set to compete.

Teams in the C-4 meet include: the host Adams Central Patriots, Arcadia/Loup City, Central City, Centura, Doniphan-Trumbull, Gibbon, Grand Island Central Catholic, H&H, Kearney Catholic, Minden, Ord, Sandy Creek, St. Paul, Superior, Sutton, and Wood River.

Team Scores: Milford 319, Superior 335, Sutton 343, David City 347, Sandy Creek 356, Thayer Central 357, H&H 364, Fairbury 365, Fillmore Central 372, Centennial 403.

The Sutton Fillies, behind four field event medals, and another four medals on the track, finished in seventh place during the 2026 Southern Nebraska Conference championships, Saturday, May 2, in David City.

Milford outscored Thayer Central 110-70 for the team title, as the Fillies ended the meet scoring 42 points.

Sutton’s 4x400-meter relay, on the last event of the day, earned gold with a dominant win over Milford, as the team of Kali White, Jadlynn Kinney, Isabella Trejo, and Kierra Ebert out ran second-place Milford by one full second, as Sutton finished the four-lap relay with a time of four minutes, 8.26 seconds, while Milford finished in 4:09.26.

Kinney then doubled up for a pair of silver medals in the 200 and 400-meter dash races. In the 200, Kinney finished with a time of 26.74 seconds, while Thayer Central’s Piper Havel claimed gold with a time of 26.36 seconds.

In the 400, Kinney’s time of 60.11 seconds earned her second place behind Milford’s Abby Crabtree, who won with a time of 59.9 seconds.

Miranda Nuss doubled up in the two throwing events, placing fourth in the shot put with a 32-foot throw, while in the discus, Nuss’ throw of 99’ 6” placed her sixth overall.

Fairbury’s Autumn L’Ecuyer won both throwing events, claiming top honors in the shot put with a 42’ 7.5 throw, while in the discus, she earned gold with a 112’ 4” throw.

Addison George and America Hernandez both earned SNC medals in the high jump, with George clearing 4’ 8” to place third, while Hernandez tied with Thayer Central’s JaeLynn Watson for fourth place, as both cleared 4’ 6”.

Team Scores: Milford 110, Thayer Central 70, David City 49, Wilber-Clatonia 47.33, Tri County 47, Sandy Creek 43.33, Sutton 42, Fairbury 38, Centennial 26, H&H 23, Superior 19.33, Fillmore Central 12.

Adams Central’s Braeden Dyer held off Corman in the playoff, winning by one stroke in the playoff, as both finished with an 18-hole 76 to force the playoff, with Dyer claiming the top spot.

Corman opened the day with a 39 on his front nine round, while on the back nine, Corman shot a 37 to force the tie with Dyer.

Dyer duplicated Corman’s scoring to take the tournament into the playoff.

As a team, behind Corman’s 76, Sandy Creek trailed the Patriots by 31 strokes, but managed to hang on for the team runner-up spot, as Adams Central outscored the Cougars 324-355. Hastings High finished third behind Sandy Creek with a 357.

Rounding out play for the Cougars was Evan Swartzendruber, who fired an 82 with scores of 39 and 43, placing Swartzendruber eighth overall. Gavin Fisher ended the day with a 94, shooting scores of 48 on the front nine and 46 on the back nine.

Kamerin Sealey shot a 103 during the tournament with scores of 52 on the front and 51 on the back, while John Skalka closed out play with a 107 with scores of 54 and 53.

Team Scores: Adams Central 324, Sandy Creek 355, Hastings High 357, Doniphan-Trumbull 358, Hastings St. Cecilia 358, Grand Island Central Catholic 365, Red Cloud 365, Boone Central 372, Fillmore Central 380, Sutton 382, Wood River 386, Thayer Central 393, Fullerton 406, Franklin 416, Lawrence-Nelson 434, Hastings St. Cecilia JV 483.

Sutton freshman Myles Smith kept the heat on the field of over 70 golfers taking part in the Sandy Creek Invitational, played at the Crooked Creek Country Club in Clay Center, Tuesday, April 21.

Smith shot five-under par, carding a 67 to hold off Superior’s Soren Frahm and Sandy Creek’s Keaton Corman, as Frahm finished with a three-under 69, while Corman finished with a two-under 70.

In all, five players finished with at least an even par, 72 during the 18-hole tournament.

Smith, according to Sutton head coach Randy Ahrens, is the first player, in his 30-plus years of coaching boys golf, to score that low of a score.

Smith opened the day with a three-under 33 on the front nine, while on the back nine, the freshman finished with a two-under 34.

As a team, Sutton finished sixth with a team total 355. Superior ran away with the team title, outscoring second-place Sandy Creek by 23 strokes, as the Wildcats finished with a 303, while the Cougars finished play with a 326.

Senior Carson Cline ended the day shooting an 88, shooting scores of 44 during the two nine-hole rounds.

The freshman trio of Harrison Schurman, Tristan Griess, and Eduardo Valenzuela rounded out the scoring. Schurman and Griess both carded scores of 100, with Schurman scoring a 48 on the front and a 52 on the back, while Griess was steady with scores of 50 during both nine-hole rounds. Valenzuela finished with a 107 with scores of 53 and 54.

Team Scores: Superior 303, Sandy Creek 326, Silver Lake 333, Doniphan-Trumbull 344, EMF 347, Sutton 355, Thayer Central 356, Shelton 358, Blue Hill 365, BDS 367, Fillmore Central 373, High Plains Community 375, Lawrence-Nelson 396, Centennial 517, Grand Island Lutheran 561.

Corman fired a 2-under par 70 to place third overall and helped guide Sandy Creek to a runner-up team finish, as the Superior Wildcats claimed a 23-stroke win over the Cougars, 303326.

Corman’s day began with a solid 34 on the front nine holes of play, and ended play with a 36 on the back nine to finish the day with a 70, trailing only two players in the final individual standings.

Sutton freshman, Myles Smith, carded a five-under par 67 to win individual gold, while Superior’s Soren Frahm finished second with a three-under 69, just one stroke ahead of Corman. Rounding out the field for Sandy Creek was Gavin Fisher with an 18-hole 81. Fisher shot a 40 on the front and a 41 on the back. Evan Swartzendruber finished play with scores of 41 during both rounds to card an 82, while Kamerin Sealey finished play with a 93, shooting 46 on the front and 47 on the back. John Skalka shot scores of 46 and 53 to finish the tournament with a 99.

TeamScores: Superior 303, Sandy Creek 326, Silver Lake 333, Doniphan- Trumbull 344, EMF 347, Sutton 355,Thayer Central 356, Shelton 358, Blue Hill 365, BDS 367, Fillmore Central 373, High Plains Community 375, Lawrence-Nelson 396, Centennial 517, Grand Island Lutheran 561.

Sophomore Brextyn Kobza earned 14 of the Harvard boys track teams 14.5 points during action at the H&H Invitational in Henderson, Tuesday, April 14.

Kobza’s scoring came out of the two hurdle events, as the sophomore was second in the 110-meter event, and third in the 300-meter hurdles.

Kobza finished the flight of 110-meter hurdles in 18.37 seconds to finish runner-up behind Nevada Gloystein, who claimed gold with a time of 17.06 seconds.

Gloystein also won the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 43.15 seconds. Finishing just ahead of Kobza in the race was Caleb Hesman of Blue Hill with his time of 44.31 seconds, while Kobza was third with a time of 44.76 seconds.

Pedro Perez earned a half-point in the pole vault, finishing in a two-way tie for sixth place with Gloystein of H&H with vaults of 10’ 2’.

Team Scores: H&H 130.5, McCool Junction 87, Sandy Creek 69, Hastings St. Cecilia 63, Blue Hill 48.5, BDS 38, Sutton 30, Centennial 27.5, Harvard 14.5, Shelton 14.

The host Bearcats won the team title going away, outscoring second-place Mc-Cool Junction 130.5-87, while Sandy Creek tallied 69 team points to place third.

Out of the 15 total medals earned in Henderson, the Cougars came out of the field event portion of the meet with nine total medals, led by five total medals in the two throwing events.

In the discus, Christian Lorena-Parks led a trio of medalists with the win in the event with his 144’ 2” throw. Christian Shaw placed third with a 135’ 8” throw, while Wes Biltoft hit the 134’ 6” with his toss, to score 20 of the Cougars’ 69 team points in the meet.

In the shot put, Sam Watts and Shaw added 10 more points to the team cause, with Watts placing third with a 45’ 3.25” effort, while Shaw was fourth with a 43’ 4.5” throw. Event winner, Karsten Zweiner of Hastings St. Cecilia hit the 48’ 6.75” mark for the gold medal.

Freshman Asher Eitzmann earned a third-place finish in the high jump, sailing over the bar at 5’ 10”. Grady Holtzen of BDS earned the win with a 6-foot jump.

In the long jump, two more medals came to the Cougars, as Kaeden Schmidt’s 19’ 2” jump placed him fourth, while Ben Burger gained sixth place with a 19’ 0.5” leap. Wyatt Kempf of BDS earned the long jump title with a 21’ 0.25” leap.

The final field event medal for the Cougars came from Alex Watts in the pole vault, as the sophomore cleared 10’ 2” to place fifth. Waylon Tessman of H&H won the event with an 11’ 8” vault.

Six more medals came the Cougars way on the track, paced by Burger, who won the 400-meter dash and placed fourth in the 200-meter dash.

In the 400, Burger claimed gold with a time of 53.2 seconds to hold off Holden Switzer of H&H for the win, as Switzer finished with a time of 53.31 seconds.

In the 200, Burger finished fourth with his time of 24.37 seconds. Event winner, Samuel Friesen of H&H, hit the finish line in 23.68 seconds.

The Cougars 4x100-meter relay team, made up of Ian Zikmund, Schmidt, Alex Watts, and Burger, finished third with a time of 45.66 seconds. H&H won the relay with a time of 45.25 seconds, while Blue Hill finished just ahead of the Cougar four with a second-place time of 45.56 seconds.

Owen Spray, Brockett Reed, Embry Frazier, and Dawson Black finished fourth overall in the 4x800-meter relay, running to a time of 11 minutes, 0.22 seconds. H&H also won this relay with a time of 8:37.1.

In the 4x400-meter relay, Zikmund, Eitzmann, Logan Tomky, and Alex Watts placed sixth with a time of 3:50.55. Again, H&H claimed gold with a winning time of 3:37.49.

Sandy Creek’s final track medal came from Reed in the 3200-meter run, as the freshman placed fifth in the eight-lap race with a time of 11:54.78.

Team Scores: H&H 130.5, McCool Junction 87, Sandy Creek 69, Hastings St. Cecilia 63, Blue Hill 48.5, BDS 38, Sutton 30, Centennial 27.5, Harvard 14.5, Shelton 14.

The Sutton Fillies track and field team had a banner performance in action at the H&H Bearcat Invitational, held in Henderson Tuesday, April 14, gaining a total of 15 medals enroute to a runner-up team finish in the process, as Hastings St. Cecilia outscored the Fillies 106-81 for the team title, while Sandy Creek finished three points behind Sutton in the final standings.

On the track, Sutton earned nine medals, powered by a pair of gold medal runs for junior Jadlynn Kinney, and by winning the 4x400-meter relay.

Kinney claimed individual titles in the 200 and 400-meter dash events, winning the 200 with a time of 27.07 seconds, edging out Hallie Tessman of H&H, who hit the finish line with a time of 28.36 seconds. Kinney’s teammates, Kierra Ebert and America Hernandez, finished third and fourth, respectively, in the race, Ebert with a time of 28.46 seconds, and Hernandez with a time of 29.42 seconds.

In the 400, Kinney outpaced teammate Kali White for the win, with Kinney finishing the one-lap sprint with a time of 60.87 seconds, while White placed second with a time of 63.16 seconds.

The Kinney and White duo then joined forces with Isabella Trejo and Ebert to end the day with a classic finish in the 4x400-meter relay, holding off Hastings St. Cecilia for the win. The Fillies foursome won with a time of four minutes, 11.22 seconds, with the Hawkettes finishing the relay with a time of 4:11.86.

A double medal performance came to the Fillies in the 100-meter hurdles, with Trejo placing third in the race with a time of 17.64 seconds, while Camden Mau finished fifth with a time of 17.88 seconds. Sandy Creek’s Carrigan Rempe claimed gold with a time of 16.71 seconds, while St. Cecilia’s Kyler Weidner finished just ahead of Trejo with a time of 16.96 seconds.

The team of Hernandez, Mau, Kaci Yost, and Katie Baldwin finished fifth in the 4x100-meter relay with a time of 55.58 seconds. St. Cecilia earned the relay win with a time of 51.65 seconds.

Senior Miranda Nuss had a strong day in the two throwing events for Sutton, finishing as the runner-up in the discus, and claiming third in the shot put.

In the discus, Nuss hit the 92’ 6” mark for the runner-up finish behind Gianna Rodriguez of St. Cecilia, who won with a 98-foot throw.

Nuss’ 33’ 6.5” throw in the shot put placed her third behind a winning throw of 36-feet by Centennial’s Kate Breitkreutz, while Blue Hill thrower, Sienna Mlady, placed second just two and a half inches past Nuss.

Senior Addision George and Hernandez collected four team points in the high jump, with George finishing in a two-way tie for third with Lynly Leif of Centennial, as both cleared the bar with 4’ 8” jumps, while Hernandez cleared the same height, but placed sixth with more missed attempts then the three other girls that cleared 4’ 8”.

Kinney began her banner day on the track with a fifth-place finish in the pole vault, clearing 7’ 8” in the event. Hallie Tessman of H&H won with a 9’ 2” vault.

Senior Kaci Yost earned a sixth-place finish in the triple jump, hitting the 29’ 9.75” mark in the event. Payton Sullivan of St. Cecilia earned gold with a 33’ 0.5” leap.

Team Scores: Hastings St. Cecilia 106, Sutton 81, Sandy Creek 78, Centennial 75, Shelton 50, H&H 48, McCool Junction 47, Blue Hill 36, BDS 2, Harvard 1.

From the 16-yard mark, Aniston Jasnoch was the high overall female shooter, hitting on 46 of 50 targets from that range. Overall, Jasnoch is also the female champion following her handicap shoot, where she hit on 41 of 50. In total, Jasnoch nailed 87 of 100 total targets to win the overall female championship.

Jasnoch also joined forces with Elsa Andersen to win the ladies’ team competition, as they combined to hit on 170 of 200 total targets.

Gavin VanderLey nabbed three different trophies, sharing one with teammates Davin Higby, Cameron Wilson, Jesse Mohnike, and Cord Pope, as the group of five Sutton shooters won the high team handicap shoot by hitting on 215 total targets out of 250 total shots.

VanderLey and Wilson tied for top honors in the male handicap shoot, as they were both 47-50. VanderLey also tied with Gibbon’s Wyatt Debrie for the male high overall shooting day, as both shot 95 out of 100 Saturday.

Wilson claimed top honors from the 20-21 yard mark in handicapp shooting with his 47-50 shooting effort.

Leading the Sutton junior squad was Grayson Villarreall, as he connected on 43 of 50 targets from the 16-yard mark.

RESULTS FROM THE APRIL 11, 2026: Sutton Senior Scores: (Out of 100 Shots) Singles Hdcp Tot

Gavin VanderLey........................... 48 47 95 Cameron Wilson............................ 42 47 89 Aniston Jasnoch............................ 46 41 87 Cord Pope...................................... 45 41 86 Davin Higby................................... 44 41 85 Katy Reiners.................................. 44 40 84 Elsa Andersen................................ 44 39 83 Grethe Andersen........................... 42 40 82 Trinidi Oswald............................... 40 41 81 Jesse Mohnike............................... 38 39 77 Laurel Moore................................. 41 33 74 Travis Moore.................................. 39 28 67 Sutton Junior Scores: (Out of 50 Shots)

Grayson Villarreall................................................. 43 Oakley Sharkey...................................................... 29 Johanna VanderLey............................................... 23 David Mohnike...................................................... 22 Bristol Jasnoch...................................................... 11 Riggins Ferrell......................................................... 9