The Wakefield Trojan and Lady Trojan track teams traveled to Omaha’s Burke Stadium last weekend for the 2023 State Track Invitational, and returned home with a State Champion and new meet and state record holder.
The Trojan boys’ team captured 11 points from four “top 8” finishes from Cael Johnson, cade Johnson and Ryan Anderson. They finished in 19th overall with nearly 50 teams on the roster.
The Lady Trojans fared a bit better, finishing in 15th with 17 total team points.
Junior Jordan Metzler competed in three events for the Wakefield teams, scoring all 17 of the Lady Trojan team’s overall points, and gathering three medals for her efforts.
She set the State and State Track Meet (and school) record for her 800m run, finishing at 2:14.35, and captured the gold medal in the 800m run as well. The second-place runner was Lilly Kenning from Milford, who finished at 2:15.68 with the third-place runner on her heels at 2:15.88 from Sutherland Public.
Metzler also medaled in the 400m run and the 100m dash.
Teammate Makenna Decker was just shy of a medal and points, earning a 9th place finish with a discus throw of 118’4”. Eighth-place was a throw of 128’1” by a Conestoga competitor.
On the boys’ side, the Trojans were led by Cade Johnson who pulled in a 4th place medal in the boys’ triple jump and a 6th place medal in the boys’ 800m run.
Cael Johnson added two points on a 7th-place finish in the 300m hurdles, and Ryan Anderson was the team’s last medalist with an 8th-place finish in the 3200m run.
Individual results at the State meet included (* indicates medalist)
100m dash: 8*, Jordan Metzler, 13.09s (12.66 prelim)
110m hurdles: 10, Cael Johnson, 15.66s
300m hurdles: 7, Cael Johnson, 40.47s (40.11 prelim)
400m run: 3*, Jordan Metzler, 58.35s (58.67 prelim)
800m run: 6*, Cade Johnson, 1:58.33
800m run: 1*, Jordan Metzler, 2:14.35 (State/meet record)
3200m run: 8*, Ryan Anderson, 10:18.07
Discus: 9, Makenna Decker, 118’4”
Triple Jump: 4*, Cade Johnson, 44’5”
4x400m relay: 14, Wakefield (Cade Johnson, Ryan Anderson, Franco Tapia, Cade Johnson), 3:35.48