Yankton Track standouts Dylan Payer, Carson Ness, Austin Gobel, and Connor Slaba are currently raising money for an upcoming trip to Eugene, Oregon to compete in the Nike Outdoor Track Nationals.
Payer says that the idea came together for the four of them following their state title in the Sprint Medley Relay last week, where they finished 0.2 seconds off the school record, despite wind gusts as high as 35 miles per hour during the event.
Ness says that the foursome is looking to raise 6,000 dollars to help cover costs during travel and the event itself.
Gobel says he’s looking forward to competing with his teammates one last time before he heads to Mount Marty University in the fall.
Along with Gobel, Payer will also attend college in the fall, as he committed to Coastal Carolina earlier this year. Both Ness and Slaba are entering their senior years at Yankton High School.
Slaba expressed extra motivation to compete in the upcoming event, following a mishap that almost lost the group entry into the meet.
The foursome will be holding a fundraiser at Pizza Ranch on Monday, June 3 from 5 pm to 8 pm. Pizza Ranch will donate 10% of all items sold during this time: Buffet, Dine-in, Carry-out, and Delivery orders all count toward this total. There will also be tip jars available for donations as well as well as Yankton Track and Field t-shirts available for purchase. A similar event will be held at Runza on June 4th from 5 pm to 8 pm.
The 2024 Nike Outdoor Track Nationals will take place from June 12th through 15th in Eugene, Oregon.
