SPORTS
1A schools compete at area track meet
In a quick turnaround from last week’s district track meet, the 1A schools competed at the area meet on Tuesday in Bryson for a chance to qualify for the regional meet.
Athletes again had to finish in the top four of their event in order to move on.
Only a few athletes were lucky enough not just to qualify but win their events.
Isaac Renteria from Gold-Burg won both the boy’s 3200 and 1600 meter races while setting school records in both. Fellow Bear Jayon Grace won the boy’s shot put while also qualifying in the 100 meters and the long jump.
From Saint Jo Jessie Weger won the girl’s long jump.
From Prairie Valley, Tyler Winkler won not just the boy’s 300 meter hurdles but the pole vault.
While not an individual, all three of the Saint Jo boy relay teams won their races in the 4×100, 4×200 and 4×400.
Some other boys who qualified for the regional meet in other events include: Caleb Workman and Mathew Sampson from Saint Jo in the 300 meter hurdles, Will Johnson from Forestburg in the 400 meters, Collin Thomas from Saint Jo in the 800 and 1600 meters, Devin Stewart from Saint Jo in the high jump, Jesse Wadsworth from Forestburg in the 800 meters and triple jump, Wade Lucas from Saint Jo in the pole vault, Eli Freeland from Gold-Burg in the discus and the Forestburg 4×400 relay team.
The girls also had several girls qualify for the regional meet including: Weger from Saint Jo also qualified in the pole vault while with her sister Jacie Weger they both qualified in the 200 meters, Mercedes Diaz from Saint Jo and Sadie Weaver from Gold-Burg did in the 100 meter hurdles, Ollie Gaston from Gold-Burg in the 300 meter hurdles and 800 meters, Bryndel Brewer from Saint Jo in the 400 meters, Linzie Priddy from Prairie Valley in the in the 800 meters, Grace Martin from Bellevue in both the 1600 and 3200 meters, Madisen Deason from Forestburg in the high jump, Justynne Roller from Forestburg in the discus and Reagan Ladewig from Forestburg in the shot put.
Of the relays, only Saint Jo’s 4×100 and 4×200 relays qualified as well.
The regional meet is scheduled for April 28-29 at Whitney High School, with only the top two finishers in each event qualifying for the state meet.
Results for all athletes from Saint Jo, Forestburg, Prairie Valley, Gold-Burg and Bellevue are in the weekend edition of the Bowie News.
With the baseball and softball seasons over for the area 1A schools, district awards have been released.
Listed below are those earned honors on the field and in the classroom for Saint Jo and Bellevue.
Softball
Saint Jo
Honorable mention
Utility player: Taylor Patrick; Catcher: Jordyn O’Neal
Baseball
Superlatives
Offensive MVP: Devin Stewart, Saint Jo
Newcomer of the Year: Bryce Ramsey, Bellevue
Pitcher: Trent Gaston, Saint Jo
Outfielder: Jayden Curry, Saint Jo
Second team
Pitcher: Charlie Barclay, Saint Jo
Infielder: Brycen Bancroft, Bellevue; Sam Martin, Saint Jo
Outfielder: Rylan Forrester, Saint Jo
Catcher: Charlie Evans, Saint Jo
Utility: Logan Hoover, Saint Jo
DH: Amzy Barclay, Saint Jo
Honorable mention
Cody Gaston, Saint Jo; Xander Joyner, Saint Jo
To see academic awards from Saint Jo players, pick up a copy of the weekend edition of the Bowie News.
Eldon Van Hooser is leaving Forestburg better than he found it.
The head boy’s basketball coach is retiring after more than 30 years, spending the last five at Forestburg.
Van Hooser did not come to this decision because of a lack of fire or feeling tired after decades in the profession. He had to for family reasons.
“My wife has MS (multiple sclerosis) and it’s a disease where you have trouble standing and walking and she needs help,” Van Hooser said. “I am able to so I am going to step away from teaching and coaching to be there for her.”
Van Hooser was hired in 2019. Along with being the boy’s basketball coach, he also was the football team’s defensive coordinator.
There were some lean years for Forestburg on the boy’s athletic side, with numbers being low and the available athletes being mostly underclassmen.
For two years, the Longhorns’ boy’s basketball team won few games and one of those seasons saw the team field five players on the high school team.
“One of those years we had COVID-19 and the other we had five kids,” Van Hooser said. “It was very rough. After that we worked with the kids and we had a good freshman group coming up. Next year they are going to be seniors.”
That group has helped to turn the program around. Last year the young Longhorns team contested for a playoff spot and just barely missed it finishing fifth in the district.
This season, that same group took a leap and finished second in district with a record of 7-5.
Despite losing its last two regular season games in dramatic fashion heading into the playoffs, the team stepped up in the bi-district game.
Playing against an athletic Newcastle team, Forestburg led for most of the game.
Unfortunately, the previous game against Bellevue saw the Longhorn team blow the lead late in the fourth quarter against a hard pressing style team and they were suffering the same fate against the Bobcats down the stretch.
Fortunately, Forestburg held on just enough to win 53-46. It was the first boy’s basketball playoff win in nine years for Forestburg.
“It was huge for our program,” Van Hooser said. “This new year we will have new goals. The new coach will have some goals of his own, but I set some for the team and think that we have come a long way.”
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekend edition of the Bowie News.
The Bowie sports banquets was on Monday night. Olivia Gill and Tucker Jones were named Jackrabbit and Lady Rabbit of the year. Pick up the mid-week paper for all of the sports team awards and pictures.
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