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05/28/2007: "CHS girls win fourth straight state track title"

Once more makes four.
The Crofton Lady Warriors added a fourth consecutive state track championship to the trophy case as Crofton climbed the victory stand at the Class C State Track Meet, held over the past weekend in Omaha.
Led by senior Amber Hegge’s four gold medal performances, the CHS gals held off David City Aquinas and Kearney Catholic to claim the school’s fourth straight state crown. The Lady Warriors tallied 60 points to best their two runnerups, each of whom had 52. Heartland followed with 42, then Howels 35, Hastings St. Cecilia 30, Elkhorn Valley 26, North Bend 25 and Lyons-Decatur Northeast with 21 to round out the top ten.
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Hegge finished her high school track career with 12 gold medals in four appearances. Along with those golds, she medaled in four other events during her stellar career, and she claimed a share of a state meet record (5’9 in the high jump in 2006).
Hegge also earned an all-class gold medal for having the best result of all four classes. Her 38’9.25 in the event was the best of the Class A, B, C and D winners. She tied with Celeste Pankonin, Chase County, for the best winning mark in the high jump among the four classes. They both topped 5’5, however, Pankonin was awarded the all-class gold because of fewer misses. Hegge was also only one inch behind the all-class gold medalist in the long jump, and .4 of a second off the all-class gold in the 200.
Another highlight was the fact that Hegge was a four-time champion in the high jump, of course, the pinnacle coming with two overall gold medals and tying the state meet record.
Hegge’s state meet history is as follows: 2004 high jump - 1st, triple jump - 2nd, 1600 relay - 1st, 400 - 2nd; 2005 long jump - 1st, high jump - 1st, triple jump - 1st, 400 - 2nd; 2006 long jump - 1st, high jump - 1st, triple jump - 1st, 1600 relay - 6th; 2007 high jump - 1st, triple jump - 1st, long jump - 1st, 200 - 1st.
But while the spotlight shone on Crofton’s outstanding senior athlete, there were many others who contributed to the victory. And there was adversity to overcome.
The meet began with a rather ominous, but golden first event. In the long jump, Hegge popped a jump of 17’11.5 to start the competition. That mark was never challenged until Erin Dostal of Howells, who was running second to Hegge, hit 18-feet even on her final jump, just prior to Hegge’s final attempt.
Always the competitor, Hegge launched herself into the pit, and brushed the sand with a winning leap of 18’3.25.
Up at the discus ring, another early Friday event, defending Class C champ Morgan Wilken saw her reign brought to a close as Jennifer Svoboda, also of Howells, flipped the platter 140’7 to beat Wilken’s best mark of 138’7. Wilken did earn a silver medal and the 8 precious team points that went with it.
A short time later, Crofton’s scoring was rounded out when two freshman distance runners, state cross country champ Kristen Steffen, and Rachel Barnes placed fourth and fifth in the 3200 run. Steffen clocked 11:33.144 while Barnes hit the line at 11:42.888. For both the girls those were their season’s best time.
CHS girls head coach Rod Hegge noted that the freshman girls provided a big boost for the CHS team effort, contributing 12 points. He said one never knows how first-year contestants will respond in a state-level arena, but that Steffen and Barnes responded with positive results.
Crofton took a first day lead in the team chase with 27 points.
Also on the first day, Hegge ran the fastest time of the three preliminary heats of the 200 with a 25.777. Breanna Wendte ran 1:02.710, almost the same time she ran a year ago when she placed sixth, in the 400. But this time she finished sixth in her heat and didn’t move on to finals. And Brittany Lammers cleared 9-feet in the pole vault, which left her out of the medals, too.
Saturday started almost like Friday as Hegge struggled in the high jump. The senior shocked the crowd as she missed twice at the opening height of 4’10 before getting over the bar. But the 5-foot mark also gave her troubles, as she missed her first try before clearing it on the second attempt.
Hegge kept telling CHS coaches it felt like her steps were off, and a suggestion to make a slight adjustment seemed to help as she cleared 5’2 and 5’3 on her first try, the second height securing first place. She then pushed the bar to 5’5, making it and securing gold. Afte4r the even had ended, Hegge remeasured, and found she’d mistakenly marked a 34-foot approach instead of 44 feet that she had been using the past two seasons.
A short time later, Steffen finished sixth in the 1600, recording a time of 5:29.039, her fastest of the season. Barnes did not place with her 5:48.842 clocking.
As the afternoon wore on, David City Aquinas forged ahead of the Lady Warriors, 42-30. But Hegge had two gold medal possibilities left while Aquinas had but one.
Hegge made good on her events as she claimed gold in the 200, clocking a winning time of 25.497, a time that was only three tenths of a second off the all-class gold, and then pushed CHS onto the winner’s stand in the triple jump with her 38’9.5, and the elevated the Lady Warriors to the win.
(Hegge) was absolutely amazing,” noted her uncle and coach Rod Hegge, pointing to her top or near-top level performances in the two days of competition. Hegge’s wins put the state title into the hands of the CHS bunch as even though Aquinas won the 1600 relay, that garnered them only 52 points, 8 behind Crofton’s 60.
The Crofton quartet of Megan Miller, Lacey Wendte, Steffen and Bree Wendte, clocked 4:18.060, good for fourth in their heat, but it was not fast enough to lift them into the top eight.
The win earned longtime CHS assistant track coach Rod Hegge, who moved into the girls head post following the departure of Gary Timm, his first coach’s award for a state championship.
Crofton also had three boys in state meet events, and two earned medals.
Scot Donner cleared 13-feet to place sixth in the pole vault, and Eric Peitz threw the shotput 49’1.75 to get the eighth place medal. Greg Wortmann also threw the shot, hitting 48’6. Donner also made it in the 200, but his time of 23.44 and fourth plce finish in his prelim heat didn’t get him into the finals. Peitz also was entered in the discus event, but scratched on all three prelim throws.