Kansas Track & Field is back in full swing. With more than two-dozen meets this week across the state (and a few teams crossing state lines), there is all kinds of action going on. Every class and every event got in on the fun this week.
Kicking things off is the ESU High School Relays. The meet continues to grow in caliber, attracting teams like Olathe North into the fold this season. A unique aspect of this meet is the direct competition between so many different sized schools, which isn't seen often in high school sports. The best example came in the sprints, where Maize's Bryce Cohoon went head-to-head with Council Grove's Ethan Burton. These two hold the top times in Kansas in the 200 at 22.01 & 22.14, respectively. Cohoon managed a victory in the 100 as well, when Burton saw his lead vanish with a stumble in the final ten meters.
Other highlights from ESU were Alan Hanna's 6-foot, 9-inch mark in the high jump for Maize. The sophomore won by 7 inches, and PR'd by 5 inches. Andover's McKinlee Walker was everywhere, winning the long jump and 100-hurdles, and placing 3rd in the high jump.
ESU Relays Results | All Meet Results
Another meet packed with highlights was the Junction City Invitational. Leading the way was Manhattan's Harli Omli in the sprints. She won the 100, 200, and 400-meter races, and now holds state-leading marks in the latter two.
Katelyn Rupe of Salina Central was on double-duty this week, winning both the 1600 and 3200 at two meets. She dominated the fields at the Saline County & Junction City Invites, with her best mark being a new 1600 personal best of 5:03.
Annalisa Cullens continues to improve in the 100-hurdles, clocking in at 14.17 this week in Junction City.
We saw a few big marks at the Bear Schmidt Invitational in Andale, with Mckenzie Fairchild sweeping all 3 throws and Riley Marx winning the discus/javelin combo for the boys. On the track, Wichita Collegiate's Jaden Mitchell lit the track on fire, setting a state-leading mark in the 100 and a new personal best in the 200.
Mill Valley's Nen Matlock & Lansing's Jackson Steger put on a show in the 400 at the Leavenworth Invitational. They became the first two athletes under 50-seconds in Kansas this season.
400m Rankings | Full 2023 Rankings
Shawnee Mission South Relays boasted the best distance races of the weekend. Olathe West's Bree Newport went crazy, winning the 800 and 1600 in personal best times. Gardner-Edgerton's Parker Walion took the state lead in the 1600 at 4:15. Meanwhile, Wichita Trinity's Clay Shively made the trip for some competition in the 3200. He ended up winning with an 8:50.
That's the fastest time in 44 years.
Brent Steiner's 8:46.99 (a full two-mile back in 1979) is the only thing standing between Shively and the all-time record.
Henry Born's 9:05 wasn't too shabby either. In fact, Shively had to come from behind to beat him! That time would get Born a gold medal in any April race in Kansas history, except this one.
SMS Relays Results | SMS Relays Photos | All-Time 3200m List
As small school athletes do, Osage City's Landon Boss and Lyndon's Kaedin Massey competed in 3 events at a small early season invite. That's the only thing 'small' about the throws competition between these two, though. Coming from archrival schools just 8 miles apart, these two went at it in the Lyndon Spring Relays. Boss, the two-time defending 3A javelin champ, took the victory in that event. He also PR'd with a 54-10 in the shot put, moving him into 2nd on the state list this year. Massey had big PR's in all 3 events, with the best being the 25-foot PR in the discus, upsetting Boss. They are now #2 and #3 on the state list and atop 2A & 3A, respectively.
Max Neeley of Dighton showed his fitness with PR's in the high jump and pole vault at Cimarron. The 1A champ now leads all Kansas vaulters at 15-4.
Mariyah Noel from Bonner Springs had a massive throw in the discus at 141-4. It's still early, but it's possible that nobody else throws that far the rest of the year.
In the Oberlin Quad, Grainfield-Wheatland/Grinell's Halle Habiger took the state lead in the long jump at 18-8.5. That's good for a state lead, and would beat all but 1 jump in the entire state from all of last season.
Lastly, a couple athletes who crossed state lines for success were Prairie View's Bree Allen (11:24 in the 3200), Keamonie Archie from Hays (23-2.5 in the long jump), and his teammate Katie Linenberger (5-4 in the high jump).