KIMBALL -- Fourteen Kimball Jr./Sr. High Track & Field students will compete in the Best of the West tournament April 29. 

The Best in the West is a track meet of the region's best student athletes. The students qualify based on their best score of the season, and only the top 8-12 athletes are picked to race in each event. The region includes schools from western Nebraska to eastern Wyoming. 

“It is quite an accomplishment to get the invitation to compete at this event,” said High School Track Coach Tiffany Johnson. “You need to be one of the better individuals in the region to be able to run.” 

From the junior high team, Trajan Johnson will compete in the 1600-mile relay, Naylix Tabor and Mason Brown will compete in the triple jump, Britton Culek and Megan Fuss will compete in Pole Vault, and Jaylah Graves will compete in shot put & discus. 

Junior High Track Coach Jaclyn Burks says, “This tournament is a showcase for the kids in the panhandle; it's really cool because our kids get to compete against other kids they normally wouldn’t see.” 

“I’m really proud of them and the effort they’re putting in,” Burks said. “We have a lot of kids who are doing really well in a lot of events and a handful of kids who are in the top 8 of almost every event they are in. We really preach to then that it’s you vs. you and they’ve started to embrace that it's not only competing against other people but its competing against how good they can be.” 

Burks said most of the kids are setting personal records almost weekly. 

Tabor set the 7th grade record of 34’ 9’’ in triple jump at a meet last week. 

“Trajan Johnson is making a name for himself pretty early in his little career, so he should be a pretty good runner going forward,” Burks said. 

The Junior high team has track meets in Pine Bluffs on May 2nd and the SPVA Conference Meet on May 8th , then those who qualify will compete in the State Track Meet on May 17th in Gothenburg. 

From the high school team, Conrad Kaminski is competing in the 1600 and 3200 relays, Braxton miller in the 1600 and the triple jump, and Derek Russell in shot put & discus. Trey Cook, Braydon Fuss and Rachel Berger are competing in pole vault, Addy Olson in high jump, and JaLeigh Bohac in discus. 

“They practice, work hard, they've continued to improve each and every week, and they are willing to try different events,” Johnson said. “It’s been a pretty good season and overall, the kids have had a good attitude.” 

The team will compete in the SPVA Conference on May 2nd, a home track meet on May 5th, a track meet in Bayard on May 9th, District Meet on May 14th in Bayard, and then those who qualify will go to State May 22-23 in Omaha.