We have entered a very exciting point in the season, regionals! This May at Wichita State University we will see the best of the best competing at the state championship. From each of the four regions in each class, four individual athletes will qualify for the state meet. Below I will cover some highlights from the regional's races by class. 

Class 1A hosts were Greensburg-Kiowa County HS, Waverly HS, Tribune-Greeley County HS, and Washington County HS. 

Competing at Greensburg-Kiowa County HS: 

Schools: Argonia HS, Ashland HS, Attica HS, Bucklin HS, Burrton HS, Caldwell HS, Canton-Galva HS, Central Plains HS, Chase HS, Coldwater-South Central HS, Cunningham HS, Greensburg-Kiowa County HS, Hutchinson-Central Christian HS, Kinsley HS, Kiowa-South Barber HS, Langdon-Fairfield HS, Little River HS, Macksville HS, McPherson-Elyria Christian HS, Minneola HS, Norwich HS, Otis-Bison HS, Pratt-Skyline HS, Pretty Prairie HS, South Haven HS, St. John-Hudson HS, Stafford HS, Udall HS. 

Girls 

    South Central High School became the new Class 1A leaders after winning the 4x400m relay with an outstanding time of 4:06.49. The team, consisting of Gracie York, Logann Patterson, Cambree Stapleton, and Isabel Hackney, is a favorite to podium and possibly win this year's State Championship 4x400m. 

Boys 

    Will Wegerer became the Class 1A leader in pole vault after clearing 15-1, marking a PR, a school record, and the 7th best vault in Kansas across all classes. Wegerer is a frontrunner for a gold medal at the State Championships. 

Competing at Waverly HS: 

Schools: Allen-Northern Heights HS, Buffalo-Altoona Midway HS, Burden-Central HS, Burlingame HS, Cedar Vale HS, Chetopa HS, Colony-Crest HS, Dexter HS, Goessel HS, Hamilton HS, Hartford HS, Hope HS, Lawrence-Bishop Seabury Academy, Lebo HS, Leroy-Southern Coffey County HS, Longton-Elk Valley HS, Lost Springs-Centre HS, Madison HS, Melvern-Marais Des Cygnes Valley HS, Moran-Marmaton Valley HS, Olpe HS, Oswego HS, Peabody-Burns HS, Rosalia-Flinthills HS, St. Paul HS, Waverly HS, White City HS, Wichita-Central Christian Academy, Yates Center HS. 

Girls 

    Northern Heights won the team competition with a very young squad, including no seniors. This regional win follows their regional victory last fall in cross country. 

Boys 

    Eli Boden of Goessel returned to the triple jump with only his second performance of the season, winning with a jump of 41'2". Despite placing 5th at the state meet last year, he has not jumped much this season and currently ranks 16th in Class 1A. He could surprise people at the State Championships if he can put together a PR jump. 

Competing at Tribune-Greeley County HS: 

Schools: Almena-Northern Valley HS, Atwood Rawlins County HS, Bird City-Cheylin HS, Brewster HS, Deerfield HS, Dighton HS, Elkhart HS, Grainfield-Wheatland/Grinnell HS, Ingalls HS, Jetmore-Hodgeman County HS, La Crosse HS, Montezuma-South Gray HS, Moscow HS, Ness City HS, Oberlin-Decatur Community HS, Palco HS, Quinter HS, Ransom-Western Plains HS, Rexford-Golden Plains HS, Rolla HS, Rozel-Pawnee Heights HS, Satanta HS, Sharon Springs-Wallace County HS, Spearville HS, St. Francis HS, Tribune-Greeley County HS, Weskan HS, Winona-Triplains HS.  

Boys 

    Wallace County High School's 4x100m squad, consisting of Trell Larson, Kemper Benisch, Kean Dinkel, and Tharyan Appelhans, won a gold medal with a time of 44.06. This performance also set a school record. 

    Ethan Gaschler continued to show his strength by winning both discus and shot put, setting PRs in both events. He ranks seventh among all classes and first in Class 1A in both shot put and discus. Gaschler is a frontrunner for double gold at state after throwing 176'0" in discus and 56'7.5" in shot put at regionals. 

Girls 

    Ness City became the fastest 4x100m squad in 1A this season after winning their regional meet with a time of 49.45, also breaking their school record.   

Competing at Washington County HS: 

Schools: Axtell HS, Beloit-St. John's HS, Centralia HS, Clyde-Clifton Clyde HS, Downs-Lakeside HS, Frankfort HS, Glasco HS, Hanover HS, Highland-Doniphan West HS, Junction City-St. Xavier HS, Kensington-Thunder Ridge HS, Linn HS, Logan HS, Mankato-Rock Hills HS, Miltonvale HS, Natoma HS, Onaga HS, Osborne HS, Randolph-Blue Valley HS, Scandia-Pike Valley HS, Solomon HS, Stockton HS, Sylvan-Lucas Unified HS, Tescott HS, Tipton Catholic HS, Troy HS, Victoria HS, Wakefield HS, Washington County HS. 

Boys 

    Carter Olson broke 11 seconds in the 100m prelims with a time of 10.92, and won finals with a time of 11.06. His 10.92 marked a new school record for Frankfort High School. 

    Axtell High School's boys team achieved their third straight regional victory in a row. Each year their athletes improve, making them a team to watch at this year's State Championship. 

Girls 

    In the 1600m, Breanna Reeves of Pike Valley High School narrowly defeated Ryah Bertuccelli of Osborne High School. Reeves won with a time of 5:31.51, while Bertuccelli finished second with a time of 5:31.97. 

Competing at Chapman: 

Schools: Abilene HS, Augusta HS, Chapman HS, Clay Center Community HS, El Dorado HS, Holton HS, St. George-Rock Creek HS, Towanda-Circle HS, and Wamego HS. 

Girls 

    Clay Center High School holds the fastest 4x400m time in Class 4A this year. The team consisting of Tovah Catlin, Boston Craig, Janae Wolf, and Lauren Smith won regionals with a time of 4:00.85. This performance set a school record by three seconds which broke the previous record from 1997. 

    Lauren Smith ran an outstanding 2:12 in the 800m to win gold at regionals. She currently ranks #1 in Class 4A and seventh overall across all classes. 

Boys 

    Jace Weller of Clay Center High School ran an impressive 49.76 in the 400m, securing second place. He also helped his 4x400m team to a state-qualifying second-place finish with a time of 3:28.51. Lastly, Weller qualified for state in the pole vault with a second-place vault of 12-0. 

    Tyler Green showed versatility by competing in four different events. He won the 200m dash with a time of 22.14, contributed to the winning 4x100m relay, and helped his team to a fourth-place finish in the 4x400m relay. Additionally, Green qualified for state in the high jump, placing fourth with a jump of 6-2. 

Competing at Coffeyville-Field Kindley: 

Schools: Altamont-Labette County HS, Chanute HS, Coffeyville-Field Kindley HS, Independence HS, Mulvane HS, Parsons HS, Rose Hill HS, Wellington HS, and Winfield HS. 

Girls 

    Erin Lopez who is already one of the top sprinters in Class 4A won double gold at her regional meet. She took first place in the 100m with a time of 12.75 and the 200m with a time of 26.76. Look out for Erin Lopez at this year's State Championships! 

Boys 

    Jason Smart of Parsons High School had an outstanding regional meet, qualifying for state in both the 100m and 200m. After cruising through the prelims, he won the 100m final with a time of 11.44 and placed second in the 200m final in 23.50. 

Competing at Eudora: 

Schools: Atchison HS, Baldwin HS, Eudora HS, Fort Scott HS, Louisburg HS, Ottawa HS, Paola HS, Shawnee Mission-Bishop Miege HS, and Tonganoxie HS. 

Girls 

    Eudora High School won their fourth consecutive Class 4A regional meet, a remarkable display of dominance within their region. 

    Tonganoxie High School swept the high jump, with freshman Reece Schmidt clearing 5-2 for first place, and Kasia Baldock and freshman Adalyn Schooler tying for second, both clearing 5-0. 

Competing at Scott Community: 

Schools: Andale HS, Buhler HS, Clearwater HS, Concordia HS, Hugoton HS, McPherson HS, Pratt HS, Scott Community HS, and Ulysses HS. 

Boys 

    Camden Vulgamore showcased his versatility, qualifying for state in three events. He won the 400m with a time of 49.26, the fastest in Class 4A this year. He also anchored his 4x400m team with a 48.46 split and cleared 13-6 in the pole vault for third place. 

    Carlito Lara of Pratt High School broke the 2-minute barrier in the 800m for the first time, winning his regional race with an outstanding time of 1:58.84. 

Girls 

    Freshman, Lillie Ledford of Buhler High School won gold in the 400m, delivering her best performance of the season. It was a tight finish; Ledford narrowly beat second-place finisher Kinleigh Wren by just over half a second. 

    Madison Williams of Clearwater High School, the state leader in the 100mh, continued her dominance by winning the prelims and finals at her regional meet. She ran her third-fastest time of the season in the finals with a 15.00. 

Class 5A regional hosts were Great Bend HS, Spring Hill HS, Seaman HS, and Bishop Carroll HS. 

Competing at Great Bend HS: 

Schools: Goddard HS, Goddard-Eisenhower HS, Great Bend HS, Hays HS, Hutchinson HS, Newton HS, Salina-Central HS, Salina-South HS, and Valley Center HS. 

Girls 

    Star freshman Kaylie Shultz competed and qualified for state in all three distance events! She won the 800m with a time of 2:15.88 and placed second in both the 1600m (5:00) and 3200m (11:06). 

    Tamia Cheeks of Salina South High School and Mersadie Spray of Great Bend High School both cleared 5-04.00 in high jump, tying them for second place in Class 5A. The State Championship high jump will be exciting this year! 

Boys 

    Micah Johnson, who currently ranks 5th in the 5A 100m and 9th in the 5A 200m from earlier this season, had outstanding regional performances. He won the 100m dash in 10.88 and placed second in the 200m dash with a time of 22.35. 

    Tyson Wallace of Goddard High School won both the 110mh and the 300mh at his regional meet. He recorded remarkable times of 14.83 in the 110mh and 40.85 in the 300mh. 

Competing at Bishop Carroll HS: 

Schools: Andover Central HS, Andover HS, Arkansas City HS, Emporia HS, Maize South HS, Topeka West HS, Highland Park HS, Bishop Carroll HS, and Kapaun Mt. Carmel HS. 

Girls 

    Andover High School is ranked second in 5A after breaking their school record in the 4x800m with a time of 9:35.76, surpassing the previous record of 9:38.8. 

    Kinzie Perdue of Arkansas City High School made a huge improvement in the 400m at this year's regional meet, crossing the line in 59.42 for a PR and a gold medal. 

Boys 

    Jack Guthridge swept the sprint events, winning triple gold. He won the 100m in 10.77, the 200m in 22.15, and dipped under 48 seconds in the 400m for the third time this season with a 47.71. Look out for Guthridge at state! 

    Dawson Grabendike of Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School was the only athlete in the 300mh to dip under 40 seconds. He finished first with an outstanding time of 39.05 and now ranks third in Class 5A. 

Competing at Spring Hill HS: 

Schools: Kansas City-FL Schlagle HS, JC Harmon HS, Sumner Academy, Turner HS, Washington HS, Blue Valley Southwest HS, St. Thomas Aquinas HS, Pittsburg HS, and Spring Hill HS. 

Boys 

    Jeremiah Huber of Emporia High School made a significant improvement at his regional meet, setting a new PR in pole vault by over a foot, clearing 14-9 for second place. He ranks fifth overall in Class 5A going into the state meet. 

Girls 

    The returning 5A State champion in both the 1600m and 800m, Isabella Ross, displayed her strength again at this year's regional meet. She won the 1600m in 5:01.49 and the 800m in 2:14.47. These two regional wins set her up for great races at this year's state championship. 

Competing at Seaman HS: 

Schools: Basehor-Linwood HS, Bonner Springs HS, DeSoto HS, Kansas City-Piper HS, Lansing HS, Leavenworth HS, St. James Academy, Shawnee Heights HS, and Seaman HS. 

Boys 

    Alexander Dawkins of Shawnee Heights High School won the discus with an outstanding throw of 184-8, marking the second-farthest throw in 5A this season and setting a new school record, surpassing Troy Wilson's throw from 1989. 

    Palmer O'Connor of DeSoto High School took home two gold medals at his regional meet, winning the 1600m in 4:26.33 and the 800m in 1:53.63. 

Girls 

    Ryin Miller has been on fire this outdoor season and is a top competitor for gold heading into the state meet. At this regional meet, she swept all three distance events: the 800m (2:12.99), the 1600m (4:55.34), and the 3200m (10:57.40). 

    St. James Academy highlighted the girls' relay events. They posted the leading time in Class 5A for the 4x100m with a finish of 48.20 and another Class 5A lead in the 4x400m with a time of 3:56.26. They also qualified for state in the 4x800m by placing second with a time of 10:12.06. 

Class 6A hosts were Liberal HS, Olathe West HS, Shawnee Mission South HS, and Wichita-Northwest HS. 

Competing at Liberal HS: 

Schools: Derby HS, Dodge City HS, Garden City HS, Liberal HS, Maize HS, Wichita-East HS, Wichita-Haysville Campus HS, Wichita-South HS, and Wichita-West HS. 

Boys 

    Tristen Cross, a junior from Wichita East High School, delivered multiple significant performances at regionals. The highlight was his 23-9 long jump, which marked a PR, a school record, and the top mark in the state. He also competed in the 200m dash, where he placed 10th, won the triple jump with a 45-1.5, and helped his team win the 4x100m relay with a total time of 41.76. 

Girls 

Competing at Olathe West HS: 

Schools: Gardner Edgerton HS, Kansas City-Wyandotte HS, Lawrence HS, Olathe North HS, Olathe South HS, Olathe West HS, Blue Valley HS, Blue Valley Northwest HS, and Blue Valley West HS. 

Boys 

    Joseph Ouellette of Olathe North High School won two gold medals with an outstanding sweep of the 100m and 200m dashes. He set a PR of 10.63 in the 100m and finished the 200m with his second-best time of the season, 21.97. 

    Olathe West dominated the relay events, taking gold in the 4x100m, 4x400m, and 4x800m. Their relays have been on fire this season, leading Class 6A in the 4x800m, 4x400m, and ranking second in the 4x100m. They are top contenders for more gold medals at the state meet. 

Girls 

    Olathe West showcased their outstanding 800m squad, consisting of Liz Browning, Kate Miller, and Bree Newport, who finished one, two, and three in the race. Liz Browning won with a time of 2:17.99, Kate Miller was second in 2:18.23, and Bree Newport was third in 2:19.19. 

    Paige Platt, who already leads the state in high jump, won regionals by clearing 5-2. She is a top contender for another gold medal at the upcoming state meet. She also won the javelin, ranking third in Class 6A after this performance. 

Competing at Shawnee Mission South HS: 

Schools: Olathe East HS, Olathe Northwest HS, Blue Valley North HS, Shawnee Mission East HS, Shawnee Mission North HS, Shawnee Mission Northwest HS, Shawnee Mission South HS, Shawnee Mission West HS, and Shawnee-Mill Valley HS. 

Boys 

    Korrey Womack of Shawnee Mission South set a huge PR of 10.57 for gold. This performance had been anticipated for a while, as he has been steadily improving this season. He now sits third in Class 6A rankings. 

    Senior, Juan Hernandez of Shawnee Mission North earned a gold medal as the only athlete to dip under 50 seconds in the 400m finals. He ran his second-fastest time of the season with 49.97 at the Shawnee Mission South Regional. 

Girls 

    Lida Padgett of Shawnee Mission East won double gold in the 1600m and 3200m. She marked a time of 5:13.45 in the 1600m and 11:11.01 in the 3200m. 

    Returning triple jump state champ Rosjai Curtis looks to repeat her success after winning regionals with a jump of 39-7. She complemented this win with another victory in the long jump with a jump of 20-5.25. 

Competing at Wichita-Northwest HS: 

Schools: Junction City HS, Lawrence-Free State HS, Manhattan HS, Topeka HS, Washburn Rural HS, Wichita-Heights HS, Wichita-North HS, Wichita-Northwest HS, and Wichita-Southeast HS. 

Girls 

    Hanna Pellant of Manhattan High School won the 100m dash in 11.68, marking a PR just in time for the state championship. She also competed in the 200m, placing second with a time of 24.88, and won the long jump with a distance of 17-10.5. 

    Harli Omli, also from Manhattan High School, ran an outstanding 55.97 to win the 400m dash. She won another gold medal in the 200m dash with a time of 24.65 and placed second in the 100m dash (11.72), only behind her teammate. 

Boys 

    Just a sophomore, Quinton Rolle Jr. of Wichita Heights High School won both the 110mh and 300mh, setting PRs in both events. He won the 110mh with a time of 14.35 and the 300mh with a time of 39.67. 

    Jalil Cooper of Wichita Northwest High School became the fastest 100m athlete in 6A this season with a winning time of 10.48. Look out for Cooper at this year's state championships.