A grand finale
Several seniors with state experience -- but no previous titles -- broke through in their last chance to win a state title.
For Jessica Heidel of Belle Plaine, winning the class 3A girls long jump was part of a natural progression. She had finished fourth as a freshman, third as a sophomore and second as a junior...so of course she was first as a senior. In four years, Heidel won 10 state medals, including runner-up finishes in the 100 and 200 meters.
Daeshia Turner of Pittsburg won the class 5A girls triple jump in her last high school meet.
Alex Gill of St. Thomas Aquinas won the class 5A boys 1600
meters. Alex Moen of Andover finished second to Gill, but won his own title a
day earlier in the 3200 meters. Gill's senior teammate, Will Cole, was the state champion in cross country last Fall as they led the Saints to another state team championship.
Ethan Kossover of Maize South had never won any medal at the track and field championships, but this year he swept the 1600 and 3200 meters in class 4A boys. Matt Wilson of Paola had never won a state medal in cross country or track and field, but in his final high school meet, he won the 4A boys state champion in the 800.
Amaya Booker of Junction City helped her team to the class 6A girls title when she ran a leg on the state-winning 4 X 100 meter relay team. Booker was also third in the 100 and sixth in the 200 at this year's state meet.
Kyndal Frederick of Chanute won the class 4A girls 200 after finishing third in the 100 earlier in the state meet. Before this year, her best finish at state was a seventh place finish in the 200 in 2015.
Laurel Haley of Washburn Rural won the class 6A girls discus. Her only other state medal was an eighth place finish in the same event last year.
Brooke Diederich of Linn won the class 1A girls long jump title after placing third twice before.
Derrek Berg of South Gray won the class 1A boys 110 hurdles. He had never qualified for state in that event prior to this year.
Jaylin Stapleton of Meade had won six state medals, but never a gold until she won the class 2A girls 100 meter hurdles this year.
Shae Ware of Sedgwick swept the class 3A girls 100 and 200 meter runs, adding a pair of golds to her nine state medals.
Zach Esau of Hesston had competed only once at the state meet - finishing fourth in the 1600 meters in 2014 - but he finished his career by winning the 800 meters in class 3A boys this year.
That's the same path taken by Tristen Dagenais of Andale, who placed fourth in the class 4A boys high jump in 2016 before winning the state title this season.
Micaiah Noel of Piper had one state medal to his credit - fourth place in the shot put last year - but finished with a state championship this year in the class 4A boys shot put.
Ben Veach of Abilene failed to place in either the long jump or triple jump during his first trip to state last year. But this year as a senior, he won the class 4A boys long jump and placed second in the triple jump.
Seems to me that there's a whole lot of talent to be replaced in the year to come. To this year's seniors, we say "Thanks for the memories!"