Prescott track and field third, Ellsworth fifth at Middle Border Conference championship

By Reagan Hoverman
Posted 5/25/23

Both the Prescott and Ellsworth High School track and field teams featured at least two individuals who won Middle Border Conference titles at the annual MBC meet in Altoona on Tuesday, May 16.

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Prescott track and field third, Ellsworth fifth at Middle Border Conference championship

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Both the Prescott and Ellsworth High School track and field teams featured at least two individuals who won Middle Border Conference titles at the annual MBC meet in Altoona on Tuesday, May 16.

Ellsworth had four league championships including senior Bo Hines in the boys’ long jump, junior Nyla Wilford in the girls’ shot put and the famed boys’ 4x100 and 4x200-meter relay squads, which lived up to their hype and captured a pair of titles.

Prescott’s championships came from a pair of program veterans. Senior Tyler Loucks won the 1,600-meter run and junior Breckin Schommer bested a dozen competitors to claim the 800-meter title.

In addition to the championship winners, Prescott had 11 other individuals or relays earn MBC All-Conference honors by finishing third or better in their respective events. Ellsworth had three other such selections.

The individual success helped propel Prescott to a pair of third-place finishes as a team. The Ellsworth boys’ and girls’ rosters also shared results, as the Panthers earned a pair of fifth-place finishes on Tuesday.

Perhaps no athlete on any team in the conference accomplished a feat more impressive at this year’s conference championship than Ellsworth senior Bo Hines. In each of the previous two seasons, Hines won individual conference titles in the long jump.

Hines extended his streak to a three-peat of conference titles when he long jumped 20 feet, 5.25 inches in Altoona on Tuesday night. Ellsworth’s boys’ coach, Drew Pechacek, spoke about Hines’ long history of success and how he always performs in the most pivotal moments.

“Bo has been strong in the long jump his entire career and has consistently risen to the occasion in big meets,” Pechacek said. “For him to go out as a three-time conference champ in his last conference meet was great. We are extremely proud of what he’s done and have enjoyed watching him transition into the team leader this past season.”

Perhaps it’s a testament to the athlete that Hines is, but even with his success in the long jump throughout the past three years, it might not even be his best event. Hines has been an integral component of the 4x100 and 4x200-meter relays since his sophomore year.

During that span, Hines has helped Ellsworth’s relays win multiple state championships and set what many believe are unbreakable school records. He added another pair of league titles at the conference meet in Altoona.

Hines ran alongside junior Jake McCabe and sophomores Michael Holst and Levi Nelson in both the 4x100 and 4x200-meter relays. They posted championship-winning times of 44.52 and 1:32.38 in the 4x100 and 4x200 relays respectively.

“The 4x200 was a great race,” Pechacek said. “To come from behind and chase down Osceola was a huge win for the guys. We had a few struggles with handoffs leading up to the conference meet and we just stressed to make it around the track. If we do that, we can be in any race because we have four top sprinters in these races.”

Ellsworth’s fourth winner is junior Nyla Wilford, who threw 35 feet, 4 inches in the shot put on Tuesday. Her longest toss was nearly a foot clear of the eventual runner-up. Junior Kelila Gooden finished third in the shot put while sophomore Maleah Petersen took fourth. Marcia Jahnke, who coaches Ellsworth’s girls, spoke about her top three throwers this year.

“Nyla, Kelila and Maleah have been consistent and were a huge reason we placed where we did in the conference meet,” Jahnke said. “They improve nearly every time they throw and all three posted personal bests at the Middle Border Conference meet in the shot put. We’re very excited about what these girls have done so far and can’t wait to see what they do next.”

Prescott Results

Prescott senior Tyler Loucks has not only been one of the best performers on the track but he’s also been one of the most impactful leaders in the locker room.

The veteran runner won an individual conference title in the 1,600-meter run, a race that ultimately ended in a photo finish. Loucks was gridlocked with Osceola senior Mason Hancock for nearly the entire race.

The two have battled throughout the year and regularly pushed each other to the brink. Loucks got the best of Hancock on Tuesday afternoon by less than a second. Prescott head coach Emily Calabrese spoke about Loucks’ performance in Altoona.

“We knew it would be a big day for Tyler,” Calabrese said. “His primary focus was the mile (1,600-meter) because he’s been chasing our school record. It was a very good race and he outkicked Mason Hancock at the end. Tyler feels really good about where he’s at right now.”

Prescott’s other conference title winner is junior Breckin Schommer, who won the 800-meter run with a time of 2:02.63. Calabrese spoke about Schommer’s win in the 800 and his long day which included two other highly-competitive events.

“Breckin had another really big day, which (included) the 400, 800 and 4x400,” Calabrese said. “He scored in the 400 and then came back with a really solid PR in the 800. Then he helped that 4x400 to a third-place finish. He was very tired at the end, but had a great day.”

Prescott had a lot of success at this year’s Middle Border Conference meet, even without senior Shane Butler. Butler, who has battled a quad injury for the better part of a month, is one of the Cardinals’ best short-distance sprinters.

He would have unquestionably added to Prescott’s team points and may have even competed for a conference title individually. They also missed his presence in a couple of the boys’ relays on Tuesday afternoon. Calabrese spoke about Butler sitting out the conference meet to ensure that he’s 100% healthy for regionals and beyond.

“Not having Shane (Butler) definitely impacted the results,” Calabrese said. “I think he was feeling good, but he was worried that it might set him back before regionals. He wants to be 100% for (regionals) and he’s being smart about it. I totally support his decision.”

Prescott and Ellsworth will both be back in action at the WIAA Division 2 Regional in Durand on Monday, May 22. Events are slated to begin at 4 p.m.

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