KEARNEY – Minden’s Aidan Wheelock became just the fifth boys in state history to win three NSAA state cross country meets on Friday at the Kearney Country Club.

Wheelock was in a pack of about five runners at the mile mark, but pulled out to a comfortable lead by the two-mile mark and wound up winning by a little more than 20 second over Mason Sindelar of Pierce.

Here is a look a the previous three-time boys champions.

Aaron Carrizales, Morrill (C/1992, B/1993, C/1994)
Nate Nielsen, Lincoln Southeast (A/1984, A/1986, A/1987)
Colby Wissel, Kearney, (A/2001, A/2002, A/2003)
Matthew Barraza, Scottsbluff, (B/2012, B/2013, B/2014)

Meanwhile, Sidney captured the team championship with a score of 53, edging out Holdrege by five points.

Both Sidney (Collin Brauer and Carlos Lucero) and Holdrege (Tyler Peterson and Caden Erickson) had top-10 finishers in the team standings but the Red Raiders got clutch performances from freshmen Daniel Bashtovoi (19th) and Cameron Brauer (24th) to finish ahead of the Dusters.

In the girls race, Holdrege won the team championship with a score of 50 followed by Fort Calhoun at 62 and Columbus Scotus at 66.

Lucia McKeag of Ogallala won the individual title with a time of 19:49.0. Three-time defending champion Taya Skelton of Fort Calhoun was running second at the mile mark and third at the two-mile mark – just five seconds off the lead at each point – before finishing in fifth with a time of 20:29.3.

Class C Boys Team Standings

1.) Sidney – 53
2.) Holdrege – 58
3.) Lincoln Christian – 81
4.) Mitchell – 95
5.) Douglas County West – 97
6.) Columbus Scotus – 104
7.) Auburn – 117
8.) Wahoo – 119
9.) Milford – 124
10.) Boone Central/Newman Grove – 127
11.) St. Paul – 152
12.) Fort Calhoun – 197

Class C Boys Top 10 Individuals

1.) Aidan Wheelock SR Minden 16:31.8
2.) Mason Sindelar SO Pierce 16:52.1 5:26
3.) Tyler Peterson SR Holdrege 17:07.3
4.) Braden Kobza SR Falls City 17:19.8
5.) Collin Brauer SR Sidney 17:21.5
6.) Caleb Canfield SR Lincoln Christian 17:25.8
7.) Camden Sesna SR Kearney Catholic 17:27.1
8.) Ryan McArdle SO Douglas County West 17:30.0
9.) Gavin McGerr SO Lincoln Christian 17:34.3
10.) Elliott Thomazin SR Columbus Scotus 17:34.7

CLICK HERE FOR FULL LIST OF CLASS C BOYS INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

Class C Girls Team Standings

1.) Holdrege – 50
2.) Fort Calhoun – 62
3.) Columbus Scotus – 66
4.) Lincoln Christian – 79
5.) Boone Central/Newman Grove – 81
6.) Conestoga – 98
7.) Kearney Catholic – 112
8.) Mitchell – 125
9.) Ogallala – 137
10.) Milford – 139
11.) O’Neill – 142
12.) Auburn – 177

Class C Girls Top 10 Individuals

1.) Lucia McKeag SR Ogallala 19:49.0
2.) Jordan Soto-Stopak SO Boone Central/Newman Grove 20:05.6
3.) Alexus Sindelar FR Pierce 20:13.2
4.) Bella Hogue JR Conestoga 20:26.3
5.) Taya Skelton SR Fort Calhoun 20:29.3
6.) Sydney Reed SR Holdrege 20:32.0
7.) Ashley Kroese JR Milford 20:38.4
8.) Natalie Engel SR Cozad 20:49.3
9.) Regan Hodsden JR Mitchell 20:50.5
10.) Avery McKennan SR Fort Calhoun 20:52.4

CLICK HERE FOR FULL LIST OF CLASS C GIRLS INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

Photo credit / Eric Allgood of nebpreps