Louisburg junior Delaney Wright lets out some emotion following her state championship win in the 200-meter dash Friday at the Class 4A State Track and Field Championships at Cessna Stadium in Wichita.

WICHITA — Delaney Wright was the favorite to win state titles in her three events last Friday at the Class 4A State Track and Field Championships.

She didn’t disappoint. 

Wright not only won three state championships, but she won them in convincing fashion, breaking two school records in the process. The Louisburg junior won the long jump, 400-meter dash and the 200-meter dash on her way to an historic day in Wichita.

“My experience at state track this year was amazing,” Wright said. “The people competing there were super nice and my teammates made it more fun. It meant a lot to pull off winning three state titles.”

Wright became the first female Wildcat athlete to win three state titles in the same year as she helped the Lady Cats to a fifth place finish in the team standings – also the highest finish for Louisburg girls track and field.

“I can’t say enough how awesome of a competitor Delaney is,” Louisburg girls coach John Reece said. “I know she went to state with one thing on her mind – win.  She did just that and truly performed to her best. Winning three different events is an incredible feat.”

The long jump was Wright’s first state championship on the day as she recorded a leap of 18 feet, 2.25 inches and defeated Paola sophomore Maggie Kauk, who had a jump of 17-8.25.

Next came the 400-meter dash and Wright took control of that race from the beginning. She won by more than a second with a time of 58.30 seconds – which broke her school record that she set earlier this year.

“After I came out of my blocks in the 400 I knew I was feeling good and had what it takes to finish good in the race,” Wright said. “Having confidence and knowing I worked hard all season for this meet was rewarding, especially when I PR’d and broke my records.”

In what was supposed to be her most competitive event of the day, Wright again ran away from the field. She won the 200 dash in a school-record time of 25.54 seconds and defeated runner-up Kimalee Cook from Towanda-Circle, who had a time of 26.01.

“I was really excited after the 200 cause it was my last race and the competition was tough,” Wright said. “I broke to the lead and knew I won my third state title. I gave a little fist bump to the air in excitement after crossing the finish line and congratulated the girls around me after the race. Overall, it was a great meet and was awesome. I’m got to experience it with my teammates.”

Louisburg wasn’t done with state medals as the Lady Cats found their way to the podium in three other events.

Senior Alyse Moore concluded her historic javelin career as she earned her second state medal. Moore recorded a throw of 139-4 to take fourth overall, behind a trio of Andale throwers who took the top three spots.

One of those, senior Katelyn Fairchild, broke the Class 4A record with a throw of 175-4.

Louisburg junior Davis Guetterman also threw in the competition and took 14th with a toss of 109-3.

“I didn’t throw by best this time, but I did the best I could in a way,” Moore said. “I gave my 100 percent, but I was a little disappointed with the outcome because I know that I have the potential to be better. I was still glad to be up on the podium. It was definitely a competitive field.”

It has been a memorable season for Moore, including one that saw her break the 20-year-old school record in the javelin. She will also join the University of Kansas track and field team next season.

“Alyse capped off an awesome career with her performance in the javelin,” Reece said. “Medaling fourth was a great accomplishment and she will have a great time throwing for KU.”

Junior Corinna McMullen continued her strong season in the discus with her first state medal. McMullen recorded a throw of 113-01 to take fourth overall. 

Andale’s McKenzie Fairchild won the event with a throw of 140-0 and her sister Katelyn was second at 132-10. Ottawa’s Jaine Johnson was third at 118-5.

“Throwing at my first state track meet was definitely a time to remember,” McMullen said. “Waiting until 2 to throw on Friday gave a lot of time for nerves to come into play, but i had to trust the training I put in during the week and put it all to the side. I prepared myself to stay out of my head and not be so technical because I knew I was going to be the smallest thrower there. 

“I didn’t throw my best, even though i threw very well in warmups, but that is what throwing it about. State was such a great experience being on that podium, no matter what place it was. Watching the rest of the athletes was so fun and so memorable.”

Freshman Emma Vohs also came away with a medal in her first ever state competition. Vohs finished sixth in 1:02.09.

I was very thrilled to receive a state medal in the 400, however, I would’ve liked to run a better time,” Vohs said. “I had an amazing experience, with all the people around us, teammates cheering you on, and standing on the podium being rewarded my medal felt like such a privilege. 

“I was also excited my brother (Jaden) and I both got to go to state. Next year, I would like to break 60 seconds in the 400 and try different events, such as the 800.”

The four state medalists racked up 43 points in the team standings and the Lady Cats finished fifth – their highest finish in school history.

“I guess you can call them the Fantastic Four as they put together an outstanding performance and finished fifth as a team,” Reece said. “Girls athletics started the year with guns ablaze and through each season never stopped the charge and they have the hardware to prove it.”

In other events, freshman Erin Apple ran the 1,600-meter run in her first state event and took 13th in 6:08. 

Another freshman, Maddy Carpenter-Ross, finished 14th in the pole vault after she cleared 7-6.

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week 10 of the spring sports season, sponsored by Edward Jones-Craig Holtzen.

Tom Koontz, Junior, Track and Field

Not only did the Louisburg boys track and field team win the Class 4A state championship last weekend in Wichita, but junior Tom Koontz captured one of his own, as well. Koontz won the 4A state title in the 110-meter hurdles in a personal best time of 14.87 seconds and earned one of four medals on the day. He also went on to take second in the 300 hurdles.

Koontz also joined a pair of relays that got state medals. Koontz, along with Justin Collins, Ben Wiedenmann and Ethan Ptacek took second in 4×100-meter relay. The same team clinched the state championship in the final race of the day, the 4×400 relay. The Wildcat quartet took third overall and edged out Andale for the team title.

The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the spring season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.

Previous winners:

Week 1: Lexi Hampton

Week 2: Kolby Kattau

Week 3: Jaden Vohs

Week 4: Mia Wilson

Week 5: Johnny Eberhart

Week 6: Alyse Moore

Week 7: Brandon Doles

Week 8: Delaney Wright

Week 9: Reese Johnson

The Louisburg boys track and field team were all smiles Friday following the Class 4A regional meet in Paola. The Wildcats won their first regional title since 2012 as they qualified for state in 15 events.

PAOLA — It has been almost a decade since the Louisburg boys track and field team has come away with a regional title.

That drought came to an abrupt end Friday during the Class 4A regional meet in Paola. The Wildcats racked up 168 points and defeated runner-up Paola by 30 points to win their first regional crown since 2012.

In all, Louisburg qualified for state in 15 of the 18 events on Friday. The Wildcats had six individual regional champions and are sending 16 athletes to state.

“This team has worked so hard and put in the time at practice and it was super nice to see that pay off for the athletes,” Louisburg boys coach Andy Wright said. “They were excited to win regionals, but what I love about them is that they aren’t satisfied with it, and want to go after state.”

Two of those individual titles came from one person. Junior Tom Koontz won both the 110 and 300-meter hurdles, and he also qualified in two relay events. He was the top-point getter for the Wildcats.

Koontz ran a personal best in the 110 hurdles to win in 15.07 seconds and later won the 300 hurdles in another personal best time of 39.80 seconds. He is currently ranked No. 1 in Class 4A in both events.

“My main goal in my hurdle events was to beat my rival from Spring Hill every meet, and PR of course,” Koontz said. “But winning at regionals seemed very possible for me, so I did have it up there as one of my goals. 

“But to PR on both my events by so much meant the world to me. Everyday I work hard so I can get better and hopefully get noticed, and PRing by so much was like a dream come true. That doesn’t mean I’m done though.”

Koontz also joined Justin Collins, Ben Wiedenmann and Ethan Ptacek to take second in the 4×100 and 4×400-meter relay. The 4×100 ran a time of 43.79 and the 4×400 ran a season best 3:29.

It was a special moment in the 110 hurdles race as the Wildcats qualified all three hurdlers for state. Along with Koontz, sophomore Mason Dobbins was runner-up in 15.36 seconds and sophomore Nathan Apple was fourth in 15.79.

In the preliminaries, Apple had originally not qualified for the finals due to a competitor next to him knocking over his hurdle unintentionally. Meet workers allowed Apple to run again, which allowed him to qualify for the finals and he ran a personal record in the process.

“Tom has worked super hard all season and he is a perfectionist at practice,” Wright said. “He stays after to get it just right, and that commitment is paying off for him. I can’t wait to see him get a chance to put all that hard work into action and give it his best at state.  

“All the hurdlers have all been working and improving, and qualifying three is a credit to that work they put in practice.”

The Wildcats also scored a lot of points in the distance races and it started with the 4×800-meter relay as the team of Carson Houchen, Cade Holtzen, Hayden Ross and Jaden Vohs won a regional title in a personal best time of 8:32.

“The 4×8 at regionals was much more competitive than we thought it would be,” Houchen said. “Basically every team went out and PR’d by a lot. Our team also PR’d, but only by about two seconds. Everyone on our team except me had their best split times of the year, and I was about 5-6 seconds behind where I usually am. If all of us run our best times, we have a very good chance to get first or second at state.”

Vohs went on to win a regional championship of his own in the 1,600-meter run in 4:45, less than a second in front of Labette County’s Alex Meister. Houchen also qualified in the 1,600 as he took third in 4:52.

The two traded spots in the 800 run as Houchen qualified in second in a time of 2:06.05 and Vohs was fourth in 2:06.65.

“Because Jaden and I did three events last Friday, it was an extremely tough meet for us,” Houchen said. “The meet was run ahead of schedule so we didn’t get a lot of recovery time in between our races. 

“Having my teammate running the same tough races with me was a big boost to my confidence and is a big reason why both of us were able to qualify in all three events. I’m looking forward to competing with Jaden and helping each other reach new heights at state.”

Louisburg also qualified a runner in the 3,200-meter run as junior Ryan Rogers finished fourth in 11:06.

In the sprints, Collins qualified in two individual events as he took second in the 400-meter dash in 51.51 seconds and earlier took third in the 100 dash in 11.26. Ptacek also qualified in the 400 dash and took fourth in 51.77.

Wiedenmann recorded a runner-up finish in the 200-meter dash in 23.06 seconds.

“Justin and Ben have been the backbones of the team all year on the track,” Wright said. “They are excellent leaders and help give the younger guys the confidence they need to perform well as a team.  

“I love what they will bring to the track in their intensity at state. They have both been there and know what to expect and how to handle the pressure. I look for good things from them on Friday.”

In the field events, the Wildcats had a pair of regional champions in the pole vault and high jump.

Senior Luke Faulkner earned a regional title in the pole vault after he cleared 14-0 for the second straight week and edged out Paola’s James Earlywine, who also cleared 14-0. Freshman Caden Caplinger also earned a state bid after he cleared 12-6 to take third.

Dobbins provided the Wildcats with a nice surprise in the high jump as he cleared a personal best height of 6-1 to win the event.

The Wildcats also got a nice boost from sophomore Isaiah Whitley, who recorded a personal best of 20-8.5 in the long jump to take fourth and earn a bid to state.

“I was super happy for Mason, but not surprised as he is a super hard worker, and is putting it all together,” Wright said. “Coach (Leanna) Willer has him believing in what he can do, and I know he will just keep getting better.  

“I knew Isaiah had a big jump coming. He was getting frustrated in previous weeks, and I told him it was coming, that he was going to put it together and pop a big one and he did.”

Louisburg also qualified two athletes in the javelin as both Nathan Vincent and Jay Scollin endured sloppy conditions to find a way to state. The runway was wet and muddy due to rain from earlier in the week, but the Wildcat throwers came through.

Vincent was second with a throw of 159-03 and Scollin had a personal best toss of 158-6 to take third overall.

Now the Wildcats have their sights set on the Class 4A state meet this Friday in Wichita. The top eight will earn medals, but Louisburg is also trying to get on that medal stand as a team.

Events will begin at 8 a.m. at Cessna Stadium, and the meet, which is in conjunction with Class 3A, will run throughout the day.

“If we go in there with the mentality of just doing what we know we can do, and competing, these guys are going to give it their best shot and surprise some people that have maybe overlooked them,” Wright said. 

Other results are:

3,200 run: Leo Martin, sixth, 11:28; Sawyer Richardson, 9th, 11:42

100 dash: Hunter Heinrich, 11th, 12.38

1,600 run: Ryan Rogers, seventh, 5:06

400 dash: Dylan Armstrong, seventh, 55.30

300 hurdles: Mason Dobbins, fifth, 42.57; Nathan Apple, eighth, 43.43

800 run: Cade Holtzen, ninth, 2:15

200 dash: Armstrong, seventh, 24.38; Heinrich, ninth, 24.60

Shot put: J.R. Rooney sixth, 40-8; Chase Pritchard, 11th, 36-0.5; Reid Justesen, 14th, 34-2

Discus: Nathan Vincent, fifth, 124-11; Pritchard, 11th, 89-10

High jump: Isaiah Whitley, eighth, 5-8

Long jump: Ethan Ptacek, ninth, 19-1.75; Hayden Feikert, 10th, 18-8.75

Javelin: Carson Wade, seventh, 136-06

Pole vault: Caleb Shaughnessy, fifth, 10-6

Louisburg junior Delaney Wright leads a pack of runners in the 400-meter dash Friday during the Class 4A regional meet at Paola High School. Wright won regional titles in the 200, 400 and long jump.

Winning events isn’t anything new for Delaney Wright, but that didn’t mean her accomplishment on Friday meant any less.

Wright and the Louisburg girls track and field team competed in the Class 4A regional meet at Paola High School and the Wildcat junior came away with three regional titles to earn a spot at the state track meet.

Wright won the long jump, 200-meter dash and 400-meter dash and holds the top times and distances in 4A for those events. She will be one of the favorites in those for the state meet this Friday in Wichita.

“It was very exciting to win my events at regionals,” Wright said, “It was a tough meet and I feel like we all showed up to compete. The weather wasn’t the greatest so there weren’t a lot of fast times, but we all did what we had to.”

In all, Louisburg will send seven athletes in eight events to the Class 4A state meet. Despite just qualifying seven, the Lady Cats finished third in the regional standings with 66 points. Paola won the regional title with 204 points.

Wright opened the day with a victory in the long jump as she recorded a mark of 18 feet, 6.75 inches. She also went on to win the 400 dash in 59.03 seconds and the 200 in 26.1 seconds.

“Our girls did awesome,” Louisburg coach John Reece said. “I thought finishing third as a team was huge. Delaney is a special athlete and she is always up for any challenge. State is that challenge that she will meet head on.”

Louisburg will also send two javelin throwers to state in senior Alyse Moore and junior Davis Guetterman.

Moore, who had a throw of 126-11, was beaten on the competition’s final toss by Paola’s Mackenzie Kuehl as she won with a mark of 127-7. Moore went on to take second and still has one of the top throws in the state from earlier this season.

Guetterman earned her trip with a state qualifying throw of 106-5 as she finished fourth overall. It wasn’t a good throwing day as the runway surface was wet and muddy with all the recent precipitation leading up to the meet. 

“Taking both Alyse and Davis is an example of their competitive spirit and hard work paying off,” Reece said. “They did what they needed to do to qualify for state.”

Junior Corinna McMullen qualified for her first state meet in the discus with a throw of 107-01 and took third. She became the third Louisburg thrower to punch their ticket to Wichita.

Three freshmen will also make their state debut for the Wildcats as Emma Vohs, Erin Apple and Maddy Carpenter-Ross all qualified.

Vohs will join Wright in the 400-meter dash as the Louisburg freshman took third with a personal best time of 1:01.94.

“It is always exciting having to go to state with other team members,” Wright said. “Especially in the same event. Me and Emma have worked hard this season to get the chance to compete at state. We are low in numbers in girls, but we have been placing high in our events.”

Apple qualified for the 1,600-meter run as she took fourth in 6:11. Carpenter-Ross took third in the pole vault after clearing 7-6.

“They are being rewarded for their efforts this year,” Reece said. “They will gain priceless experience at their first state track meet. The goal should be to PR and that will end their season on a huge positive.”

The Class 4A state track meet with begin at 8 a.m on Friday at Wichita State University and will be held in conjunction with Class 3A. The Lady Cats are hoping to bring home multiple medals.

“We just have to take care of what we can control and positive outcomes will follow,” Reece said. “These girls have been doing this all year as our state appearances have been in multiple sports in each season.”

Other results are: 

3,200 run: Erin Apple, fifth, 14:26

100 dash: Emma Vohs, eighth, 13.55

200 dash: Vohs, eighth, 28.41

Shot put: Emma Prettyman, seventh, 29-9; Sydney Thornton, 12th, 24-2

Discus: Aiyana Penca, eighth, 92-4; Prettyman, 9th, 86-11

Javelin: Katie Elpers, 10th, 89-03

Senior Luke Faulkner clears a height in the pole vault Thursday during the Frontier League Invitational at Tonganoxie High School. Faulkner won the league title at 14 feet.

TONGANOXIE —  Senior Luke Faulkner soared to new heights Thursday at the Frontier League Invitational and the Louisburg 4×100-relay team tied a personal best time.

Those two events led to Frontier League championships for both at Tonganoxie High School.

In all, the Wildcats finished among the best in the Frontier League as they took runner-up with 117.5 points and Eudora won the team title with 129 points.

“They came out and did what was expected,” Louisburg boys coach Andy Wright said of his team. “We fell just short of first place, but anytime you can be up there at the top feels pretty good in such a tough league.” 

Faulkner cleared a personal best 14 feet to win the league title in the pole vault and is among one of the top vaulters in Class 4A.

“Luke had a great week of practice,” Wright said. “I knew coming into the league meet that he was going to hit a 14 or 14-6. It is so good to see him excel this time in the season.  He has worked very hard and he currently has the second best jump in 4A and in the top 10 in the state. I am excited for him.”

The Wildcat 4×100 relay of Justin Collins, Tom Koontz, Ben Wiedenmann and Ethan Ptacek put together a strong performance of their own as they won the league title in 43.73 seconds.

“The 4×1 tied their PR, and we still have room to improve,” Wright said. “I think we have yet to see a race where everything went perfect, but we are getting there.”

Collins had a strong performance in the 100-meter dash as well as he took second in 11.4 seconds. Wiedenmann was second in the 200 dash in 23.5 and senior teammate Dylan Armstrong ran a personal record of 24.1 seconds to take fifth.

Collins (52.12) and Ptacek (52.16) took fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 400 dash. Wiedenmann, Ptacek, Koontz and Jaden Vohs went on take third in the 4×400 relay in 3:33.

In the hurdles, Koontz set a new personal best time in the 300-meter hurdles in 40.56 seconds and came in second. Teammate Mason Dobbins was fourth in 42.37.

Koontz also took second in the 110-meter hurdles in 15.38 seconds. Dobbins was right behind him in third in 15.77, while Nathan Apple took seventh in 16.95.

The Wildcats also racked up points in the distance events.

Louisburg’s 4×800 relay of Carson Houchen, Cade Holtzen, Hayden Ross and Vohs set a personal best time of 8:34 to take runner-up in league.

Vohs and Houchen also ran a strong 800-meter run. Vohs was second with a time of 2:04 and Houchen was third in 2:05. Ross also scored points as he took seventh in 2:11

Senior Ryan Rogers finished fifth in the 1,600-meter run in 4:56.

“The distance runners are really having an impact on our team scores, and continuing to find individual success,” Wright said. “When we line up in races, it is so awesome to know we have a guy that can win it or score points, and this year we have that in about every single race. It sure makes the meets exciting.”

In the field events, sophomore Nathan Vincent was fourth in the javelin with a toss of 163-2 and teammate Jay Scollin was seventh at 147-5.

Junior Hayden Feikert was fifth in the long jump at 18-10.5 and Dobbins was fifth in the high jump after he cleared 5-10. Freshman Caden Caplinger was sixth in the pole vault at 12-0.

Now the Wildcats will focus on the postseason as they will compete at the Class 4A regional meet Friday in Paola. The top four in each event will qualify for the state meet next week in Wichita.

“We are excited to get to what we have been training for all season,” Wright said. “The athletes are ready, and I know I am ready to see them put their best foot forward and I have no doubt they will leave it all on the track at the end of the day.

“Not only are we hopeful to end the day with a lot of individuals and relays qualifying for state, but we also have a chance if we perform to end up with a regional championship as a team, and that is very exciting.”

Other results are:

100 dash: Hayden Feikert, 16th, 12.52

1,600 run: Cade Holtzen, 10th, 5:07

3,200 run: Ryan Rogers, 9th, 11:04; Andrew Brown, 11th, 11:24

300 hurdles: Nathan Apple, 8th, 43.75

Pole vault: Caleb Shaughnessy, 11th, 11-0

Long jump: Ethan Ptacek, 10th, 18-3.75; Isaiah Whitley, 12th, 18-1.25

Shot put: J.R. Rooney, 10th, 42-1; Chase Pritchard, 16th, 38-8

Discus: Layne Ryals, 11th, 112-7; Nathan Vincent, 12th, 112-4; Pritchard, 22nd, 92-9

Javelin: Ryals, 11th, 125-9

Louisburg junior Delaney Wright sprints to the finish in the 400-meter dash Thursday during the Frontier League Invitational in Tonganoxie. Wright won league titles in the 400 and long jump, and also broke her own school record in the 400.

TONGANOXIE — Delaney Wright is no stranger to winning events or breaking school records – it has almost become commonplace during the 2021 track season.

It continued Thursday at the Frontier League Invitational. Wright won league titles in the 400-meter dash and long jump and broke her own school record in the 400 dash in 58.76 seconds at Tonganoxie High School.

Wright won the long jump with a mark of 17 feet, 8.75 inches, just two inches shy of breaking a Frontier League meet record. She also finished third in the 200 dash in 26.27 seconds and helped the Lady Cats to a fifth-place league finish with 45 points.

“Delaney is a warrior on the track,” Louisburg girls coach John Reece said. “She is racing an internal opponent and is not satisfied if she does not bring her best. She always brings her best at every meet.”

Wright wasn’t the only Louisburg league champion on the girls side as senior Alyse Moore did the same in the javelin. Moore beat out Paola’s Mackenzie Kuehl on her last attempt with a throw of 136-1 to win by a little more than a foot.

“The girls did an awesome job at league,” Reece said. “We are few compared to other league schools but we compete. Becoming a league champion is definitely an accompaniment, especially in the Frontier League.”

Junior Corinna McMullen also scored some big points for Louisburg as she recorded a throw of 106-5 in the discus to take third overall.

Freshman Emma Vohs recorded a personal best in the 400 dash as she took sixth in 1:02.89. Another freshman, Maddy Carpenter-Ross, was seventh in the pole vault after clearing 7-6.

The Lady Cats now have their eyes set on the biggest meet of the year when they compete in the Class 4A regional meet Friday in Paola. The top four in each event will earn a trip to the state meet next week in Wichita.

“The girls are ready to go and punch their way to the state meet,” Reece said. “If we go and perform our best for the season, great things will happen at regionals and carry us on to state.”

Other results are: 

100 dash: Emma Vohs, 9th, 13.72; Andrea Gaza, 14th, 14.77

200 dash: Vohs, 8th, 28.0; Gaza, 14th, 31.05

1,600 run: Erin Apple, 10th, 6:12; Alexis French, 16th, 6:44

3,200 run: Apple, 11th, 13:52; French, 15th, 14:55

Shot put: Emma Prettyman, 12th, 30-1; Sydney Thornton, 21st, 22-2

Discus: Prettyman, 8th, 99-8; Aiyana Penca, 17th, 85-3

Javelin: Malee Rutherford, 20th, 58-3

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week eight of the spring sports season, sponsored by Edward Jones-Craig Holtzen.

Delaney Wright, Junior, Track and Field

It was quite the day for Louisburg junior Delaney Wright last Thursday at the Frontier League Invitational as she won two league titles and broke a school record. In the 400-meter dash, Wright ran a time of 58.76 seconds – to not only win the event – but broke her own school record in the process. Wright also won a league title in the long jump with a mark of 17 feet, 8.75 inches, which was less than two inches away from the league record.

Later on in the day, Wright went on to finish third in the 200-meter dash. Throughout the season, Wright has broken the school record in all three events and has beaten the mark in the long jump and 400 dash on multiple occasions.

The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the spring season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.

Previous winners:

Week 1: Lexi Hampton

Week 2: Kolby Kattau

Week 3: Jaden Vohs

Week 4: Mia Wilson

Week 5: Johnny Eberhart

Week 6: Alyse Moore

Week 7: Brandon Doles

Louisburg junior Tom Koontz takes the handoff from Hayden Feikert in the 100-meter dash Friday in Wellsville.

WELLSVILLE — The Louisburg boys track and field team has won its fair share of meets, but maybe none as big as this one.

The Wildcats won the Red Bud Classic on Friday in Wellsville as they racked up 123 points and beat runner-up Eudora by 24 points. Louisburg finished first out of 15 teams – many that feature some of the best athletes in the area.

“We were ecstatic to win Wellsville with the quality of teams that were there,” Louisburg boys coach Andy Wright said. “We had several boys step up with the competition, and perform well.  Redbud is a tough meet with 15 schools and over half from the Frontier League. 

“We are just a team with depth. We don’t get it done with a lot of first places, but we packed in all of the other placings- second through sixth.  That depth adds up to a strong contender at any meet as a team, especially when you have multiple people placing several events.”

Senior Justin Collins led the Wildcats on the track as he finished first in the 100-meter dash in 11.23 seconds and also took second in the 400 dash in 51.55

Collins, along with Hayden Feikert, Tom Koontz and Ethan Ptacek, took third in the 4×100-meter relay in 44.75 seconds. Collins, Feikert, Koontz and Jaden Vohs went to also finish third in the 4×400 relay with a personal best of 3:30.76.

Feikert and Vohs were inserted in the relays due to the absence of senior Ben Wiedenmann, who was injured during the 100-meter dash.

“Hayden stepped up and ran the first leg in the 4×1 to help us with a top three finish, then Jaden did a great job stepping in the 4×4, which set a personal best time,” Wright said. “The relays continue to improve and put in hard work, and I can’t be prouder of them.”

In the field events, senior Luke Faulkner won the pole vault after he cleared 13 feet. Freshman teammate Caden Caplinger recorded a personal record of 12-6 to finish second.

Sophomore Nathan Vincent scored points in two events as he took third in the javelin with a throw of 161-7 and later was sixth in the discus with a personal best of 130-9. Senior Jay Scollin was sixth in the javelin at 153-7.

Back on the track, hurdlers Koontz and Mason Dobbins also scored big points for the Wildcats.

Koontz was third in the 110 hurdles in 15.26 seconds, while Dobbins was fourth at 15.52. Sophomore Nathan Apple was eighth at 16.29.

In the 300 hurdles, Koontz ran time of 41.14 to take second, while Dobbins was fourth at 42.25.

The Wildcats also fared well in the distance races where Vohs set personal records in the 800 and 1,600 runs. Vohs ran a 4:37 to take third in the 1,600 and recorded a time of 2:04 in the 800 to finish fifth.

Senior Carson Houchen also scored several points in distance. Houchen was fifth in the 1,600 at 4:44 and was fifth in the 3,200 run in 10:38.

The 4×800 relay of Hayden Ross, Cade Holtzen, Leo Martin and Ryan Rogers finished fifth in 8:56.

Also scoring points for the Wildcats on the track was Wiedenmann as he finished eighth in the 100 dash in 11.86. Ptacek took fifth in the 400 dash in 52.30.

The throwers relay of Layne Ryals, J.R. Rooney, Scollin and Vincent took second in 49.31.

In the field events, Dobbins took sixth in the high jump after clearing 5-8. Feikert was seventh in the long jump at 19-7.5 to round out the Wildcat point-getters.

Wright, McMullen lead Lady Cats

Delaney Wright won two events and set a new school record, while Corinna McMullen won the discus and set a new personal record Friday at the Red Bud Relays in Wellsville.

Wright broke her own school record in the long jump for the third straight week as she recorded a mark of 18 feet, 8 inches. She also went on to take first in the 400 dash in 59.81 seconds and second in the 200 in 26.31.

Not only did Wright break a school record, but she also shattered the Red Bud record by more than a foot. The previous record of 17-7.5 was set by Perry-Lecompton’s Heidi Yost in 1998.

The Louisburg junior was also presented the Dale Thomasson 400-meter Dash Award for winning the event.

McMullen shined in the discus as she recorded a personal best throw of 117-4 – which was almost 10 feet further than her previous best.

As team, the Lady Cats finished fourth with 64 points. Spring Hill and Paola tied for the Red Bud title with 130 points.

Freshman Emma Vohs also scored points on the track as she took seventh in the 400 dash in 1:03.

In the field events, senior Alyse Moore finished second in the javelin with a toss of 136-10. Teammate Davis Guetterman had a personal best throw of 116-2 to finish fifth.

Sophomore Emma Prettyman also scored points in the discus as she took seventh at 99-9.

Other results are: 

GIRLS

100 dash: Emma Vohs, 14th, 13.75; Andrea Gaza, 29th, 15.11

200 dash: Vohs, 9th, 28.21; Gaza, 30th, 31.29

1,600 run: Erin Apple, 16th, 6:06; Alexis French, 25th, 6:51

3,200 run: Apple, 11th, 13:33; French, 18th, 14:45

Shot Put: Emma Prettyman, 9th, 30-8.5; Alyse Moore, 12th, 29-0; Sydney Thornton, 30th, 21-11

Discus: Aiyana Penca, 21st, 86-0

Javelin: Katie Elpers, 12th, 90-2

BOYS

100 dash: Hayden Feikert, 21st, 12.24

200 dash: Dylan Armstrong, 12th, 24.20

400 dash: Armstrong, 15th, 56.59

800 run: Hayden Ross, 13th, 2:11; Cade Holtzen, 14th, 2:11

1,600 run: Ryan Rogers, 13th, 5:00

3,200 run: Leo Martin, 17th, 11:16

300 hurdles: Nathan Apple, 11th, 44.54

High jump: Isaiah Whitley, 21st, 5-4

Pole vault: Caleb Shaughnessy, 10th, 10-6
Long jump: Ethan Ptacek, 12th, 18-7; Whitley, 15th, 18-3.75

Shot put: J.R. Rooney, 11th, 42-4.5; Chase Pritchard, 20th, 38-5.5; Scott Thornton, 23rd, 33-10

Discus: Pritchard, 19th, 108-8; Layne Ryals, 22nd, 104-8

Javelin: Ryals, 18th, 120-11

Louisburg senior Luke Faulkner clears the bar in the pole vault Friday during the De Soto Invitational. Faulkner won the event at 13-6.

BASEHOR — Against some of the tougher competition it has seen this season, the Louisburg boys track and field team found its fair share of success.

Luke Faulkner, Justin Collins and Tom Koontz each won events as they helped the Wildcats to a third place finish overall Friday at the De Soto Invitational at Basehor-Linwood High School.

The Wildcats were third overall with 127 points and De Soto won the meet with 154 and Eudora was second at 135.5.

“It was the first time all season that the weather was ideal for a track meet,” Louisburg boys coach Andy Wright said. “I was hoping that the team would step up with and compete with the tough competition. I felt like our team did that, as we had multiple personal best throughout the meet.

“I am super excited about how our team is progressing and we want to continue to get better so we are peaking at regionals and state.”

On the track, Collins recorded a personal best in the 400-meter dash as he chased down Eudora’s Colby Lawhorn to win in 51.19 seconds. His teammate, sophomore Ethan Ptacek, also had a personal best time of 51.98 and took third.

Collins also went on to finish runner-up in the 100 dash in a personal best time of 11.07 seconds. He, along with Ptacek, Koontz and Ben Wiedenmann had a PR of 43.73 to take second in the 4×100 relay.

“Justin continues to improve every week,” Wright said. “He came into the meet ranked eight in the 100 dash and came out with second place. You can’t ask for more than that from a kid.  He works hard in practice and continues to be a good leader.”

Koontz set a new personal record in the 110-meter hurdles as he ran a 15.10 to win the event. His teammate, sophomore Mason Dobbins, was third with his personal best of 15.44.

Koontz (42.94) and Dobbins (43.71) went on to take fourth and fifth, respectively in the 300 hurdles. Wiedenmann finished third in the 200 dash in 23.48.

In the field events, Faulkner had his best vault of the season as he cleared 13 feet, 6 inches to win the pole vault. 

His teammates, Caden Caplinger and Caleb Shaughnessy also scored points. Caplinger was fifth after clearing 12-0 and Shaughnessy was seventh at 10-0.

Sophomore Nathan Vincent set another personal record in the javelin as he recorded a toss of 169-10 and senior Jay Scollin was fourth at 154-0.

Vincent also went on to take third in the discus with a toss of 125-6 and Chase Pritchard was sixth at 115-1.

Back on the track, the 4×800 relay team of Carson Houchen, Cade Holtzen, Hayden Ross and Jaden Vohs ran a season-best time of 8:39 to finish third.

The 4×400 relay of Wiedenmann, Collins, Koontz and Ptacek took third overall in 3:33.

“Both 4×8 and 4×1 set personal best and this is a credit to the athletes working together and believing in each other,” Wright said. “Each of the athletes want to win their individual events, but on a relay it’s about being part of a team and winning for each other. That is just incredibly awesome to see them work so hard together and for each other.”

Vohs would also record at PR in the 1,600-meter run as he took fourth in 4:43 and Houchen did the same in the 800 run as he took sixth in 2:03.

Ross also scored points for Louisburg in the 3,200 run as he was seventh in 11:23.

Sophomore J.R. Rooney was sixth in the shot put with a toss of 40-10.5. Hayden Feikert was eighth in the long jump at 19-5.25.

Louisburg is back in action Friday when it travels to Wellsville for the Redbud Relays.

Other results are: 

100 dash: Ben Wiedenmann, 10th, 11.54; Hayden Feikert, 14th, 11.88

200 dash: Dylan Armstrong, 14th, 24.45

400 dash: Armstrong, 11th, 55.21

800 run: Ryan Rogers, 15th, 2:17; Cade Holtzen, 16th, 2:18

1,600 run: Rogers, 10th, 5:05

High jump: Mason Dobbins, 9th, 5-8

Long jump: Ethan Ptacek, 9th, 19-2.5

Shot put: Chase Pritchard, 11th, 39-5; Reid Justesen, 28th, 31-6.25

Discus: Layne Ryals, 11th, 103-11

Javelin: Ryals, 10th, 123-0

Louisburg junior Delaney Wright cruises to a finish in the 400-meter dash Friday at the De Soto Invitational at Basehor-Linwood High School. It was one of three events that she broke a school record.

BASEHOR — The Louisburg girls track and field record book looked a lot different following Friday’s DeSoto Invitational. 

Louisburg junior Delaney Wright broke three records (long jump, 200 dash, 400 dash), while Alyse Moore broke a 20-yard record in the javelin at the event that was held at Basehor-Linwood High School.

It was a day to remember for both Wildcat athletes.

“Great athletes find a way to get the job done,” Louisburg girls coach John Reece said. “Delaney and Alyse are great athletes and put in the time to be able to accomplish big things. They both happened to do it on the same day and that was exciting. 

“The records they broke were set by amazing athletes in their time and it shows by how long the records stood, especially the javelin record. I still think the best is yet to come for both of them.”

Wright broke two of her old records, and another six-year-old mark. She started the day in the long jump as she broke her old record for the second straight week with a mark of 18 feet, 5.75 inches. Her previous best was 18-0.5.

She then carried that momentum onto the track where she broke her 400 dash time that she set two years ago as a freshman. Wright ran a 59.16 to win the event and eclipsed her previous best time of 1:00.

The 200 dash was the next one to fall as Wright edged out Piper’s Kinley Brown to win the 200 dash in 25.87 seconds. The old record of 26 seconds was set in 2015 by Bailey Belcher.

“I’ve been blessed to have a recovery from a knee injury a couple months ago and I didn’t know coming into the season if I’d be as good,” Wright said. “I’ve been working hard and have had people push me to be better. It all fell together last Friday at the meet. I just feel blessed and excited. Also excited we have another track member beating records too in Alyse.

“Long jump definitely boosted my energy and gave me confidence going into the meet and competing in my other events. It definitely won’t be easy keeping up with those marks, but all I can do is to try to keep getting better before regionals.”

Moore put her name on the school’s record board for the first time as she now has the top mark in the javelin with her throw of 149 feet. That toss eclipsed the old mark of 145-10 that was set by Krystal Bowes in 2001 and won the competition with ease.

Moore’s previous best in the javelin was 144-8 and her record-breaking toss is now the second best in the state and fourth in the entire nation.

“When I first started throwing javelin, I had looked at the record and at the time I hadn’t been throwing very far, so I knew it was going to take a lot of extra work for me to beat the record,” Moore said. “This year, my first meet I came out stronger than I finished my sophomore year at state so I became really hopeful that I could possibly break the record, and I just hoped to keep beating myself and eventually I broke the record as well.

“I was super excited when they announced that I had broke the record, because I had really been wanting to reach it. I kind of had a feeling that I had PR’d, but I wasn’t sure by how much. When I released it, I knew it was going to be a good throw because it flew so well, so that was a great feeling.”

Louisburg continued its success in the field events as junior Corinna McMullen won the discus competition for the second time this season. McMullen recorded a personal best throw of 108-5 and won by nearly two feet.

“Corinna continues to better her performance in disc and is setting herself up to finish strong,” Reece said. “Again, continued hard work in practice is paying big dividends in performance.”

The Lady Cats also scored points in other field events as Davis Guetterman was sixth in the javelin at 101-10, while Emma Prettyman was seventh in the shot put at 32-2.5.

In the pole vault, freshman Maddy Carpenter-Ross had a personal best after she cleared 7-6 and finished seventh.

On the track, freshman Emma Vohs was fourth in the 400-meter dash at 1:02.86.

As a team, the Lady Cats finished sixth out of 11 teams with 62 points. Eudora was first with 167 and Piper was second at 108.

“We are few in varsity numbers compared to some schools, but we bring it every meet to outperform our best marks and put pressure on the competition,” Reece said.

Louisburg is back in action Friday when it travels to Wellsville for the Redbud Relays.

Other results are: 

100 dash: Emma Vohs, 11th, 13.69; Andrea Gaza, 20th, 14.51

200 dash: Vohs, 9th, 28.16; Gaza, 18th, 31.36

1,600 run: Erin Apple, 12th, 6:30; Alexis French, 16th, 7:02

3,200 run: Apple, 10th, 13:37; French, 16th, 14:51

Shot put: Alyse Moore, 12th, 29-6

Discus: Emma Prettyman, 9th, 91-2; Aiyana Penca, 11th, 85-9