CLASS 6A TRACK AND FIELD PREVIEW: Junction City girls, Hutch boys eye state title repeat

As the Junction City girls track and field team roared back from 43 points on the last day to grab the Class 6A state title last year, one could guess they had two messages of inspiration for their followers:

Never give up, and....We'll see you next year!

 

Junction City's mammoth comeback over the last three hours of the 2017 state meet was powered largely by underclassmen who will lead the Blue Jays' bid to repeat as champions this year.

 

That includes silky-smooth hurdler Kiena Newman, who swept state titles in the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles last year as a sophomore. Newman is easily the best female hurdler in Kansas entering the new season, and it's hard to see that anyone could challenge her stranglehold on the state's hurdling supremacy.

 

Senior teammate Lyric Holman also will be back with her eyes on winning gold in the 100, 200 and 400. She could be in the top three in all of those events, and along with Newm...