“Who is the Fastest Nebraska Schoolboy in History Dream Race” - Preliminary Heat Four of Four.

This is the 4th and final preliminary heat of the “Who is the Fastest Nebraska Schoolboy in History Dream Race”. This, of course, is a 100 meters event, commonly used to determine the world’ fastest human. In this case, we ‘ll use that distance to determine our fastest high school aged human. Heats One, Two and Three were previously posted, so let’s review those first three:

The Dream Race Prelims

Heat One:

1 Eric Meyer-Logan View - (competed 2003-2006)

2. Caleb Brown-Lincoln High - (competed 2017)

3. Ricky Davis-Creighton Prep - (competed 1985-1987)

4. Roger Sayers-Omaha Central - (competed 1958-1959)

5. Willie Vinson-Omaha Burke - (competed 1980-1982)

6. Kenzo Cotton-Papillion LaVista - (competed 2016-2019)

7. Scott Yank-Lincoln Southeast - (competed 1979-1981)

8. Dusty Stamer-Grand Island - (competed 1998-2000)

9. Nate Probasco-Scribner-Snyder - (competed 2000-2003)

The Dream Race Prelims

Heat Two:

1 Kohlman Adema-Schulte-Millard West - (competed 2007-2009)

2. Ronnie Doss-Omaha Benson - (competed 1991-1993)

3. Miko Maessner-Kearney - (competed 2017-2019*)

4. Ahman Green-Omaha Central - (competed 1993-1995)

5. Paul Phillips-Omaha Central - (competed 1930-1932)

6. Bobby Williams-Lincoln High - (competed 1959-1961)

7. Eric Crouch-Millard North - (competed 1995-1997)

8. Tom Millsap-Grand Island - (competed 1961-1963)

9. Alex Nelson-Elkhorn South - (competed 2016-2018)

The Dream Race Prelims:

Heat Three

1 Ethan Baessler-Blair - (competed 2022-2024)

2. Cole Biodrowski-Fort Calhoun - (competed 1998-2001)

3. Mike Thompson-Omaha Holy Name - (competed 1971-1974)

4. KJ Cotton-Papillion LaVista - (competed 2015-2017)

5. Kent McCloughan-Broken Bow - (competed 1958-1961)

6. Randy Brooks-Creighton Prep - (competed 1974-1977)

7. Broc Howard-Kearney - (competed 1996-1999)

8. Tim Thompson-Boys Town - (competed 2009-2010)

9. Daniel Davie-Beatrice - (competed 2009-2010)

And now, the fourth and final preliminary heat leading up to the Dream Race Final:

*(The winner of each heat, plus the next five fastest times qualify for the Dream Race finals.)

The Dream Race Prelims:

Heat Four

1 George Peterson-Nebraska City (competed 1953-1956)

2. Asher Jenkins-Bellevue West - (competed 2023-2024)

3. Tiras Meaders-Boys Town - (competed 2005-2006)

4. Mike Ockerman-Bellevue West - (competed 1979-1981)

5. Dylan Kautz-Norfolk Catholic (competed 2016-2019)

6. Terry Williams-Omaha Central - (competed 1960-1962)

7. Eugene “Red” Littler-Mitchell (competed 1935-1937)

8. Calvin Jones-Omaha Central - (competed 1988-1990)

9. Andrew Shanle-St. Edward - (competed 1999-2002)

*George Peterson-Nebraska City - (competed 1953-1956) - Swept the All-Class Gold medals in 1956, winning the Class A 100 yard dash in :09.8 and the 220 in 22 flat.

Peterson’s sizzling hundred yards time of :09.8 would have been a state record, but was disallowed because of being wind-aided ... .exactly one half of one mile per hour, over the allowable wind speed of 4.7 mph. Wow.

George Peterson qualified for the 100 and 220 all four high school years at Class A Nebraska City, winning the all-class gold in the 220 his junior year of 1955, then running 2nd in the 100 behind Dan Farringer of Alliance. The handsome Peterson also grabbed a pair of 4th place medals (ribbons?) as a sophomore in 1954.

While running track at Abilene Christian College, George Peterson was part of an 880 Relay quartet that set a World Record on May 31, 1958. That sizzling record time of 1:22.6 for the half mile relay stood for 9 years before being broken.

*Asher Jenkins-Bellevue West - (competed 2023-2024) - Late bloomer exploded on the Nebraska prep Track and Field scene during his senior season, slamming the 100-200-400 at Omaha Burke during the State Track championships. Jenkins posted times of 10:58, 21.52 and 48.32 in winning those three Class A races. So impressive was his senior season that the Air Force Academy offered him a scholarship, where he has continued to improve his times in both the 100 (10.29) and just last Thursday burned his way to a 20.61 in the 200 at the Beach Invitational (Long Beach State). This young man is doing really well at the next level.

*Tiras Meaders-Boys Town - (competed 2005-2006) - Tiras Meaders was the Real Deal, man. Ran a :10.5 hundred meters both his junior and senior seasons for the Cowboys. All Meaders did in his senior season of 2006 is set a State Record in the 100 Meter Dash when he covered the distance in :10.67 seconds.

Tiras also captured the Class B 200 meters in 2006, as well as anchoring Boys Town’s winning 400 Meter Relay. Meaders career bests in the short sprints were :10.5 and :21.7. The dude had some serious jets in that 100 meter dash.

*Mike Ockerman-Bellevue West - (competed 1979-1981) - Thunderbird Flyer stole the show (along with Schuyler’s Marty Kobza) at the 1981 State Track Meet with his Gold Medal slam of the 100-200-400. Although Ockerman ended up setting no records that day, he posted truly remarkable times of :10.6, :21.3 and :48.5. Those Gold medal performances added to his career total of five earned at the big show at Omaha Burke during his career.

One has to wonder what record time Mike Ockerman could have posted had he possessed a fiery explosion out of the blocks in that hundred meters. Ockerman at one time hinted that a fear of false starting was the one of the reasons for his slow start.

Well, “slow start” or not, Mr. Ockerman is still considered to be one of the best short distance runners in Nebraska prep track history and the fact he never lost a 100 or 200 meters race his entire junior and senior seasons, may just punctuate that statement.

*Dylan Kautz-Norfolk Catholic (competed 2016-2019) - One of the consistently best sprinters this state has ever witnessed. Ran the 100 and 200 four consecutive years at the state track meet and batted a thousand, bringing home 8 gold medals.

Lost only one race in his high school career and was never beaten in the 100. Went head to head with Papillion LaVista great KJ Cotton and defeated him in the 200 meters at the Nebraska Track Festival in 2018 in Papillion.

A four time 1000 yard rusher on the football field, Dylan Kautz recorded high school bests of :10.3 and :21.3 respectively in the 100 and 200 meters respectively.

Kautz is now running track at South Dakota University, where he enjoyed a very successful freshman Indoor season.

Remarkable athlete that comes along only once in a lifetime at any high school.

*Terry Williams-Omaha Central - (competed 1960-1962) - If you were around in 1962, there was nobody that could dispute the fact that Terry Williams was Nebraska’s Fastest Human. His hundred yard clocking of :09.7 and unheard of 220 time of :20.9 were nationally ranked at that time. In fact to this day, no high school sprinter in state history has ever broken 21 seconds in the 220 or 200 meters…... .except Terry Williams.

In the prelims of that fabled 100 yard dash on May 19, 1962, Williams :09.7 broke the state record co-held by….better sit down for this...Roger Sayers of Omaha Central, Bobby Williams of Lincoln High, Kent McCloughan-Broken Bow and Ray Knaub of Scottsbluff. A virtual "Who's Who” of Nebraska prep track history.

During his sophomore track season at Omaha University, Terry tied the 60 yard dash WORLD RECORD when he ran a :06.0.

Will any high school sprinter in Nebraska ever duplicate Terry Williams' feat of breaking 21 flat in the 200? It’s 58 years and counting as we speak.

*Eugene “Red” Littler-Mitchell - (competed 1935-1937) - An absolute LEGEND in his day, the red-haired speed merchant led Mitchell to three consecutive state track championships spanning the years 1935-1936-1937. The Tigers even garnered the all-class grand championship track trophy in ‘37.

Littler’s unheard of times of :09.6 in the 100 yards and :21.3 over 220 yards back in that day, are still ranked high on today’s all-time charts. During the three seasons Littler played football for the Mitchell Tigers, they lost but one time.

A true Legend indeed, who is in the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame, like several others in these Dream Race prelims

*Calvin Jones-Omaha Central - (competed 1988-1990) - Another sprint sensation product of “I-Back High”, otherwise known as Omaha Central. Jones, the two time 1000 yard rusher/single season rushing leader at Omaha Central, won five total Gold Medals at the state track meet before calling it a career. Jones earned three of those his senior season when he was Golden in the 100 (:10.68) and 200 (:21.92) and the 4x1 Relay. Calvin nearly had a 100-200 sweep his junior season, but was nosed out in the 100 by teammate Kelly Yancey. Calvin Jones sprinted to career bests of :10.6 and :21.5 while at Omaha Central.

Jones went on to be a two time 1000 yard rusher at Nebraska and was a Heisman Trophy candidate his junior year. He nearly gained a thousand yards for the Huskers his freshman season, compiling 900 yards rushing.

The Omaha Central/Nebraska product ended up playing three years in the NFL, earning a Super Bowl ring with the Green Bay Packers in 1997.

The Class A sprinters from this 1990 era were simply unbelievable and Calvin Jones is certainly in that august company.

*Andrew Shanle-St. Edward - (competed 1999-2002) - Andrew Shanle sprinted his way into Nebraska prep Track prominence when he reeled off a :10.4 hundred meters on a wind swept Boone Central Invitational on Saturday, April 6, 2002.

A month and a half later, the St. Edward senior captured the Class D 100 meter dash at the state track meet in :10.87, losing the All-Class Gold to Ralston’s Shawn Swan by a hundredth of a second. Andrew was second to the great Nate Probasco in both the 100 and 200 at Omaha Burke his junior season.

Shanle’s career bests were :10.4 in the hundred and :21.9 in the 200.

Andrew Shanle, younger brother of the great Scott Shanle, earned a Nebraska football scholarship and enjoyed a fine football career for the Huskers, starting at free safety his senior season in 2006 and making several big time plays that Fall.

Shanle was signed to the New York Giants practice squad on December 4, 2007. He remained on the team during their historic super bowl win, but did not return to an NFL roster after the 2007 season.

At last check, Andrew Shanle is currently head football coach and campus coordinator at Cypress Hills high school in Houston, Texas. The school competes in Class 6A, the largest high school class in the state of Texas.

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*Up next...The 18 qualifiers for the Dream Race Semifinals.