KEARNEY, Neb. – Chadron State track and field swept the 5000 meter races and earned runner-up finishes in the mens 200 and 400 meters while athletes such as Ashlyn Tapio and Nate Mann achieved career-best marks as the Eagles competed at the Central Nebraska Challenge, a 13-team meet hosted at Kearney High School by the University of Nebraska-Kearney on Sunday. 

Chadron State's first event win came when senior Blaine Johnson of Sheridan, Wyoming finished atop a field of 16 participants in the 5,000 meters with a career-best time of 15:41.58 seconds. Freshman Kaden Boltz was next across the line behind Johnson, crossing in 15:44.55. Johnson and Boltz were the only two CSC racers in the event. 

On the women's side, Samantha Rodewald topped a field of eight runners in the 5000, crossing in 19:16.01.

The Eagles had three of the top five placers in the 400, an event which had 35 participants. Ayden Hartzell finished in second place with a time of 47.84 seconds, followed closely by teammates Christopher Cormier in third (48.26) and Ryan Clapper in fifth (48.65). 

The same three runners also placed within the top 10 of the 200-meter race. Clapper took runner-up honors with a time of 21.20 seconds, just four-hundredths of a second behind the race winner, while Hartzell was sixth in 21.57 and Cormier came 10th in 21.94. 

Ashlyn Tapio, a Parkston, South Dakota native, had a standout meet as she set career-best marks in three different events. Tapio placed seventh in the discus with a throw of 43.41 meters (142 feet, 5 inches), 16th in the hammer throw (46.31m/151-11), and 21st in the javelin (28.35m/93-0), all the farthest marks of her career. Tapio's best placing of the day was in her fourth event, when the junior placed fifth in the shot put by throwing it 12.83 meters (42-1.25). 

The Eagles also got a big performance from Nate Mann in the 1500 as the senior crossed the line fifth among 48 entries with a time of 4:06.72, which is over six-tenths of a second faster than his previous personal best of 4:07.39 from April 2023. 

Below are top eight results from Sunday's meet:

Men's Events:
                100—8, Esosa Iyengunmwena, 10.82
                200—2, Ryan Clapper, 21.20; 6, Ayden Hartzell, 21.57
                400—2, Ayden Hartzell, 47.84; 3, Chris Cormier, 48.26; 5, Ryan Clapper, 48.65
                1500—5, Nate Mann, 4:06.72
                5000—1, Blaine Johnson, 15:41.58; 2, Kaden Boltz, 15:44.55
                4x400 relay—3, Chadron State (Ayden Hartzell, Hunter Lund, Diego Perez, Emmanuel Wani), 3:18.34 
Women's Events:
                5000—1, Samantha Rodewald, 19:16.01 
                3000 steeplechase—3, Kyndall Carnahan, 12:03.60; 4, Katelyn Beshara, 13:01.32
                4x400 relay—5, Chadron State (Paige Kehmeier, Jayda Rahming, Wongel Molla, Hannah Rathmann), 4:10.80
                Shot put—5, Ashlyn Tapio, 12.83 meters (42-1.25); 6, Shelby Ekwall, 12.82 meters (42-0.75); 8, Kristie Jordan, 12.46 meters (40-10.5).
                Discus—7, Ashlyn Tapio, 43.41 meters (143-5)
                Javelin—5, Mataya Ward, 37.86 meters (124-2); 8, Kristie Jordan, 34.39 meters (112-10)
                Triple jump—8, Mataya Ward, 10.56 (34-7.75)