6A Highlights
Girls
Relays
Blue Valley North has led the state rankings for most of the year with their exceptionally strong 4x400m squad, and they continued their momentum into the state meet. They secured the win with a time of 3:54.50. Olathe North finished second with 3:56.65, and Olathe West came in third at 3:58.64.
Distance
Anjali Hocker Singh was the favorite coming into the girls' 3200m, as she has consistently posted strong times this year, including a state-leading 10:31.92 at the Kansas Relays. However, state meets often bring surprises. Lorna Rae Pierce of Junction City took the win with a 9-second PR of 10:40.00. Anjali Hocker Singh finished second in 10:46.74, and Amy Gotfredson came in third at 11:06.08.
Sprints
Manhattan's sprint duo, Hanna Pellant and Harli Omli, had an outstanding performance at this year's state championships. In the 100m dash, Hanna Pellant won with a time of 11.59, while Harli Omli claimed third in 11.70. In the 200m dash, Harli Omli placed second with a time of 24.49, while Hanna Pellant took fourth in 25.19. Harli Omli also competed in the 400m, where she placed second with a time of 54.21. And to add the cherry on top, the duo helped their 4x100m squad secure a gold medal with a time of 47.90.
Field
Val Galligan of Olathe Northwest had a remarkable season, gathering wins in the shot put, javelin, and discus at this year's state championships. She won the shot put with a throw of 42-11.25, the javelin with a throw of 141-10, and the discus with a throw of 149-5. Galligan will be headed to Mizzou next year.
Alexis Philips, a Wichita State commit, cleared 11-6 to win her first state title in pole vault. Elizabeth Brozek of Wichita Heights tied her PR of 11-6 for second place, and Elena Ginie of Olathe North cleared 11-0 to finish third.
Boys
Relays
Olathe West came out with the win in the 4x100m relay at this year's state championship with an outstanding time of 41.94, marking a season-best performance. Wichita Southeast High School finished second with a time of 42.03, and Maize High School came in third at 42.13.
Distance
In an exciting 3200m race, Max Larson, a junior at Shawnee Mission South secured the win with a time of 9:13.44. Parker Walion of Gardner-Edgerton finished second in 9:14.20, and Ryan Son of Wichita East took bronze with a time of 9:15.27.
Sprints
Jalil Cooper of Wichita Northwest won the 100m race, finishing with a time of 10.40 (+4.7 wind). Dejaun Colbert of Wichita Southeast came in second at 10.42, and Bryson Hayes of Maize High School finished third in 10.60.
Field
Allan Hanna of Maize High School closed out his strong junior season with a state title in the high jump. He cleared 6-10 to win by a margin of two inches. Aaron Newcomer finished second with a clearance of 6-8, and Cole Smither took third with a clearance of 6-6.
5A Highlights
Girls
Relays
St. James Academy excelled in the relays, winning the 4x400m with a time of 3:57.41 and the 4x800m in 9:32.10. Seaman High School secured second place in the 4x400m with a season-best time of 4:02.39, while Arkansas City High School came third with a season-best of 4:04.31.
Distance
The girls' 3200m race was thrilling, with Katelyn Rupe winning her third consecutive 5A 3200m state title in 10:18.09, setting a new meet record that had stood since 1983. Sophomore standout Ryin Miller finished second in 10:34.48, and Kaylie Shultz of Salina Central High School placed third with a time of 10:45.10.
Background
The race was highly anticipated, with favorites Ryin Miller and Katelyn Rupe having faced off earlier this season at the Kansas Relays. In that preview, Miller won in 10:13.97, while Rupe placed second in 10:17.40, setting the stage for an exciting state meet showdown.
Sprints
In a highly competitive 100m race, Trinity Oblinger of Kapaun Mt. Carmel took gold with a time of 12.04. Ashley Singhateh of Maize South finished second by a narrow margin in 12.08, and McKenzie Hayse of Lansing High School came in third with a time of 12.15.
Field
Margo Todd became the state leader in discus with a throw of 140-10 at the Kansas Relays and maintained her momentum to win gold at the state meet with a throw of 134-7. Cadence Shrout placed second with a throw of 130-0, and Leah Wilkinson finished third with a throw of 124-10.
Boys
Relays
Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School's 4x400m squad performed strongly all season and secured gold at the state meet with a time of 3:21.60. Lansing finished second with a season-best time of 3:22.39, and Blue Valley Southwest came in third with a season-best of 3:22.57.
Distance
Jackson Esquibel of Shawnee Heights ended his senior season on a high note, winning his second consecutive 3200m gold medal with a time of 9:21.31. Vance Krudwig of De Soto finished second with a strong final kick, clocking in at 9:26.22. Daniel Enriquez of Kapaun Mt. Carmel took third place with a time of 9:27.31.
Sprints
Aaron Merritt continued his stellar season, winning the 110m hurdles in 14.48 and the 100m in 10.32 (+4.8 wind). The 110m hurdles race was particularly exciting, with Dawson Grabendike of Kapaun Mt. Carmel finishing second in 14.58 and Jayden Henry of Piper placing third in 14.63.
Field
Bryce Barkdull, the top high school vaulter in the country this year, won his second straight state title. He will be joining Kansas University's vault squad next year. Carson Ratzlaff of Blue Valley Southwest finished second, clearing 15-6, and Dylan Cross, also from Blue Valley Southwest placed third with a clearance of 15-0.
4a Highlights
Girls
Distance
Elyssa Frieze, who has dominated the last two 3200m state championships, took home her third consecutive title at this year's state meet. She won with a season-best time of 11:18.14. The race was anticipated to be a competitive one, with Hanna Keltner, who ultimately placed second, entering with the fastest 4A time of the season. Irelyn Kennedy of Baldwin finished third with a time of 11:27.84.
Relays
Clay Center Community delivered an outstanding performance to win the 4x400m relay. They entered the meet strong, having set the season's best 4A time by a margin of 6 seconds at regionals with 4:00.85. Clay Center Community High School won with a time of 4:04.26, followed by McPherson in 4:07.31, and Wamego High School in 4:08.87.
Sprints
Washburn University commit Kynleigh Chard took home her first-ever state title in the 200m dash with a time of 26.16. She was poised for a great race after setting a PR of 26.02 (+2.6 wind) in the prelims, where she placed fourth. Jayla McLeod of McPherson finished second in 26.20, and Renatta Heintz of Abilene High School took third in 26.26.
Field
Freshman Dru Zeka, of Wellington High School took gold in the high jump, securing the win with a clearance of 5-4. Keep an eye on Dru Zeka in the upcoming seasons! Ayla Klingenberg also cleared 5-4 to take second, and Lanie Page placed third with a jump of 5-2.
Boys
Relays
Bishop Miege edged out the strong 4A 4x100m field with a finishing time of 42.60. Coffeyville-Field Kindley came in second with a time of 42.95, and Eudora took third with a time of 42.96.
Distance
Blake Logan entered the 3200m state championship with the fastest PR of 9:23.68 from Kansas Relays. Coming in as the favorite, he won with a time of 9:24.61. Caleb Muehler of McPherson finished second, and Layne Whisler of Buhler took third with a time of 9:33.01.
Sprints
The 200m dash title was decided by one hundredth of a second! In the end, LJ Lynch Jr. of Bishop Miege won with a time of 22.42. Howard Peoples finished second in 22.43, and Tavian Gilliam took third in 22.95.
Field
Kole Manley, the top seed in this year's javelin competition, finished first with a throw of 200-6. Jackson Rumford placed second with a throw of 188-1, and Hunter Grimes took third with a PR throw of 179-2.
3A Highlights
Girls
Relays
Burlington High School neared their state-leading time from regionals to win the state title with a time of 49.34. They had a great outdoor season in their relays. Hoisington High School came in second with a time of 49.86, and Cheney High School took third with a time of 50.21.
Distance
Bree Allen of Prairie View High School finished her outstanding junior season as the 1600m state champion. Allen finished in a time of 5:02.37, marking her second-fastest time of the season. Emily Hein of Wichita Trinity Academy came in second with a time of 5:11.74, and Janae Fugitt of Cimarron High School placed third with a time of 5:22.74.
Sprints
Ashley Lehman, a junior from Hesston High School, earned gold in the 200m dash with a time of 24.64. Lehman was a top contender coming into the race, especially after winning regionals and the prelims at the state championships. Breanne Peters of Smoky Valley High School took second place with a time of 25.77, and Keely Hoback of Burlington High School came in third with a time of 26.09.
Field
Pitt State commit Bethany Umbarger took home her second straight state title in the high jump with a clearance of 5-6. Elliana Smith also cleared 5-6 to secure second place, while Kacy Roesch finished third with a clearance of 5-4.
Boys
Relays
Wichita Collegiate recorded the fastest 4x100m relay time of the season with their win at the state championships, taking gold with a time of 42.36. Hayden High School finished second in 42.52, and Holcomb High School came in third with a time of 42.87.
Distance
Wichita Trinity Academy dominated the 1600m, taking the top three spots. Clay Shively finished first in 4:15.79, followed closely by Samuel Ferguson in 4:16.5, and Caleb Tofteland in 4:19.51. It is impressive to see a single team take the top three spots in any event! Recently, Clay Shively ran a 4:00.02 full mile for second place at the Hoka Festival of Miles.
Sprints
Finn Dunshee of Hayden won the 100m dash with a time of 10.60. Dunshee had a great 2024 season, including six sub-11 second performances.
Field
Jensen Schrickel of Hayden secured two gold medals at this year's state meet, with a long jump of 23-1 and a 400m dash time of 48.73. Tyler Holmes took second in the long jump with a distance of 22-7.25, and Blake Redmond finished third with 22-3.75.
2A Highlights
Girls
Relays
Bennington High School won the 4x100m relay with the fastest time of the season in 2A, finishing in 50.17. Ellis High School came in second with a time of 51.05, and Prep-Marian High School took third in 51.12.
Distance
Freshman Madison Howland claimed 1600m gold, she represented Smith Center well throughout the season and finished it off with a state title in a time of 5:12.50. Avery Boydston of Ellis High School placed second in an exciting race, finishing in 5:15.53, while Faith Ekart of Sterling High School came in third with a time of 5:16.93.
Sprints
Lily Brown took gold in the 300m hurdles, running her second-fastest time of the season at 45.57. Brown had a successful season, winning her league meet, region meet, and now a state title. Brooklyn Black of Inman placed second in 46.12, and Shalee Gottschalk took third with a time of 46.35.
Field
Sophomore, Cammi Unruh of Moundridge High School won the 2A long jump, jumping 16-11 and winning by a margin of 7 inches. Delaney Jones of Conway Springs High School finished second with a jump of 16-4, while Bella Hudson took third with a jump of 15-11.
Boys
Relays
Chase County High School posted the fastest time of the year in 2A, winning the 4x100m State Championship with a time of 43.74. Bennington finished second in 44.21, and Smith Center High School came in third with a time of 44.42.
Distance
In a highly anticipated 800m race, Logan Keith of Meade High School won with his second-fastest time ever of 1:55.91. Cody Hammond, who held the fastest season best of 1:55.11, finished second in 1:57.52. Luke Wessel of Marion High School placed third with a time of 1:59.86.
Sprints
Ryan Broyles of Jayhawk-Linn had the best race of his season, winning the 300m hurdles state title with a PR of 40.61. Eli Gerber of Remington placed second in 40.82, and Randall Thiessen of Berean Academy finished third in 41.35.
Field
Isaac Kane of Jefferson County High School capped off his senior year with a gold medal in the high jump, achieving a PR of 6-6. Brogan Rowley of Eli-Saline High School, the top-seeded athlete, also cleared 6-6 and finished second. Heath Churchill took third, also clearing 6-6.
1A Highlights
Girls
Relays
Ness City, who was highlighted in the regionals recap article, carried their momentum into the state meet and won the 4x100m relay. They became the 1A 4x100m State Champions with a time of 50.44. Little River took second place with a time of 51.18, and Clifton-Clyde finished third in 51.27.
Sprints
Anna Jueneman of Hanover High School was the only athlete to run sub-60 seconds in the girls' 400m dash. She clocked an impressive 58.61, her second fastest time ever. Tatum Kramer of Centraia High School finished second with a time of 1:00.03, and Jaelyn Spangler of Western Plains High School placed third in 1:00.26.
Distance
Star freshman Ellei McCrory took home the 1600m gold with an outstanding time of 5:10. She finished the race with an 11-second margin over second place finisher Laney Reiff of Elyria Christian High School, who clocked in at 5:21.50. Emma Weiner of Golden Plains High School placed third with a PR of 5:22.24.
Field
Belle Barnett of Hutchinson-Central Christian High jumped a PR of 5-6 to win high jump gold. Eden Britton and Aliviah Ball both cleared 5-4, taking second and third places, respectively.
Boys
Relays
Frankfort High School delivered an outstanding performance in the 4x100m relay, winning gold with a time of 43.61, marking a school record. Rawlins County finished second in 44.19, and Kiowa County placed third in 44.21.
Distance
Senior Grady Buessing of Axtell High School won the 3200m with a time of 9:49.71. This state championship race was the fastest of the season in 1a, with two other athletes finishing under 10 minutes. Evan Pearce of Wallace County High School came in second with a time of 9:52.31, and Eli Gaeddert of Goessel High School finished third in 9:58.85.
Sprints
Bradley Bogert of Quinter High School, ranked second going into the 300m hurdles state race, won with a time of 39.96. Sam Kendig took second in 40.16, and Landon Schmitz of Axtell High School finished third in 40.28.
Field
Lakin Getz capped off his senior year with a phenomenal throw of 162-11 to win discus. Ole Svae of Frankfort High School took second with a throw of 161-0, and Conner Barriger of La Crosse High School finished third with 160-9.