Photo: Maxx Bradley/MileSplit Kansas
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The state's largest classification was electric as always at the 2026 KSHSAA State Championships, with meet records both on and off the track, as well as some of the best pure competition we've seen all year.
Here's a look at how things played out in 6A over the weekend!
Olathe North Girls Dominate En Route To State Championship
In unsurprising fashion, Blue Valley speedster Maria Portela was one of the top athletes of the meet, if not THE top athlete, winning three state titles in the 100m (11.48), 200m (23.86), and 400m (56.98), and leading her quartet to a runner-up finish in the 4x400m.
Fellow Tigers Paige Faulkner and Amelia Hansen played key roles in Blue Valley's runner-up finish in their own disciplines, with Faulkner winning her first state title in the 800m along with a third-place finish in the 1600m, while Hansen was runner-up in the pole vault.
In total, the trio accounted for over 50 points as Blue Valley finished runner-up with 76 points behind Olathe North's 111.5.
Speaking of the Eagles, it was clear from the get-go that it was going to be a daunting task for anyone to keep them from winning their first title since 2021, and that's precisely how it played out in Wichita.
Photo: Maxx Bradley/MileSplit Kansas
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Levi Huseman's squad had a handful of athletes step up and dominate, including Avani Hocker Singh, Sienna Wesley, Kennedy Tobaben, and Elena Ginie, who all won state titles to combine for 40 points.
Hocker Singh avenged her shortened junior campaign by winning the 300mH title in the third-fastest time in Kansas history, 43.05.
Wesley won the long jump after soaring 18-11.5 on her first attempt and added a third-place and fourth-place finish in the 100m and 200m, running 11.99 and 25.03.
Tobaben and Ginie earned their titles on the runway, with the former throwing the javelin 160-5 and the latter clearing 13-0 in the pole vault.
Throw in their title-winning 4x100m and 4x400m, and you've got yourself a team that would have won regardless of who they were up against.
Behind Olathe North and Blue Valley was another team from the Kansas City Metro, the Shawnee Mission East Lancers, who came out on top of a dogfight for the third and final podium spot.
Led by Charlotte Hardy, who won the 3200m title for the second consecutive year, and Paige Stanfield's (javelin) and Cate Conrad's (pole vault) third-place finishes, the Lancers held off Blue Valley West, Lawrence Free State, Manhattan, and Mill Valley, with a final score of 49-47-44-44-40.
Olathe North Boys Come Out On Top Of Seven-Team Race For The Sweep
While the girls' team race didn't see much nail-biting action toward the end of Saturday's slate, it was the complete opposite for the seven programs that finished within 20 points of one another in the boys' team race.
It may have been closer than they were initially expecting, but the pre-meet favorites pulled it off in Wichita, as Olathe North brought out the brooms for the sweep.
On the track, the Eagles can thank Jayson Rush and Jackson Parker for contributing in a big way, with Rush earning All-State honors in the 100m (10.80), 200m (21.77), and 400m (49.20) individually.
Parker opted for the 110mH and 300mH, finishing runner-up and third overall with times of 14.05 and 39.35 in his final KSHSAA State Championships before taking his talents to the West Coast for the remainder of his prep career.
Photo: Maxx Bradley/MileSplit Kansas
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The fast-twitch duo also played key roles in the Olathe North 4x100m winning the title after notching a new meet record of 41.45 in the prelims.
High jumper Anthony Harris got in on the action as well, clearing 6-6 in his runner-up finish.
When it was all said and done, Olathe North won their third title since 2022, coming out on top of a very close team race that saw seven points separate the top five teams.
Winning with 57 points, North was followed by Blue Valley Northwest (53), Mill Valley (52), Olathe Northwest (52), Olathe West (50), Olathe East (44), and Olathe South (39).
Additional Top Performers:
-- Mill Valley's David Johnson had a stellar showing to cap off his senior campaign, winning the 110mH and 300mH titles in 13.99 and 38.13.
-- Gardner-Edgerton went 1-2-4 in the pole vault as they continued their event dominance, led by state leader Mason Hill (16-6), who was followed by Ben Karlin (16-0) and Ethan Reimer (14-6).
-- Wichita North senior Nelly Puente had the best weekend of her life on the track, opening it up with a 12-second PB in the 3200m (10:46) on Friday and following it up with her first state title on Saturday in the 1600m (5:00.89), marking a nine second PR.
Photo: Maxx Bradley/MileSplit Kansas
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