State track punctuates brilliant high-school season (Updated all Classes)

Wichita, Kan (westernkansasnews.com)-Each year, the Kansas High School State Track Meet drops the curtain on an athletic season filled with spectacular moments. Friday and Saturday at Cessna Stadium was no different. 

6A Recap

Ranked in the top five all season, expectations were definitely high for the Garden City girls. But a slow start on Friday put serious doubt on whether or not the Buffaloes could make a top-five splash. 

Senior Alex Miller got things started Friday morning with a sixth-place finish in the 3200 meter run; Chelsea Jackson placed 12th. Then there was an interesting development in the triple jump. 

Taryn Tempel, who had already qualified for the finals, left the pit to run the 400 meter dash. After an 11th place finish there, she had to try and regroup before making her championship jumps. The exhausted senior placed seventh in the triple. 

The Buffaloes got a boost on Saturday, thanks to the 4X800 relay of Miller, Katie Doll, Kayla Doll and Aileen Gurrola who finished second behind Olathe East. 

(Kayla) Doll kept the momentum going with a third-place finish in the 800 meter run and a fourth-place finish in the 1600. She was also part of the 4X400 team that came in fourth-pushing Garden City into a fourth-place finish overall. 

Dodge City also put their stamp on a really good weekend. Freshman Tia Bradshaw surprised most by finishing second in the triple jump. 

“I just had a really good experience,” Bradshaw said. “I’m surprised at how well I did.”

Her teammate Brekk Flax had a busy Saturday-placing third in the 100, 200 and 400-meter dashes. 

“Now I’m going to have to live up to the high standards,” Flax said. “Really had to push myself through the conditions.”

The Demons 4×800 relay team of Jessica Harshberger, Jasmine Duarte, Mariela Aldaba and Alondra Romo placed fifth.

Senior Oscar Carmona, who began the school year in Texas, returned to leave his mark in Wichita. The Iowa Central signee, finished second in the 800 meter run and third in the 1600. 

4A Recap

While there were no gold medal winners from the area in Class 4A, many of the entries into the state meet placed as high as second. Scott City senior star Kelly Wycoff placed at least fifth in all her events, including taking second in the 200 and 400 meter dashes, fifth in the 100 meter dash and pushed the Lady Beavers to a third place finish in the 4×400 meter relay. Also on that relay were Aubrey Davis, Megan Thornburg and Bailey Nickel. Nickel placed fifth in the 100 meter high hurdles. The Beavers boys also had fine performances in their relays, as well as a stellar performance by junior Brett Meyer. Meyer placed fifth in the 800 meter run, and helped the 4×400 and 4×800 meter relays to fourth place finishes. Also on the 4×400 meter relay team was Brayden Strine, Drake McRae and Wyatt Kropp, and Strine, Irvin Lozano and Miguel Chavez were part of the 4×800 meter relay team.

Ulysses also had solid performances. Senior Chisolm Branscum finished her career out with a sixth place finish in the 1600 meter run, and a fourth place finish in the 800 meter run. Junior Jessi Arnold picked up a pair of runner-up finishes in the 100 meter high hurdles and 300 meter hurdles. As for the boys, Tregg Rodriguez placed seven in the triple jump and sixth in the high jump. Ian Rudzik was fifth in the discus and was the anchor leg in the fourth place finishing 4×100 meter relay team. Also on the relay were Kyler Barlow, Juan Anguiano and Jacob Irvin.

Hugoton saw sophomore Issac Castro finish fifth in the 3200 meter run and was eighth in the 1600 meter run. Castro was also part of the fifth place finish in the 4×800 relay team, along with Luis Castro, Edgar DonJuan and Ulises Armendariz.

Scott City’s girls tied for fifth with 30 points, and Ulysses tied for 10^th with 24 points. The Scott City boys tied for 16^th with 15 points, while Ulysses was tied for 20^th with 14 points, and Hugoton grabbed 12 points, good for 25^th.

3A Recap

Holcomb’s Heath Tucker placed in three events for the Longhorns. The senior was able to win the gold in the 300 hurdles on his 19^th birthday, and also was fourth in the 200 meter dash and picked up a third place finish in the 110 meter high hurdles. The 4×400 meter relay team of Ezequiel Silva, Taylor Chelemedos, Blake Flores and Logan Flores finished third, and the 4×800 relay team of  the same group came in eighth. Logan Flores was also eighth in the 1600 meter run.

Lakin had a pair of high jumpers make their mark as underclassmen. Freshman Kaylee Line placed second and sophomore Robin Ritsema was sixth.

Cimarron senior Isaac Castro picked up a seventh place finish in the 3200 meter run and Ty Clark finished seventh in the high jump. Morgan Ediger picked up a fifth place finish in the pole vault and Kari Blattner was seventh in the 400 meter dash.

Southwestern Heights saw their lone entry in the state meet place eighth in girls javelin thrower Nayely LaPoint.

Holcomb’s boys finished eighth overall with 29 points, while Cimarron was in a tie for 25^th with seven points. Lakin’s girls were the area’s highest finisher with 13 points in 21^st pla gce, while Cimarron was 30^th with seven points.

2A Recap

Mehl leads Indians to 4×800 victory

The Wichita County Indians track team saw their 4×800 relay team finished with a new school record and a gold medal. On the relay team were Jorge Gallegos, Layton Tankersley, Thomas Ridder and Joshua Mehl. The 4×400 relay team of Jantz Budde, Gallegos, Jacob Schumacher and Mehl placed fourth Mehl also was seventh in the 1600 meter-run and eighth in the 800 meter run. Vallie Kenfield picked up a fifth place finish in the 200 meter dash.

Elkhart’s Israel Barco finished fifth in the 3200 meter run and Yessenia Gonzalez placed eighth in the 1600 meter run.

Meade had a big day on the girls side, led by Tarah Wiens. She claimed the gold in the long jomp, and was second in the 200 and 400 meter dashes. She was part of the 4×100 relay team that finished second, with Natalie Thompson, Jayden Rudzik and Jaylin Stapleton also on the relay. Stapleton was also second in the 300 meter hurdles. Rudzik finished sixth in the 100 meter high hurdles. They also got a fifth place tie by Lauren Dewell in the high jump.

South Gray was led by Jake Peters with a second place finish in the shot put and discus, and Ryan Griebel picked up a second place finish in the 300 meter hurdles.

Stanton County’s Rebeca Avelar and Jenna Black were fifth and seventh in the 3200 meter run. Freshman Alexis Shironaka vaulted into a tie for seventh in the pole vault .

For Sublette, Brooke Briggs finished up in fourth place in the 400 meter dash and Kate Barajas came in seventh in the shot put. Sky Davis was fifth in the 100 meter dash.

Syracuse got a third place finish from senior Mia Wilson in the triple jump and was eighth in the long jump.

Meade took home a third place finish in the girls side with 48.5 points, while Stanton County was 25^th with 7.5 points, Syracuse and Sublette tied for 26^th with seven points, Wichita County was 33^rd with four points, and Elkhart tied for 39^th with one point.  For the boys, South Gray picked a 12^th place finish with 24 points, Wichita County tied for 16^th with 19 points, Sublette and Elkhart tied for 33^rd with four points, and Stanton County and Meade were in a 43^rd place tie with one point.

 1A Recap

Ashland sophomore Kole Konrade improved on his freshman placing in the high jump to take the gold this year.  Also for the Blue Jays, Quanah Gardiner was fifth in the 800 and 1600 meter runs. The 4×400 relay team of Gardiner, Konrade, Nathan Reimer and Grant Meininger was sixth.

Bucklin’s Janae Price was sixth in the 1600 and 3200 meter runs, and Isaiah Warnke was seventh in the 110 meter high hurdles.

Deerfield got a seventh place finish from their 4×100 relay team of Tyler Tackett, Jesus Melendez, Marc Skipper and Jake Tackett. Skipper also came in fifth in the 400 meter dash.

Ben Speer closed out his career for Dighton with a fourth place finish in the discus, and Jordan Speer was third in the shot put for the Lady Hornets.

Fowler’s Taylin Bird was fourth in the 400 meter dash and seventh in the long jump.

The Greeley County 4×800 relay team of Kashli Holthaus, Brooke Wineinger, Coriama Yanez and Irelyn Elder came in fifth place. Also Sergio trejo was eighth in the 1600 meter run.

Hodgeman County got a seventh place finish from Will Crabill in the javelin, a sixth place finish from Tyler Morgan in the 400 meter dash, and an eighth place finish from Landon Henning in the 300 meter hurdles. The girls 4×400 relay team of Kaitlyn Baker, Shania Fitzpatrick, Kelsey Cohoon and Michelle Bradshaw.

Ingalls got a seventh place finish from LaMontae Heady in the high jump and Kaisha Batman was also seventh in the triple jump. Lance Edmondson was eighth in the 400 meter dash.

Minneola’s Jayda Minor finished second in the 1600 and 3200 meter runs, Sydney Jaeger tied for fourth in the pole vault. Shaley Shumate was seventh in the 100 meter high hurdles and fourth in the 300 meter hurdles. The boys got a sixth place finish from Jerrod Lies in the pole vault.

Moscow got a third place finish in the javelin from Kelsi Mueller, and an eighth place finish from Kaitlyn Dobie in the 100 meter high hurdles and 300 meter hurdles.

The Satanta relay team of Trathen Stanfill, Rogelio Pando, Chris Gonzales and Jesus Garcia place fourth, while Garcia was also  fourth in the 800 meter run. Emma Stalker was in a four way tie for eighth place in the girls high jump.

Spearville’s Nathan Stein was third in the triple jump. The Lady Lancers saw Rachel Slattery pick up a sixth place finish in the shot put, and a sixth place performance from Brianna Doussa in the high jump.

For Rolla, Katie Murray won the gold in the high jump, was third in the triple jump and finished seventh in the long jump.

Ashland’s boys were the highest boys finisher, as they had 21 points, good for 13^th, while Satanta was tied for 19^th with 10 points, Fowler tied for 24^th with seven points, Spearville, Deerfield and Hodgeman County tied for 26^th with six points, Dighton came in 33^rd with five points, Minneola and Ingalls 42^nd with three points, Bucklin 49^th with two, and Greeley County tied for 54^th with a point. Minneola’s girls was sixth with 27.5 points, Rolla 12^th with 18, Moscow came in 29^th with eight points, followed by Bucklin, Dighton and Spearville in a tie for 32^nd with six points, Greeley County came in a 41^st place tie with four points, Hodgeman County was 45^th with three points, Ingalls 48^th with two, and Satanta tied for 56^th with 0.25 points.

Audio

Garden City’s Kayla Doll after her fourth-place finish in the 1600 meter

Garden City’s Alex Miller following the Buffaloes second-place finish in the 6A girls 4×800 meter finals

Dodge City’s Brekk Flax finished third in the 100 meter dash

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