The outdoor track season got underway Monday on an unseasonably warm March evening in Columbus Junction with the Columbus early bird meet. The Wildcat boys were dominant at the John Currie Sports Complex, taking the team title with 224 points, nearly doubling second place Winfield-Mt. Union’s 127.

The ‘Cats collected 10 event championships on the night with Kaden Amigon involved in four of them. He won the 100m dash in 11.59 seconds, the 200m dash in 24.04 seconds, the long jump by clearing 21’1.5″ and was part of the 4×100 team with Jeff Hoback, Andy Gonzales and Jon Miranda that beat the field in 46.75 seconds. Freddy Vergara was a three-time gold winner on the night, taking the 800 in 2:13.00, the two-mile in 10:59.22 and was part of the winning distance medley team of Dyson Juhl, Andy Gonzales, and Juan Chairez with their time of 4:02. Isaac Acosta won double gold with the 400m dash title in 55.38 seconds and the one mile championship in 5:01.95. Dante Zuniga was a winner in the 110 hurdles with a time of 19.69 seconds.

WMU scored five championships on the night, flexing their muscles in relay events, winning four of them. The Wolves Gabe Hemsworth was a three-time winner on the night. He was part of the 4×800 championship team with Kohlby Newsom, Noah Sparrow and Lane Scorpil in 9:02.30, the shuttle hurdle relay champs with Lane and Ty Scorpil and Jacob Haines in 1:10, and was the individual winner of the 400 hurdles in 1:02.26. The Wolves also won the 4×200 in 1:38.21 with a team of Caleb Giese, Brenden Simmons, Eli Miller and Cam Buffington and the 4×400 in 3:53.73 with Giese, Jake and Abram Edwards and Buffington.

Highland was third with 108 points. The Huskies had four champion events with Devin Lovetinsky sweeping gold in the throws, winning the discus with a toss of 102’9″ and the shot with a distance of 41’10”. Brenton Bonebrake was the high jump champ clearing six feet and the Highland sprint medley team of Connor Grinstead, Jacob Hill, Logan Bonebrake and Tyler Thompson won the title in 1:46.53.

Quang Huynh competed for the Hillcrest Ravens in the 100 and 200.

Top area finish on the girls side came from Highland, finishing third of eight teams with 76 and a half points. Van Buren won the team title with 121 points. The Huskies had three championship events with Sarah Burton winning the 100m in 13.68 seconds. She was also a part of the winning 4×100 team with Mackinze Hora, Grace Prybil and Mackenzie McFarland with their time of 53.97. The 4×800 team for Highland was also a champion with Avery Pierson, Laney Skelton, Hailey Netser and Kylie Allen finishing in 14:02.42.

The home Wildcats and Winfield-Mt. Union Wolves each finished with 72 team points. The ‘Cats had two championship events with Lily Coil winning the 400m hurdles in 1:16.34 and Averi Sipes the 3000 in 14:25.56. The Wolves won three titles with Keetyn Townsley taking the 100m hurdles in 18.33 seconds. She was also part of the winning shuttle hurdle team with Kayreanna Sharrar, Josie Nelson and Morgan Grelk in 1:17.77. Jobey Malone won the shot put with a throw of 35’2″.

The Hillcrest Ravens were sixth with 34 points. The Ravens had three runner-up events with Leah Bontrager second in the 1500, Delaney Shaw second in the long jump and the distance medley team of Bontrager, Shaw, Malia Yoder and Morgan Nafziger second.