Waukon boys track squad opens team schedule at Northeast Iowa Conference Indoor, four wins headed by distance crew

The Waukon boys track and field squad began its 2023 schedule of team competition at the Northeast Iowa Conference Indoor Meet hosted at Luther College in Decorah Tuesday, March 21. No team scores were kept at the meet, but the Indians did win four events, with nearly all of those wins coming from the Tribe’s distance competitors, providing ample evidence of head coach Ted Snitker’s pre-season forecast of the strength of this year’s distance-running crew.

Those four event triumphs were evenly split between individual and relay events. The individual victories included senior Nathan O’Neill winning the 1600 meter run in a time of 4:44.40 and fellow senior Josh Keenan topping the 800 meter run field with a clocking of 2:15.90.

Josh Keenan also joined forces with his twin brother, Nate, as well as freshman Colton O’Neill and junior Wyatt Gulla for a win in the 4x800 relay in a time of 8:53.86. The other relay victory for the track Tribe came in the distance medley, where junior Kole McCormick and sophomore Judah Johnson each ran the 200 meter legs, senior Cael Rethwisch manned the 400 meter segment, and Gulla anchored the 800 meter leg to that relay win in a time of 3:55.79.

The Indians were next scheduled to start their outdoor season at the Tuesday, March 28 Sumner-Fredericksburg Invitational. The Waukon boys will then host their own Early Bird Invitational Thursday, March 30 before competing at Decorah Monday, April 3 and then traveling to Postville Thursday, April 6.

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