OMAHA — Sterling's Macy Richardson was just as quick running to her spot as a spectator as she was in the Class D girls 100-meter hurdles at the state track and field meet Saturday.
Richardson popped a winning time of 15.48 seconds for her third consecutive gold in the event. Then she took off running to the Burke Stadium infield to watch her teammate compete.
She had a front-row seat as Andrew Harms shocked himself — and the Class D boys 110-hurdle field — to win in :15.32. Harms, who finished fifth in the high jump and has only run hurdles for just over a year, claimed his first state title to cap off his senior season.
“It feels pretty good, I really didn't expect that,” Harms said.
Harms suffered an injury last year, sparking uncertainty.
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“I was in distance all my life,” Harms said. “I hurt my back in the middle of last year and (Sterling coaches) just decided, 'We might as well throw you in hurdles, your sister was good at them.'"
Harms' sister, Nicole, won the 100 and 300 hurdle titles in 2019.
"(Richardson) and Nicole are big inspirations to me," Harms added.
His day was not done there, later anchoring Sterling's 1,600-relay team to a first-place finish in 3:30.85 for his second gold medal.
Richardson, a Minnesota softball commit, was writing her final chapter in a storied high school career as a multisport athlete in volleyball, basketball, track and club softball.
The Jets' phenom finished with six career state track titles, including her 100 hurdles Saturday. She added a silver medal in the 300 hurdles in her final event by 0.03 seconds and a third-place finish in the triple jump after back-to-back event titles in 2021-22.
“There is a lot of great athletes here today,” Richardson said. “Just competing to your hardest and doing your best.
“I think all the sports together is very beneficial, moving on and keeping your mindset fresh. I think they've all been very helpful in helping me go Division I in softball.”
Richardson has a vast collection of medals, but if she had to pick one, it's Sterling's girls team track title win 2021. The Jets' title came after a freshman season lost to the pandemic.
“When our team won the state title, it was a group effort,” Richardson said. “Our community was all behind us and it felt so good to bring it home to the people that pushed us through the years.
"I was always just hoping for the best and working for it. We (Sterling) kind of struggle. We don't really have a track and so we just stay really detailed oriented in practices, so my coaches have been a big part in pushing me throughout the years. I think that's what got us here so far.”
The Sterling boys were able to capture a relay state championship. The 1,600-relay team of Jesus Gonzalez Castillo, Wyatt Rathe, Collin Kinney and Andrew Harms won the Class D title with a time of 3:30.85.
Additional individual competitors from Sterling included Jesus Gonzalez-Castillo finishing seventh in the Class D 800-meter run with a time of 2:01.68. Lauren Harms competed in the Class D shot put and finished 12th with a throw of 35-10.50.
For the Tri County boys, Carter Siems finished state-runner up in the Class C 800-meter run with a time of 1:56.05 and finished eighth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 52.25.
Colton Bales finished 15th in Class C in the pole vault with a vault of 11-06.
For the Tri County girls, Isabelle Peters finished 20th in the Class C 800-meter run with a time of 2:30.31.
The Tri County girls 1,600-relay team of Ella Clark, Ashton Schwisow, Abbie Drewes and Isabelle Peters finished ninth with a time of 4:12.06.
For the Wilber-Clatonia boys, Tyson Kreshel finished fourth in the discus with a throw of 159-01. Carter Skleba finished fifth in the long jump with a jump of 20-04.50.
Zander Baker qualified for the Class C pole vault, but was unable to clear the opening height.
For the Freeman boys, Evan Ault finished sixth in the Class C 110-hurdles with a time of 15.62.
Hudson Vetrovsky qualified in the Class C pole vault, but was unable to clear the opening height. Jobjosiah Muthiani finished 20th in the Class C 1,600-meter run with a time of 4:46.39.
The Freeman boys 400-relay team of Evan Ault, Taylan Vetrovsky, Brandon Jurgens and Gabe Goes competed, but did not finish. The 1,600-relay team of Trent Allen, Taylan Vetrovsky, Brandon Jurgens and Evan Ault finished 10th with a time of 3:31.57.
For the Pawnee City boys, Jett Farwell finished third in the 400-meter dash with a time of 51.83. Farwell also fifth in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:01.56 and finished 16th in the long jump with a jump of 18-09.75.
Andy Maloley finished eighth in the Class D 100-meter dash with a time of 11.71 and finished seventh in the 200-meter dash with a time of 23.51.
Hunter Johnson finished 19th in the discus with a throw of 121-10 while Joey Marteney finished 24th in the discus with a throw of 89-02.
For the Pawnee City girls, Madison Lytle finished ninth in the Class D 800-meter run with a time of 2:27.96. Emily Lytle finished 10th in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 5:52.89.
For the Meridian girls, McKenzie Hofstetter finished 15th in the Class D triple jump with a jump of 32-09.75. Kailyn Paul qualified in the Class D high jump, but failed to clear the opening height.
The Meridian girls 400-relay team of Tyleiah Gooding, Saege Barnell, Braxtyn Rut and Kaylee Pribyl finished 16th with a time of 53.49.
For the Meridian boys, Dylan Peterson finished 23rd in the Class D 1,600-meter run with a time of 5:08.93.
For the Diller-Odell girls, Aidan McKinney finished 12th in the Class D triple jump with a jump of 33-00.50. McKinney also qualified for the high jump, but failed to clear the opening height. Myleigh Weers finished sixth in the 400-meter dash for the Lady Griffins with a time of 1:01.55.
The Diller-Odell 1,600-relay team of Keira Hennerberg, Kailyn Dendinger, Maddie Rosebaugh and Myleigh Weers finished 10th with a time of 4:21.87.
For the Johnson County Central girls, Harley Lubben finished 15th in the Class C shot put with a throw of 36-07.50 while Maya Straka finished 16th in the same event with a throw of 36-06.75.
For the Humboldt-Table Rock-Stenaier girls, Lillian Bowen finished 13th in the Class D 800-meter run with a time of 2:28.55.
For the Southern boys, Kale Maguire finished 20th in the Class C 800-meter run with a time of 2:07.38.
