Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Red Raider Jon Smith pushing to a second place finish in the 100 meter hurdles.
Sidney High School's track teams got a chance to experiment last week at the Scottsbluff Twilight Track Meet, with a number of athletes trying their hands at different events.
Through it all, the Raiders found some options as they prepare for upcoming conference and district competitions.
"With the weather and the meet schedule, it gave us a chance to do a few things differently," said Sidney Coach John Ganser.
Part of the meet's allure is its non-scoring nature, where there are no official team scores kept. That allows coaches to see different athletes in events they might not normally enter.
Weather limited teams' options somewhat, as the cancellation of the Mitchell track meet, scheduled for the same day, didn't allow schools to take as many athletes into competition as they would have otherwise.
Still, an expanded field, allowing more entries than normal, put more athletes into Twilight Meet competition.
Through it all, Ganser said he saw some good things from Sidney competitors.
Natalie Radcliffe was a big performer at Scottsbluff, clearing 16 feet in the long jump, and finishing second in the 800 meters.
Another big run for the girls was Kate Riggs' second place, 12:28.39 in the 3200 meter.
"That was big," Ganser said.
Another important step for the Raiders was Mitch Porter's return to the triple jump, where he cleared 42 feet. Porter had not competed in the event, one of Sidney's strengths, since rolling his ankle at the Sidney Invite.
In all, Ganser was pleased with the things he saw, saying "we're giving ourselves more options as coaches."
The Raiders compete in the Western Conference Track Meet Friday at Weymouth Field.
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