Photo: MileSplit/Maxx Bradley
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After months of waiting for the calendar to finally turn over to the outdoor season, track fans from Dodge City to Leavenworth can finally get their fix.
After a lighter opening weekend at the end of March, April's first slate didn't disappoint, as top returners asserted early dominance and a contingent of new faces introduced themselves to the state.
Here are 10 of the many stars that excelled over the weekend.
TIMMY RITCHIE
Class of 2027
A year ago, Ritchie left Cessna Stadium with a pair of silver medals and a record-breaking state title run in the 400m, clocking 47 seconds flat at the KSHSAA State Championships. 10 months later, at the Andale Paul "Bear" Schmidt Invitational, Ritchie stopped the clock at 48.29, over two seconds ahead of the rest of the field. As a sophomore, Ritchie didn't break 48.3 until the first week of May, meaning the junior is already ahead of schedule this spring.
MARIA PORTELA
Class of 2027
One of the top sprinters coming into the 2026 outdoor season, Portela is off to a dominant start after her second consecutive sweep in the 100m, 200m, and long jump. At the Shawnee Mission South Relays, Portela clocked 11.66 and 24.76 in the 100m and 200m, respectively, and added an 18-2 mark in the long jump to rank No. 1, No. 1, and No. 8 across those three events state-wide. Following a pair of third-place finishes and a fourth-place performance at last year's KSHSAA State Championships, the junior is one of the top fast-twitch athletes to watch this year.
BRODY ANDERSON
Class of 2026
A couple of months removed from a cross country season that saw him run 15:00 for 5k, Anderson has been a man on a mission the last two weeks, most recently shining at the 2026 Coach Beardslee Invite. Doubling up in the 1600m and 800m, Anderson shattered his 1600m PB of 4:18.55, running 4:11.94 and securing the win. He circled back to run 1:56.49 over 800m, two seconds quicker than what he ran to win the same meet a year ago. He moved up to No. 10 all-time in state history according to MileSplit's database, and is the third Kansan to ever break 4:12 before May.
ASHLEY LEHMAN
Class of 2026
For the last three years, Lehman has been one of the best all-around athletes in the state of Kansas. With eight titles to her name across the 100m, 200m, 400m, and pole vault, along with eight other All-State performances in those events as well as cross country, the Nebraska signee always keeps things interestig. In her final track campaign, she's already tested the waters in the 100m, 800m, long jump, and pole vault, winning all three at the 2026 McPherson County Early Season Invitational. With marks of 12.24, 2:10.97, 18-3.75, and 11-6, Lehman sits No. 9, No. 1, No. 6, and No. 3 in Kansas this spring.
ELLIOTT WILLIAMS
Class of 2027
As a sophomore, Williams ran 14.46 and 37.96 in the 110mH and 300mH, ultimately finishing fourth and runner-up, respectively, at the KSHSAA 6A State Championships. In his junior debut at the Hays Invitational, he lowered his 110mH PB to 14.23, and posted his second-fastest time ever in the 300mH, 38.53. Williams joins a short list of Kansans to run sub-14.25, and is comfortably the state leader in both hurdle events a few weeks into the outdoor campaign.
KELSIE KUDZIA
Class of 2027
The junior is coming off a breakthrough sophomore track campaign in 2025, where she ran 2:11.2, 4:49.2, and 10:50.85 in the 800m, 1600m, and 3200m. She paired those blistering times with a runner-up, third-place, and fourth-place finish at the KSHSAA State Championships. In her first outdoor race of the young season, Kudzia won the 800m and 1600m at the Leavenworth HS Invitational Track Meet, going 2:29.11 and 5:01.17, with the latter being the state lead.
LOGAN CLAY
Class of 2027
One of two Spartan stars who performed well at the Andale Paul "Bear" Schmidt Invitational over the weekend, Clay dominated in the discus ring, throwing 191-0 to pick up the first win of his junior year. In 2025, Clay competed 15 times from April to early August, notching a lifetime best of 191-1.75. In just his second competition of the fresh campaign, he's already surpassed the 190-0 threshold, a barrier he didn't break until June as a sophomore. Clay is the top thrower in the state by over 13 feet, and is the man to beat in 3A with over 30 feet of separation between him and the rest of the class.
The last time a Kansas girl cleared 13-0 in pole vault was 2021, and only eight girls in total had ever accomplished the feat heading into this season. The senior vaulter cleared a personal best earlier this season at the March Trackness meet, and backed it up this past weekend at the Jenks Trojan Varsity Invitational, where she won the competition with a clearance of 13-0. That's the second time that Ginie has cleared 13-0 this season. Considering she only cleared 12-0 once as a junior, her improvement is notable, and she's closed the gap to four inches from Emily Brigham's (Mill Valley) state record of 13-4 from 2013.
CARLOS LOPEZ-LEDBETTER
Class of 2026
At the Shawnee Mission South Relays, Lopez-Ledbetter nearly took home a pair of wins in the horizontal jumps, before ultimately winding up in first in the triple and as runner-up finish in the long jump. In the former, the senior jumped 47-3.5 and was the lone athlete to jump 47-0 or further. In the long jump, he went 22-8.75, finishing behind Rockhurst's (Mo.) Jack Meyer, who is one of the best triple jumpers in the nation. Lopez-Ledbetter sits No. 4 statewide in both events up to this point in the season.
Class of 2028
In her freshman debut, Franklin posted an undefeated 8-0 record en route to a state title in the high jump, clearing 5-8 in front of a crowded Cessna Stadium. In the first meet of her sophomore season, she matched her lifetime best of 5-8 at the 37th Annual Jock's Nitch/PSU Gorilla Relays, where she also jumped 17-2.25 and 36-2.5 in the long and triple jump. Franklin ranks No. 1, No. 26, and No. 7 across all three events, making her one of the most complete jumpers across the state.
Photo: MileSplit/Maxx Bradley
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