Wildcats win team title at Red Bud Classic

By Andy Brown
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Updated: May 11, 2022

Andy Brown / Louisburg Sports Zone

Louisburg junior Ethan Ptacek scored points in four events for the Wildcats, who won the Red Bud Classic title Friday at Wellsville High School with 138.5 points.

WELLSVILLE — The Red Bud Classic at Wellsville High School is always one of the bigger meets of the season in the area and the Louisburg boys track and field team brought home top honors.

The Wildcats won the team title with 138.5 points — 10 points ahed of runner-up Eudora. It was the type of finish Louisburg, the defending Class 4A state champion, was hoping for in its final regular season meet.

“I am extremely pleased with how the team is progressing,” Louisburg coach Andy Wright said. “They continue to put in the work every day at practice, and are seeing the results of the hard work at meets. I think the team is seeing what they could do, and are bought into what we are doing at practice, and the commitment to get better and compete each week.”

Louisburg senior Tom Koontz continues to improve as he swept both hurdle events. He won the 110-meter high hurdles in 14.98 seconds, while junior Mason Dobbins was right behind him in 15.53 seconds to take second and junior Nathan Apple was fourth at 15.79.

Koontz pulled out his best time of the season in the 300 hurdles as he won in 39.89 seconds and finished under 40 seconds for the first time this year. Apple was sixth in 43.21.

“Tom had two smooth races,” Wright said. “He didn’t run a 39 till regionals last year. We are two weeks ahead of that pace. He is sitting pretty good in league and regionals, but with how competitive both are, Tom will have to continue to improve throughout the next couple of weeks to stay at the top of both races.”

***Louisburg junior Mason Dobbins won the high jump Friday in Wellsville and also finished second in the 200-meter dash.***

Along with his finish in the 110s, Dobbins was the other Wildcat to bring home a gold medal. Dobbins won the high jump after he cleared 6 feet, while teammate Isaiah Whitley was fifth at 5-8.

Dobbins found more success on the track as he competed in the 200-meter dash for the first time this season and finished second overall in 22.98 seconds.

“Mason asked if he could run the 200 instead of the 300 hurdles,” Wright said. “I was not surprised by the time he had in the 200. Mason is an athlete and continues to get better every week. He will continue to run the 200 for the next couple of weeks.”

Another sprinter, Ethan Ptacek, also racked up several points for the Wildcats — both individually and on the relays.

Ptacek finished fourth in the 200 dash (23.15) and 400 dash (51.86). Ptacek, Koontz, Dobbins and Caden Caplinger ran a personal best time of 43.63 in the 4×100 relay to take third overall.

Koontz, Hunter Heinrich, Colyer Wingfield and Ptacek also set a personal best time in the 4×400 relay in 3:30.59 and also took third.

“Ethan works hard at practice,” Wright said. “Before the Wellsville meet we talked about breaking 52 in the 400. He did break 52, but it was a fast race. I also see him getting in the 22’s for the 200 in the next couple of weeks.

“Ethan had good role models to follow in the last couple of track seasons. He has stepped up to be one of the role models by setting the running pace in practices and he is the anchor of two of our relays. You can count on Ethan giving everything he has.”

***Louisburg senior Jaden Vohs finished second in both the 800 and 1,600-meter runs Friday in Wellsville.***

The Wildcats also had a three runner-up finishes in the distance races — two individual and one relay. Senior Jaden Vohs had season-best times in the 800 (2:02) and 1,600-meter (4:32) run and took second in both.

Vohs, along with Jerynce Brings Plenty, Heinrich and Hayden Ross, set a personal best time by 15 seconds in the 4×800 relay and finished second in 8:28. Brings Plenty also scored points in the 3,200 run as he was eighth in 10:34.

Despite soggy throwing conditions, junior Nathan Vincent thrived in the javelin. Vincent threw a season-best 176 feet, 9 inches to take second, and was one inch from tying his personal best last year at the state meet.

“It was the right type of conditions for Nathan,” Wright said. “He is more of a power thrower and doesn’t need a ton of speed. I wasn’t surprised he threw the way he did.”

Vincent also scored points in the discus with a mark of 135-5.5 to take seventh, while junior J.R. Rooney was sixth in the shot put with a toss of 44-11.

Sophomore Caden Caplinger finished second in the pole vault after he cleared 13-6 and senior Remington Rice was eighth at 10-6.

Wingfield scored points in both the long and triple jumps. He took third in the long with a mark of 20 feet and third in the triple at 40-3.

Lady Cats finish 8th at Wellsville

The Louisburg girls track and field team had five top four finishes and took eighth as a team with 42 points.

The Lady Cats had a pair of runner-up finishes in the sprints.

Junior Emma Lohse ran a time of 13 seconds in the 100-meter dash to take the silver.

Senior Delaney Wright also finished second in the 400 dash in 1:01.13.

***Louisburg sophomore Maddy Rhamy gets off to a good start in the first leg of the 4×800-meter relay Friday at the Red Bud Classic in Wellsville.***

Sophomore Emma Vohs had success in the distance races as she took third in 2:29, while the 4×800 relay of Vohs, Maddy Rhamy, Aubryn Berck and Erin Apple, took sixth in 10:52.

In the field events, sophomore Maddy Carpenter-Ross was second in the pole vault after she cleared 9-0.

Senior Corinna McMullen had her best day in the discus ring as she recorded a personal-beset throw of 118-11 to finish fourth overall.