WICHITA, Kan. – Four area teams won state titles and two others came close as the Kansas High School Track and Field Championships wrapped up Saturday at Cessna Stadium in Wichita.
Inman edged Garden Plain to win the 2A boys championship, while Garden Plain took the girls 2A title. Andale again won the 4A boys and girls titles, with the Andale girls more than doubling the point total of the runner-up Clearwater.
The Andale boys did not secure their title until the final event of the meet. Louisburg could have won the state title with a 3rd place or better finish in the 4×400 meter relay, but Bishop Miege held off the Wildcats for 3rd, awarding Andale another state title by one-half point.
Smoky Valley’s girls nearly won the 3A title but finished a half point behind Prairie View.
Other high-placing girls teams included Elyria Christian and Little River, who tied for second in 1A. Sterling finished 4th in 1A, McPherson 4th in 4A, with Great Bend 3rd and Hutchinson 8th in 5A.
On the boys side, Pawnee Heights finished 6th and Canton-Galva 8th in 1A. Berean Academy placed 6th and Moundridge 10th in 2A. Southeast of Saline was the 3A boys runner-up with Kingman tying for 6th.
Among the meet’s multiple gold medal winners were Inman’s Tanner Heckel who took the 2A boys triple jump and long jump titles. Andale’s McKenzie Fairchild won the 4A girls shot put, javelin, and discus to cap a three-gold medal meet. Other multiple gold medal winners included Garden Plain’s Haidyn Thompson in the 2A girls long jump and 200-meter dash, Smoky Valley’s Breanna Peters in the 3A 100 and 200-meter dashes, and Sterling’s Julia Kilgore in the 2A 200 and 400 meters.
The first boys gold medal of the meet was won Friday by Pawnee Heights’ Alec Carlson in the 1A boys long jump. Also claiming gold was Hesston’s Tyler Rewerts in the 3A boys long jump.
For the girls, the first gold medal went to Macksville’s Mayce Russell who won the 1A javelin. Little River’s Havana Olander won the 1A triple jump. Hutchinson had two gold medalists Friday, Aiyanna Green in the 5A shot put and Azariah Dawes in the 5A long jump.
On Saturday, Great Bend’s Valarie Luna took the 5A girls high jump and Garden Plain’s Luke Hillman won the 2A boys shot put. Josiah Ball of Hoisington won the 3A boys pole vault, while Lillie Veer of Berean Academy took the 2A girls javelin gold medal. Kaden Elmore of Moundridge won the 2A boys 100, edging Inman’s Heckel by .01 second and Ellinwood’s Koy Beneke by .02 second. Jackson Kraus of Andale won the 4A boys shot put.
Central Christian’s Laney Reiff took gold in the girls 1600-meter run, as did Jonah Godina of Trinity Catholic in 2A boys. In the girls 400-meter run, Ashley Lehman of Hesston in 3A and Maddie Schrant of Andale in 4A each claimed gold. Kingman’s Avery Albright won the 3A boys 400 meters.
Annalisa Cullins of Hutchinson won the 5A girls 300-meter hurdles, while Koy Beneke would get his gold medal in the 2A boys 200-meter run.
Elyria Christian’s girls brought home a gold medal in the 1A 4X800 meter relay, with the Southeast of Saline boys doing likewise in 3A. Garden Plain won the 2A girls 4X100 meter relay, as did Andale’s girls in 4A, Canton-Galva’s boys in 1A, and Moundridge boys in 2A. In the final event of the meet, three girls teams won gold medals in the 4×400 meter relay, Little River in 1A, Sterling in 2A, and Andale in 4A.
Find complete results at https://kshsaa.org/Public/Track/State.cfm.
