Kearney, Neb. (BethanySwedes.com) – The Swedes competed at Loper Twilight meet hosted by the University of Nebraska-Kearney. This was final chance for Bethany to qualify for nationals. The Swedes made the most of this opportunity and capitalized on the competitive environment and absolute ideal weather conditions. The smaller squad of 7 student athletes had a total of 7 personals bests, 5 nationals A-standard performances and 2 top-3 finishes.
The day kicked off with the Javelin. Both Kort Sjogren and Matt Lucas threw their personal bests. Matt Lucas threw 53.33 meters (175 feet), but missed nationals by a little over 2 meters. Kort had a great day throwing a total 3 prs and 4 A-standard marks with his highest going 61.09 meters (just over 200 feet) which was good enough to qualify him for finals and was also good for a 3rd place finish.
Next up was Enoch Ojo. After coming off a big meet at conference last and receiving the Athlete of the Year Award, Ojo still had more in the tank and had a great run in the 400m. In a very competitive race, Enoch ended up running the race of his life! From lane 8 Enoch ended up placing 2nd overall and hitting his lifetime best of 47.88 seconds good for an Automatic qualifying time. He is now qualified in the triple jump and the 400m. He then ran another personal best in the 200m after the 400m with a time of 21.60 seconds.
Lastly, we had 2 800 meter runners finishing on a high note. Senior Rylee Paramore ran a personal best of 2:26.9 seconds to round out an excellent career with her final race. Jackson Wallace completed the season with a time of 1:59 seconds. This was his 4th consecutive sub-2 minute performance in the 800m.
Up Next…
All that is left is the biggest meet in the country for NAIA competitors, the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Both Kort (Javelin Throw) and Enoch (Triple Jump & 400m) will be taking the trip to Marion, Ind. to compete in the meet and represent Bethany proudly! The National Championships are set to begin on May 22nd and last over three days until May 24th. Click here to see the full schedule of events.
