ALLIANCE TRACK & FIELD INVITE

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. – Despite a strong showing at the Alliance Invite on Friday, many of the Potter-Dix Coyotes track team members were absent.

While some were taking ACT tests and others competing for a $2,000 college scholarship in Kearney, Noah Nelson was mourning the loss of his grandfather, Colburne "Coly" Nelson.

"I told Noah I would win all my events for him," said the Coyotes' Kelsey Rozelle.

While Rozelle was good as his word in winning all his individual events – and scoring personal bests in all three – the shorthanded Coyotes finished third in the Division II boys competition while the girls finished second at Bearcat Stadium in Scottsbluff.

The Southeast boys finished on top in the boys' event with 108 points while Lingle Ft. Laramie (Wyo.) was a close second with 101. The Potter-Dix total was 72. The girls competition was paced by Crawford at 94 points with the Coyotes scoring 77. Lingle Ft. Laramie (74) was third.

While Rozelle made a clean sweep of his events, younger sister Alexus did likewise in her events. Kelsey won the high jump (6 feet, 2 inches), long jump (21-5 1/4) and 100 meters (11.79) while Alexus swept the throwing events. Kelsey's long jump was more than a foot farther than he had ever jumped before.

"Today I just felt a lot better, a lot more motivated thinking about jumping for a friend," Kelsey Rozelle said. "I warmed up better today too. I usually skip warmups."

As Alexus swept the throwing events, she did so in dominating style. Her personal best discus throw (120-7) was more than 30 feet better than the runner-up. Her top toss was also more than a dozen feet better than the Division I winner. Her shot put was nearly four feet past the second-place thrower.

While the Rozelles were brushing aside the competition, senior Cooper Hicks was also having a big day. With the team shorthanded, Hicks added his talents to a pair of events that he has little experience. He ran the 110-meter hurdles for the first time since districts last year. He also competed in the 400 for the first time in his high school career.

Hicks effort in the hurdles was good enough for third. In the 400, Hicks finished in a time (53.22) that was two seconds faster than his best split time in the 4x400 relay. Samuel Bogert added punch to the event for Potter-Dix by scoring in sixth. Hicks also took on the more familiar 300 hurdles, which he won by nearly a second.

"I haven't even practiced the 110 hurdles this year, but with so many kids out we're trying to get all the points we can," Hicks said. "In the 400, I went out as fast as I could over the first 200 meters. I was in lane five and passed everyone. I kept thinking someone was going to come up on me but I held everyone off. It got pretty tight though over the last 100."

Though consistent pole vault competitor Ryley Hicks was in Kearney for the day, Payton Franklin helped make up for her absence by winning the event. Franklin was the only competitor to clear the bar at 8 feet. In the boys' pole vault, Bogert finished fourth.

The Potter-Dix girls also showed strength in the 100-meter hurdles as Franklin finished in third in the same time as teammate and runner-up Payge Hoffman. Franklin and Hoffman teamed up with Savannah Shaw and Trinity Langley to finish second in the 4x100 relay. Earlier, Langley's triple jump was good enough to score fourth-place points while Shaw was fourth in the 200 meters.

The Coyotes make their next appearance on the track on Friday when they travel to Pine Bluffs, Wyo. The field events are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.