The spring sports season played out on tracks in Kimball, Hershey and Omaha. It unfolded in the wind at golf courses near Bridgeport and at Kearney. Indoors, 4-H shooters fired rounds in Chadron, Ogallala and other arenas while bowlers gathered almost every night at the Kim Bowl lanes.

It was a season of moments: Dalton Lockwood stretching at the in a dramatic 4x400 at the district track meet; Brent Bussinger charging past two rivals to win a narrow victory in the 110 hurdles; the dominance of Taylor Holz; Jeff Greenwood clobbering the field at Bridgeport then bouncing back from a slump to take second at districts; the months-long battle between Banner County’s Jordan Knaub and Potter-Dix’s Luke Johnson in the 800 meter run; Lindsey Soule and Maegan Coffman’s excitement after taking gold and silver in the district shot put competition, the emergence of Kelly Green and Kimball’s 4x100 team; Laura Flores helping her exhausted rivals after a grueling 3200 in the heat of Omaha’s Burke Stadium…

Spring and its sports schedule is now a warm memory.

But when we look back through dozens of names and hundreds of stirring images, a few stand out. These are the stars of the season just past:



Taylor Holz

The Coyotes senior left 2012 and her competition in a blurry red wake. She qualified for state in four track events and took bronze in one. She won at the MAC conference event and Best of the West. She broke school records. She cruised past the 100 dash and 100 hurdles crowd at tracks in Sidney, Alliance, Pine Bluffs and other places around the Panhandle. When she took up pole vaulting, Holz instantly set a Potter-Dix record. Simply put, it was a year stamped with her name.



Ty Ottoson

A pattern began to emerge early in the track schedule. Ottoson won the 300 meter hurdles in Kimball’s opener. He broke the string again during Bayard’s C-D invite, at Mitchell and the MAC event in Chappell. In the 110 hurdles it was the same story. The Potter-Dix star earned a trip to Best of the West and Burke Stadium. Although he fell in the 300, he still ended his high school career with runs on Saturday in Omaha.



Dalton Lockwood

The Kimball sprinter was almost unbeatable early on. He swept the 100 and 200 meter dash field at Kimball, the Bayard C-D, Chappell and Torrington. At the same time he anchored the school’s relay team, leading the 4x400 squad on a dramatic come from behind effort at districts that fell a fraction short. Lockwood placed at Best of the West and was the only Longhorns athlete to advance into the finals at state, finishing seventh in the 200 on the Burke Stadium track.



Peppiina Raisanen

When asked about any of her distance wins, Banner County’s exchange student from Finland would simply point out that everything had gone according to plan--even after taking gold in her first ever track events, during the season opener in Kimball. Raisanen went on to claim 3200 titles in almost every invite of the year. She earned a trip to state in her one and only stint on a high school team.



Brent Bussinger

Bussinger started the year with in fine style, taking first in the 110 hurdles in Kimball’s home invite. The coaches added him to the 300 line up, expecting the senior to grow into the event. At districts in Hershey, Bussinger recovered from a slow start in 110 to blow past two rivals over the final few hurdles. He then blistered the 300 ranks, picking up a trip to Omaha in both.



Jeff Greenwood

As the golf season began, Greenwood signed a letter of intent to play for Wayne State College. He fired a 71 at Bridgeport, to pace the tournament. In Alliance he shot 78, leading the Kimball squad. He then fought through a minor slump to record a 74 at districts, good enough for second overall--and another trip to state.



Jordan Knaub

The Banner County senior put on a show in the 800, dueling with friendly rival Jake Johnson all the way. Knaub won at Chappell, Morrill and the all important district meet. When not breaking the string, he piled up critical points for the Wildcats. Knaub also notched fifth at Best of the West and traveled to Omaha as one of four athletes representing the Wildcats.



Luke Johnson

When it came to the 800 meter run, Johnson seemed to trade positions with Jordan Knaub. The Potter-Dix standout took gold at Sidney, the MAC event and in the season’s second round at Sidney. He also starred in relay events, receiving a Burke Stadium nod in both the individual and team runs.



Madie Snyder

Taking aim with the 4-H Dead Eye Shooters, Snyder recorded a string of firsts in BB and Precision Rifle contests in Hyannis, Alliance, Chadron and other locations. Her performance at state qualified the young Kimball shooter for a trip to the national competition in Arkansas.



Scott Smith

A number of strong bowlers racked up high marks in one league. Smith, however, blazed the lanes in three this year. He tallied three high games and seven high series in the Merchants League, four total highs in the Petroleum League and another eight in the Wednesday Morning Trios.



Kaidee Livingstone

The Potter-Dix athlete defined her season by the five foot bar. During the high jump competition at Pine Bluffs, for example, she cleared the mark and then watched as rival after rival fell short. At districts she finished one-two with teammate Conner Wolff, winning a trip to state in the process. She also competed on the relay squad in Omaha.



Kelly Green

Kimball’s sophomore sprinting sensation did not win every time. Early in the season, however, she was often responsible for most of the points picked up by the Longhorns. And she anchored the young and impressive 4x100 team, helping Annie McCloud, Shelby Vogel and Brooke Hager secure a trip to Omaha.



Lindsey Soule

Knee surgery made Soule an unlikely candidate for shot put success. As the season wore on, however, the Banner County senior learned to adjust her technique to the injury. She won the MAC title and took top spot in district competition, earning a shot at Omaha.



Todd O’Hare

Kimball’s most consistent golfer ensured a return to state. Firing in the low 80s, he anchored a squad subject to streaks.  His 82 at Bayard was critical. He also recorded the lowest team score at Scottsbluff and the WTC.



Jessica Hanks

Early in the year, Hanks determined that hitting a goal of 100 feet in discus would define a successful freshman year. The Kimball athlete grabbed the gold at Chappell, reaching almost 96 feet in the process. Then at Torrington, she hurled the discus 113 feet, four inches.



Tiffany LaBeau

The versatile Coyotes star could score points in the hurdles--witness a win in the 100 at Sidney--the relay, where she took part in a school record 4x100 run and field events. She ran in both the relay and the 300 hurdles in Omaha.



Cheryl White

Sometimes it seemed as if White owned the Pin Pals League. Week after week she bowled games strong enough for a top three finish. She tallied five high game scores and five high series scores during the spring season.



Jaren Winstrom

The young 4-H Dead Eye Shooter qualified for a spot at nationals because of an aim accurate enough to capture titles in Sporter and Precision Rifle at Hyannis, Alliance, Mitchell, Ogallala--the list is long.



Brady Knigge

Although he did not qualify for state, Knigge’s effort at the Pine Bluffs invite was spectacular. He recorded wins in the 100 and 200 meter dash. And he long jump mark was enough for a call from Best of the West.



Bryant Knigge

The pole vault that propelled this Potter-Dix standout to Omaha was not his most impressive. On the grounds of Burke Stadium, however, he cleared his own school record by a full 12 inches.



Jeff Thorson

Bowling in the Utilities League, Thorson counted five league high game scores and four high series scores.



Cindy Feemster

Feemster dominated the Jack & Jill League at Kim Bowl, ending the year with a total of seven league highs.



Henry Heeg

In a line up of seniors, this Kimball sophomore saved the boys golf season on more than one occasion. At the school’s home tournament, for example, his round of 78 led the team to victory.



Many other names and moments made the spring sports landscape exciting. Young Kimball pole vaulter Hailee Simpson jumping up and down with joy after learning of her first ever win at Morrill. Or there was Clint Serres leaving everything on the track on his way to state qualification in the 200 meter dash. And Kimball junior high athlete Trent Rutledge claimed a podium finish in the vault at state.

It was a season bright with local stars.