Lady Cats finish second at regionals, qualify for state in 11 events

The Louisburg girls track and field team finished as the Class 4A regional runner-up Friday at Eudora High School after they finished with 99 points. The Lady Cats also qualified for state in 11 events and broke three school records.

EUDORA — It had been more than a decade since the Louisburg girls track and field team came home with a plaque from regional competition. 

The Lady Cats took advantage of that opportunity Friday at the Class 4A regional meet at Eudora High School. For the first time in 11 years, Louisburg finished in the top two of the regional standings as it took runner-up with 99 points.

In all, the Lady Cats qualified for state in 11 events, won five of them and three runners broke school records in the process.

“Regionals is about qualifying for state,” Louisburg girls coach John Reece said. “But being state runner-up was a huge bonus.”

Senior Delaney Wright ended her final regional meet with a bang as she won three regional titles and qualified for state in four events.

Wright opened her day with a victory in the long jump with a mark of 17 feet, 9.5 inches and then moved over to the track. She would next win the 400-meter dash in 1:00.21 and then the 200 in 26.11 seconds.

She ended her day as she joined Mackenzie Rooney, Emma Vohs and Emma Lohse to take third in the 4×400-meter relay in 4:19.

It was the perfect way for the defending state champion in those individual events to enter the state meet, after spending most of the season recovering from an injury.

“Last Friday definitely was a confidence boost for me that I needed to get in before state,” Wright said. “It has been a rough couple weeks, but I feel like I’m getting close to being back where I want to be.

“Qualifying for four events like I did my freshman year gives me hope and excitement for this upcoming weekend. I’m also extremely excited about our girls team getting a plaque and I think as a team we’ll make a dent at state.”

Lohse also had a big day for the Lady Cats as she qualified in three events, but none stood out more than the 100-meter dash. 

The Louisburg junior broke the school record with a time of 12.38 seconds to win the regional title. She broke the old record of 12.66, set by Jordan Leach in 2019.

On top of that and the 4×400 relay, Lohse also finished fourth in the 200 dash in 26.58.

“Winning the 100 meant everything to me,” Lohse said. “I went into the race knowing that I was running against one of my biggest competitors from this season, and I wanted this one so bad. After I passed the finish line I looked up at the scoreboard and saw 12.3, seeing that time, I knew I beat the record. 

“All season I’ve wanted to beat it so bad and worked so hard this season to accomplish that. Qualifying for state this year in all my events, and it also being my first year of track, was very exciting.”

Vohs also rewrote the Louisburg record book, but this time it came in the 1,600-meter run.

The Louisburg sophomore won the event in what was almost a photo finish as she broke the school record with a time of 5:35.17 as she edged out Eudora’s Hanna Keltner at the finish. She broke the 13-year-old record of 5:39 set by Shayla McElyea in 2009.

Along with the 4×400, Vohs is heading to state in two events.

“I knew I was running with one of the top runners in 4A and decided to stay with her during this run in order to qualify for state,” Vohs said. “On the last lap, she was ahead of me by about 50 meters and I knew I needed to make my move right at the end. 

“As we came near the finish line, I was right behind her and finished strong. I had no idea I broke the school record until coach Reece came over and asked me how I thought I ran.”

Sophomore Maddy Carpenter-Ross was responsible for the other regional title and qualified for state for the second straight year in the pole vault.

Carpenter-Ross cleared a personal best 10 feet to win the event as she edged out Eudora’s Alyssa Chapman.

“It felt good to PR again because I haven’t matched my 9’6 PR the previous two meets before regionals,” Carpenter-Ross said. “I’m glad that I was able to peak at the right time and not only match my old PR, but beat it in order to win regionals.”

Sophomore Maddy Rhamy became the third Lady Cat to break a record as she qualified for state in the 3,200 in 12:44 and finished fourth overall. She broke Andie Buffington’s old time of 12:51 set back in 2012.

“The two Emma’s and Maddy deserve to hold their respective records,” Reece said. “They are hard workers and they were rewarded for their efforts.”

Rooney qualified for two events at state — the 4×400 relay and also in the 300 hurdles. The Louisburg freshman eclipsed her previous personal best to finish runner-up in 49.98 seconds.

In the field events, the Lady Cats got two more state qualifiers.

Senior Corinna McMullen finished as the regional runner-up in the discus with a throw of 111-8.

Sophomore Katie Elpers punched her ticket in the javelin as she recorded a throw of 111-10 to take fourth overall.

The Class 4A state competition at Wichita State University begins Friday morning as the two-day event begins at 7:45 a.m. and will run through Saturday evenings. The top eight finishers in each event will earn a state medal.

Other results are: 

800 run: Emma Vohs, 5th, 2:29

1,600 run: Maddy Rhamy, 8th, 5:59

3,200 run: Nova Ptacek, 7th, 13:52; Erin Apple, 12th, 15:26

4×800 relay: Ptacek, Apple, Aubryn Berck, Ashley Branine, 5th, 11:45

100 hurdles: Kate Frederick, 11th, 18.31; Mackenzie Rooney, 13th, 18.93

300 hurdles: Frederick, 12th, 55.57

Discus: Emma Prettyman, 11th, 89-11

Shot put: Prettyman, 6th, 34-7

Javelin: Davis Guetterman, 7th, 109-9; Prettyman, 10th, 103-6