LSE relay team eyes another title
The 1,600-meter relay is always the final event of a high school track meet. The Lincoln Southeast girls definitely save the best for last.
A year ago, the Knights finished off the state meet in record fashion, running the fastest girls 1,600 relay time in state history — 3:55.37. All four runners — sophomore Avarey Brown, juniors KK Houser and Karley Piper, and senior Katie Birkel — are back for another assault on the record book Saturday at Omaha Burke Stadium.
Last year’s achievement “was shocking at first, we couldn’t believe it,’’ said Piper, who is also running the open 400 this weekend. “It didn’t hit me what we had done until after the meet, on the bus ride home.’’
For Birkel, the gold medal and securing a place in history last year eased the pain of close second-place finishes in 200 and 400 races earlier in the afternoon.
“It definitely let me go home happy,’’ Birkel said.
A record performance Saturday won’t catch anyone by surprise. All four relay legs have faster split times than they did last season. Birkel has the fastest open 400 time in the state this spring with at 56.46 seconds. Piper has been consistently in the 59-second range in the open 400 and has run relay splits under 59.
Both Brown and Houser are capable of going under 1:00.
The Knights’ best time this season so far is a 3:56.9, which is fourth on the all-time charts. They’ve also worked other runners into the relay during the regular season, such as freshman Taylor Johnson and junior Marissa Kastanek. Johnson, a state qualifier in the 800, ran on the 1,600 relay at districts instead of Brown, and Southeast ran a 3:57.89, a district meet record.
“If you don’t run a meet, you never know if you’ll get put back on,’’ Brown said.
Kastanek, who played with Houser and Birkel on the Knights’ state championship basketball team, ran on the relay earlier in the season. The Class B 800 state champion last season at Crete, she has been sidelined the past few weeks with a hip injury.
“We have a number of girls who can run on that relay, and it’s good to have that kind of competition on your team. It just makes you better,’’ Southeast track coach Dave Nebel said. “They’re all multisport athletes who have succeeded in big-time situations. That experience should serve them well this weekend.’’
Houser has been able to multitask in recent weeks — bringing her hurdle times down while also being involved in the college basketball recruiting process. After unofficial visits late last month to Notre Dame, Purdue, Michigan State and Iowa State, she’s reeled off a :14.5 in the 100 high hurdles (a converted electronic time) and a :44.07 in the 300 low hurdles (just 0.01 second from making the all-time charts).
Houser is the defending all-class gold medallist in the 100 hurdles, running a :14.56 at state last year, which is ninth all-time. But she’s more fired up about the 300 lows and appears ready to challenge state-record holder Kianna Elahi of Millard North.
“I’m actually more comfortable running the 300s than I am the 100s,’’ Houser said. “I feel a lot stronger, like I have more of a kick at the end.’’
Birkel is eighth in the all-time charts in the 400 with the :55.96 she ran at state last year. The state record of :55.36 might be within reach, but her primary goal is gold in the 200 and 400.
“The 200 will be really competitive,’’ said Birkel, who has Class A’s fastest 200 time this season with a :25.2. “I’d like to PR from last year (in the 400) and hit the 55s again if I can. But most important, I want to win.’’
Reach Ron Powell at 473-7437 or rpowell@journalstar.com.
A year ago, the Knights finished off the state meet in record fashion, running the fastest girls 1,600 relay time in state history — 3:55.37. All four runners — sophomore Avarey Brown, juniors KK Houser and Karley Piper, and senior Katie Birkel — are back for another assault on the record book Saturday at Omaha Burke Stadium.
Last year’s achievement “was shocking at first, we couldn’t believe it,’’ said Piper, who is also running the open 400 this weekend. “It didn’t hit me what we had done until after the meet, on the bus ride home.’’
For Birkel, the gold medal and securing a place in history last year eased the pain of close second-place finishes in 200 and 400 races earlier in the afternoon.
“It definitely let me go home happy,’’ Birkel said.
A record performance Saturday won’t catch anyone by surprise. All four relay legs have faster split times than they did last season. Birkel has the fastest open 400 time in the state this spring with at 56.46 seconds. Piper has been consistently in the 59-second range in the open 400 and has run relay splits under 59.
Both Brown and Houser are capable of going under 1:00.
The Knights’ best time this season so far is a 3:56.9, which is fourth on the all-time charts. They’ve also worked other runners into the relay during the regular season, such as freshman Taylor Johnson and junior Marissa Kastanek. Johnson, a state qualifier in the 800, ran on the 1,600 relay at districts instead of Brown, and Southeast ran a 3:57.89, a district meet record.
“If you don’t run a meet, you never know if you’ll get put back on,’’ Brown said.
Kastanek, who played with Houser and Birkel on the Knights’ state championship basketball team, ran on the relay earlier in the season. The Class B 800 state champion last season at Crete, she has been sidelined the past few weeks with a hip injury.
“We have a number of girls who can run on that relay, and it’s good to have that kind of competition on your team. It just makes you better,’’ Southeast track coach Dave Nebel said. “They’re all multisport athletes who have succeeded in big-time situations. That experience should serve them well this weekend.’’
Houser has been able to multitask in recent weeks — bringing her hurdle times down while also being involved in the college basketball recruiting process. After unofficial visits late last month to Notre Dame, Purdue, Michigan State and Iowa State, she’s reeled off a :14.5 in the 100 high hurdles (a converted electronic time) and a :44.07 in the 300 low hurdles (just 0.01 second from making the all-time charts).
Houser is the defending all-class gold medallist in the 100 hurdles, running a :14.56 at state last year, which is ninth all-time. But she’s more fired up about the 300 lows and appears ready to challenge state-record holder Kianna Elahi of Millard North.
“I’m actually more comfortable running the 300s than I am the 100s,’’ Houser said. “I feel a lot stronger, like I have more of a kick at the end.’’
Birkel is eighth in the all-time charts in the 400 with the :55.96 she ran at state last year. The state record of :55.36 might be within reach, but her primary goal is gold in the 200 and 400.
“The 200 will be really competitive,’’ said Birkel, who has Class A’s fastest 200 time this season with a :25.2. “I’d like to PR from last year (in the 400) and hit the 55s again if I can. But most important, I want to win.’’
Reach Ron Powell at 473-7437 or rpowell@journalstar.com.
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