Wright, Lohse, Vohs win two events to lead Lady Cats at home meet
Louisburg senior Delaney Wright cruised to a victory in the 400-meter dash Thursday at the Louisburg Invitational.
Slowly making her way back from an injury suffered during basketball season, Delaney Wright is on her way to returning to form that she showed last season when she won state titles in three different events.
Wright participated in two of those Thursday during the Louisburg Invitational and took first in both the long jump and 400-meter dash.
In all, the Lady Cats finished third out of seven teams with 119 points and put together a strong performance at their home meet.
Wright scratched on three of her four attempts in the long jump, but she recorded one of 17 feet, which earned her the gold medal there. In the 400-meter dash, Wright blew away the competition in 1:01.62 and won by four seconds.
Junior Emma Lohse also won a pair of events for the Lady Cats in the sprints. She took gold in the 100 dash in 13.24 seconds as she edged out Prairie View’s Kinley Baker.
In the 200 dash, Lohse edged Spring Hill’s Gavyn Hurley to win that event in 27.36 seconds. Lohse also helped Delaney Wieland, Mackenzie Rooney and Emma Vohs to a third place finish in the 4×400 relay in 4:31.
Louisburg junior Emma Lohse sprints her way to the finish line Thursday in the 200-meter dash.
Wieland (14.26) and Annmarie Walton (30.83) finished sixth in the 100 and 200, respectively.
Rooney scored points in both hurdle events for Louisburg as she took second in the 300 hurdles with a time of 52.28 and sixth in the 100 hurdles in 19.12.
Vohs led the Lady Cats in the distance races as she won the 800 run in 2 minutes and 31 seconds. Junior Ashley Branine was fourth at 2:47 and senior Aubryn Berck took fifth in 2:48.
Vohs, Branine, Berck and Maddy Rhamy also won the 4×800 relay in 10:48.
Ashley Branine hands the baton to teammate Emma Vohs during the 4×800-meter relay Thursday at the Louisburg Invitational.
Rhamy was third in the 3,200-meter run in 13:13 and sophomore Erin Apple was sixth in 15:28. Junior Nova Ptacek was fifth in the 1,600 run in 6:42.
In the field events, Katie Elpers recorded her best throw in the javelin with a mark of 110 feet, 9 inches to win the event for the first time this season. Teammate Emma Prettyman was sixth at 94-4 and also finished sixth in the shot put at 31-4
Louisburg also took gold in the pole vault when sophomore Maddy Carpenter-Ross cleared a personal best mark of 8-11.
Wieland scored points in the long jump as she took fourth at 15-7.75 and Walton was fifth in the high jump at 4-6.
Louisburg is back in action today when the Lady Cats travel to the Spring Hill Invitational. Events are set to begin at 4 p.m.
Wildcat boys take second in Garnett; Lady Cats finish third
Louisburg junior Mason Dobbins clears a height in the high jump Thursday at the Anderson County Invitational in Garnett. Dobbins finished second overall after clearing 6 feet.
GARNETT — The Louisburg boys track and field team has competed at a high level since the start of the season and that continued last Thursday at the Anderson County Invitational.
The Wildcats finished second in the team standings with 151 points and finished less than 10 points behind Eudora for the top spot.
The Louisburg girls also had a strong finish despite having small numbers as the Lady Cats were third with 85 points. Eudora won the meet with 183 and Spring Hill was second at 125.
Louisburg won seven events on the boys side, while seniors Tom Koontz, Jaden Vohs and junior Nathan Vincent each won a pair of individual events.
“We are hitting the middle of the season,” Louisburg coach Andy Wright said. “Some of the boys are settling in and figuring out what events they will excel at. We performed well and got a small glimpse of what our regionals could look like. We didn’t have our best marks of the season, but we competed in each event.”
Vohs shined in the 1,600-meter run as he took first in 4 minutes and 46.93 seconds and held off a late charge from Eudora’s Cody Loganbill, who finished just .07 seconds behind Vohs.
The Louisburg senior also captured the title in the 3,200 run in 10:21. His teammate, freshman Jerynce Brings Plenty, took second in the 3200 in 10:26 and also place fourth in the 1,600 in 4:50.
“Jaden has now run the 800, 1600 and 3200 with good times,” Wright said. “Now we have to decide which races to run at the end of the year. With the weather hopefully getting better, I only see his times improving.”
Hurdles continue to be a strength for the Wildcats as Koontz won both the 110-meter hurdles (15.38) and 300 hurdles (40.13).
Juniors Mason Dobbins and Nathan Apple also scored points in the event. Dobbins (15.78) and Apple (16.5) took second and third, respectively, in the 110s. Dobbins finished third in the 300 hurdles in 42.59 and Apple was fifth at 43.74.
Koontz, Dobbins, Caden Caplinger and Ethan Ptacek ran to gold in the 4×100-meter relay in 44.26 seconds.
Koontz, Ptacek, Hunter Heinrich and Colyer Wingfield were third in the 4×400 relay. In the 4×800 relay, Heinrich, Hayden Ross, Andrew Brown and Noah Cotter were also third in 9:17.
Louisburg’s Hunter Heinrich sprints to handoff to teammate Noah Cotter in the 4×800 relay Thursday in Garnett.
“The 4×100 did set a personal record, but still have room to improve,” Wright said. “The 4×4 didn’t run their best times and will only get better the more races they run. In the 4×8, we are moving some runners around and should have a solid four in the next meet or two.”
Ptacek also scored points for the Wildcats in the 400-meter dash as he took third in 52.40. Freshman Ashton Moore was sixth in the 200 dash in 24.83.
In the field events, Vincent continues to take the top spot in the discus and javelin. He has won the two events in all of the meets so far this season.
On Thursday, Vincent won the javelin with a throw of 153 feet, 11 inches, just eight inches in front of Eudora’s Conor Dunback, who took second. Louisburg’s Scott Thornton (131-1) and Carson Wade (130-7) also scored points in fifth and sixth, respectively.
Vincent also took the top spot in the discus with a toss of 143-4.
“Nathan keeps improving every week,” Wright said. “His marks are not where he would want them to be, but he is throwing far enough to win his events.”
Dobbins cleared 6 feet for the first time this season as he took second in the high jump, while teammate Isaiah Whitley was fourth at 5-8. Whitley also went on to record a season-best in the long jump, 19-9.5, to also take fourth. Junior Trey Myers was sixth in the high jump at 5-8.
Caplinger, a sophomore, took third in the pole vault after he cleared 13 feet. Junior J.R. Rooney was fifth in the shot put at 42-8.
Although the girls did not win any events, the Lady Cats still brought home plenty of medals and it was evident with their third place finish.
Louisburg sophomore Emma Vohs sprints to the finish of the 1,600-meter run Thursday at the Anderson County Invitational.
“We had a strong showing at Anderson County with questionable weather conditions again,” Louisburg girls coach John Reece said. “Who knows what will happen when we have a nice day.
“Even though we did not win an event, we brought home more medals than we have in a long time. We continue to show improvement in all areas of the track and the field.”
The Lady Cats scored a lot points in the distance races as sophomore Emma Vohs finished third in both the 800 (2:32) and 1,600-meter (5:44) runs.
Sophomore Maddy Rhamy took third in the 3,200 run in 13:24 and sixth in the 1,600 in 6:06. Sophomore Erin Apple was also sixth in the 3,200 in 14:49.
Apple, Nova Ptacek, Aubryn Berck and Ashley Branine finished runner-up in the 4×800 relay in 11:40.
In the sprints, junior Emma Lohse had another strong performance as she was second in the 200 dash in 28.06 and third in the 100 dash in 13.48.
Freshman Mackenzie Rooney scored points in both hurdle races. Rooney was second in the 300 hurdles in 52.93 and fifth in the 100 hurdles at 18.66.
Lohse, Rooney, Emma Vohs and Delaney Wieland also took fourth in the 4×400 relay in 4:32.
Louisburg’s Katie Elpers finished fifth in the javelin Thursday in Garnett.
In the field events, sophomore Maddy Carpenter-Ross set a personal record in the pole vault after she cleared 8-6 and took second overall.
Senior Corinna McMullen recorded a throw of 113-11 in the discus to finish second and junior Emma Prettyman was fifth at 98-4.
Another senior, Davis Guetterman, took third in the javelin with a toss of 108-1. Katie Elpers (97-10) and Prettyman (95-7) finished fifth and sixth, respectively. Prettyman was also fifth in the shot put at 30-3.5.
Louisburg is back in action this Thursday when it hosts the Louisburg Invitational. Events are set to begin at 4 p.m.
Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week four of the spring sports season, sponsored by Louisburg Family Dental.
NATHAN VINCENT, JUNIOR, TRACK AND FIELD
Louisburg junior Nathan Vincent has dominated the javelin and the discus ring so far this season. Through three meets, Vincent has won the two events each time out and that included his performance Thursday at the Anderson County Invitational.
Vincent won the javelin with a throw of 153 feet, 11 inches to help the Wildcats to a second place team finish. He also found success in the discus as he took first with a toss of 143-4. Vincent is a returning state medalist in the javelin for the Wildcats.
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.
Wildcat boys win Paola Invite; Lohse wins pair of events to lead Lady Cats
Louisburg freshman Jerynce Brings Plenty runs the 3,200-meter run during a meet earlier this season. Brings Plenty won the 3,200 run Thursday in Paola and recorded a personal best time in the process.
PAOLA — Bone-chilling temperatures. Forty-plus mile-per-hour wind gusts. Not exactly the ideal conditions for a track and field meet.
Despite that, Louisburg traveled to the Paola Invitational on Thursday and the cold, windy temperatures didn’t seem to bother the Wildcats much.
The Louisburg boys won the team title with 198 points — 50 points ahead of runner-up Spring Hill. The Lady Cats also finished strong as they won four events and finished fourth overall with 86 points.
In all, the Wildcat boys won eight events, including a sweep of the distance races and hurdles.
“The conditions were not the greatest, all we asked from them to do was to complete and they did.,” Louisburg boys coach Andy Wright said. “We actually had a few personal bests from the meet. So, I was really proud of all of them.”
On the track, the Wildcats took first in all three distance races, led by Jaden Vohs. The Louisburg senior won the 800-meter run in 2:13 and the 1,600 run in 4:53.
Freshman Jerynce Brings Plenty recorded a season-best time in the 3,200 run, despite the conditions, and took first in 10:33.
Vohs, Brings Plenty, Hayden Ross and Andrew Brown also took second in the 4×800 relay in 9:09.
“With the weather they were all about running a smart race,” Wright said. “Both were mentally prepared to run the conditions. It wasn’t his best time, but Jaden did what was needed to win both races. Jerynce actually ran his personal best time of the season, which was impressive due to the wind, cold and being a half a lap ahead of everyone.”
In the hurdles, senior Tom Koontz continued his success in both the 110 and the 300. Koontz recorded a time of 15.10 seconds and finished first in the 110, and later won the 300 hurdles in 42.17.
Junior Nathan Apple ran a personal best time of 15.74 seconds in the 100 hurdles to finish third, and he later took sixth in the 300 hurdles in 45.87.
Koontz won three events on the day as helped Mason Dobbins, Caden Caplinger and Ethan Ptacek to a win in the 4×100 really in 45.36. Koontz, along with Hunter Heinrich, Colyer Wingfield and Ptacek took runner-up in the 4×400 in 3:44.
Also on the track, senior Cooper Hipp finished third in the 200 dash in 24.58 and sophomore J’Lee Collins was seventh in 25.14.
Ptacek (55.45) and Heinrich (56.24) took third and fourth, respectively, in the 400 dash.
In the field events, junior Nathan Vincent won a pair of events for the second straight week. Vincent won the javelin with a throw of 141-1 and took first in the discus with a toss of 134-5.
Junior Layne Ryals was fifth in the javelin at 128 feet and sophomore Scott Thornton was sixth at 126-1. Ryals also finished sixth in the discus at 109-7.
Another junior, J.R. Rooney, took third in the shot at 42-9.5, while sophomores Connor Lee and Jaymes Melton each had personal-best throws. Lee (40-2) and Melton (40-0), were sixth and seventh, respectively.
Louisburg junior Colyer Wingfield finished second in the long and triple jump Thursday in Paola.
Wingfield got the Wildcats a lot of points in the jumps as he was second in the triple at 39-8 and runner-up in the long jump with a personal-best mark of 20-1.5.
Hayden Feikert finished fifth in the long jump at 19-8. Trey Myers and Elias Pugh finished seventh and eighth, respectively, at 36-3 and 34-9.
“Colyer is starting to figure out the jumps,” Wright said. “In the triple jump, Colyer and another jumper were going back and forth for the first place spot. He came up short for first place in triple jump, but it was fun seeing him compete and go for it. It is still early in the season, we have some technique to work on, so I only see him becoming more exciting as the season moves forward.
“It also helps having two teammates (Isaiah Whitley, Hayden Feikert) that are right behind him in long jump. It’s going to be exciting to watch these three compete with each other this season.”
In the high jump, junior Isaiah Whitley cleared 6 feet, which was a personal best mark, and took second overall. Junior teammate Mason Dobbins took fourth at 5-10 and Myers finished sixth at 5-6.
Caplinger led the Wildcats in the pole vault as he took second at 12-6 and senior teammate Remington Rice was sixth after he cleared 9 feet.
On the girls side, Emma Lohse gave the Lady Cats a big boost in the sprints as she recorded a pair of first place finishes.
Lohse won the 100-meter dash in 12.98 seconds, after being seeded fifth coming into the race. The Louisburg junior later went on to win the 200 dash in 27.46 and held off Eudora’s Madison Karten (27.89) for the win.
At the end of the meet, Lohse went on to team up with Mackenzie Rooney, Delaney Wieland and Emma Vohs to take third in the 4×400 relay in 4:38.
“The girls overall competed well,” Louisburg coach John Reece said. “In the cold, wet, windy conditions, it is more about controlling what you can control and be your best on the day. By looking at how they competed, that is exactly what they did. Times and distance do not show their effort.
“Emma ran very well and what some may not realize is how she held off the second place sprinter in the 200. She is a competitor.”
In the field events, senior Corinna McMullen won the discus for the second week in a row as she took first with a throw of 102-11 and junior Emma Prettyman was eighth at 86-8. Prettyman also took seventh in the shot put at 32 feet.
Sophomore Maddy Carpenter-Ross clears a height earlier this season. Carpenter-Ross won the pole vault Thursday in Paola.
Sophomore Maddy Carpenter-Ross won the pole vault based on number of misses after she tied with Prairie View’s Jane Hough and Fort Scott’s Ellie Trim at 8 feet.
Senior Davis Guetterman was runner-up in the javelin with a toss of 111 feet and sophomore Katie Elpers’ throw of 95-5 was good for eighth.
The Lady Cats also scored points in the distance races as sophomore Emma Vohs was third in the 800 run in 2:37. Sophomore Maddy Rhamy took third in the 3,200 run in 13:25 and fellow sophomore Erin Apple was sixth at 15:18.
Louisburg sophomore Maddy Rhamy finished third in the 3,200 meter run Thursday and helped the 4×800 relay to a second place finish.
Rhamy, Vohs, Aubryn Berck and Ashley Branine also finished runner-up in the 4×800 relay in 11:38.
Freshman Mackenzie Rooney scored points in the hurdles for Louisburg as she took fourth in the 300 hurdles in 56 seconds.
Louisburg is back in action Thursday when it travels to Garnett for the Anderson County Invitational. Events are set to begin at 3:30 p.m.
Other results are:
GIRLS
100 dash: Delaney Wieland, 12th, 14.13
800 run: Aubryn Berck, 9th, 2:59
1,600 run: Erin Apple, 9th, 6:31; Nova Ptacek, 10th, 6:53
800 run: Hayden Ross, 12th, 2:27; Andrew Brown, 15th, 2:36
1,600 run: Noah Cotter, 10th, 5:31; Leo Martin, 12th, 5:38
3,200 run: Martin, 11th, 12:07
110 hurdles: Mason Dobbins, 10th, 29.91
300 hurdles: Dobbins, 9th, 48.53
Long jump: Isaiah Whitley, 10th, 19-3
Week 3 Athlete of the Week: Emma Lohse
Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week three of the spring sports season, sponsored by Dr. Laura’s Orthodontics.
EMMA LOHSE, JUNIOR, TRACK AND FIELD
Louisburg junior Emma Lohse is off to a strong start this season for the girls track and field team. Lohse won two events last Thursday at the Paola Invitational and helped a relay to a top 3 finish in less than ideal weather conditions.
Lohse won the 100-meter dash in 12.98 seconds and was seeded fifth going into the race. She continued her success in the 200-meter dash as she won with a time 27.46 seconds. In the relays, Lohse joined Mackenzie Rooney, Delaney Wieland and Emma Vohs to take third in the 4×400.
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.
Wildcat boys take second at Leavenworth to kickoff track season
Louisburg junior Nathan Vincent won both the javelin and the discus Friday during the Leavenworth Invitational as the Wildcat boys finished second overall
LEAVENWORTH — The Louisburg boys track team picked up right where it left off Friday following its state championship run from a year ago.
At the Leavenworth Invitational, going up against mainly bigger schools, the Wildcats more than held its own as it finished second overall with 155 points, while Mill Valley won the meet with 173.
Senior Tom Koontz and junior Nathan Vincent each won a pair of events to lead the Wildcats in what was a strong outing to its 2022 season.
“I think we have an idea of where we could be at the end of the season,” Louisburg boys coach Andy Wright said. “With not as many reps or workouts that we would like before the first meet, I think we went out and competed well.
“We were the smallest school that attended the Leavenworth meet. Placing second behind Mill Valley, I think it proved to the kids that we can compete as a team at our meets, and built excitement about what we can become.”
The Wildcats dominated the hurdle events as they finished in first, second and third place in both the 110 and 300 hurdles. Koontz led the way as he won both races with a time of 15.12 seconds in the 110 and 40.66 in the 300.
Junior Mason Dobbins finished second in both races (15.48 and 42.39), while Nathan Apple was third in both (15.96 and 43.33).
“Tom ran two solid races,” Wright said. “He was absent the last two days of school attending FBLA state. He was a little stiff, but raced really well. The one, two, three punch was nice to have for the 110 and 300 hurdles. They push each other every day at practice, and it builds an awesome culture of competition.”
In the field events, the Wildcats scored a lot of points in the javelin and discus, which was led by Vincent. The Louisburg junior won the javelin with a throw of 158 feet, 3 inches, while junior Layne Ryals (139-1) and sophomore Scott Thornton (127-4) were third and sixth, respectively.
Vincent continued his success in the discus as he won with a toss of 133-1 and senior Chase Pritchard was right behind him in second with a toss of 127-11. Ryals was fourth at 121-0.
In the shot put, junior J.R. Rooney recorded a personal-best throw of 46-1 to finish second overall.
“Nathan is going to have a solid season,” Wright said. “He was happy to win both events, but not satisfied with his distances. I think we had a total of 47 points from the throwers. Coach (Rich) Lane and coach (Alex) Gentges are making sure that the athletes are prepared and ready for competition.”
Senior Jaden Vohs rounds the curve Friday during the final stretch of the 1,600-meter run at Leavenworth.
In the distance races, Jaden Vohs had strong start to his senior season as he took third in the 800-meter run in 2:07.92. He was also third in the 1,600 run in 4:33.
Freshman Jerynce Brings Plenty scored points in the 3,200 run with a third place finish in 10:35.
“Jaden had some tough competition in the 800 and 1600, and I know he will only continue to improve throughout the season because of his work ethic,” Wright said. “Jerynce running in his first outdoor high school track meet and ran a solid 3200 race. I see him only maturing as a runner, and look forward to watching him grow as a competitor.”
In the sprints, junior Ethan Ptacek finished runner-up in the 400-meter dash in 52.20. In the 4×400 relay, Ptacek, Koontz, Colyer Wingfield and Hunter Heinrich also took second in 3:34.
Caden Caplinger finished second in the pole vault after he cleared 13 feet, while Remington Rice was fifth at 10-0. Cooper Wingfield was sixth and cleared 9 feet.
Colyer Wingfield scored points in both the long and triple jumps. Wingfield was fourth in the triple with a mark of 40-2.5 and took fifth in the long at 19-9.
Junior Isaiah Whitley led the Wildcats in high jump after he cleared 5-8 to finish fifth overall and fellow junior Trey Myers was sixth at 5-6.
The Lady Cats squad also had a good showing for the first time out as as they had 10 place in the top six that scored team points.
Senior Corinna McMullen won the lone event for Louisburg as she took home the discus title with a throw of 110 feet, 9 inches.
“The meet went well overall,” Louisburg girls coach John Reece said. “We had some veterans step-up in their respective events as well as strong performances in new events for them. Some of our new athletes outperformed my initial expectations.”
Louisburg had a lot of success in the throws as senior Davis Guetterman was second in the javelin with a toss of 115-5. Freshman Aspen Coulter was fourth at 102-1 and sophomore Katie Elpers was sixth at 100-5.
Louisburg junior Emma Prettyman took fifth in the discus and sixth in the shot put Friday at Leavenworth.
Junior Emma Prettyman scored points in the discus with a fifth place finish at 93-10 and was sixth in the shot put with a toss of 31-11.
“The throwers look to be strong this year,” Reece said. “Rinny threw great and I look for her to be a tough competitor at every meet. Davis had a great javelin outing and will lead a strong group that includes Aspen, Katie, and Emma. Emma threw well in both shot and disc and will be earning us points in both this season.”
On the track, freshman Mackenzie Rooney blazed her way to a third place finish in the 100-meter hurdles in 18.74 seconds. Junior Emma Lohse took first in the 100 dash in 13.55.
Louisburg junior Emma Lohse leans at the finish line of the 100-meter dash Friday.
“Rooney ran great in the hurdles,” Reece said. “There are some things that she will be working on to get her even faster in the 100, as well as starting to work on the 300 hurdles.”
Ini the distance races, sophomore Emma Vohs was fifth in the 800 in 2:32, and fellow sophomore Maddy Rhamy took fifth in the 1,600 run in 6:08.
Louisburg will try and improve on those marks Thursday when they travel to the Paola Invitational.
Other results are:
GIRLS
100 dash: Delaney Wieland, 17th, 14.58
200 dash: Emma Lohse, 8th, 28.51; Mackenzie Rooney, 14th, 29.54
The 2021 season was one for the history books for both the Louisburg boys and girls track teams.
The Louisburg boys are coming off their second state championship in school history and hurdler Tom Koontz also won state in the 110-meters.
State was also kind to the Louisburg girls as they finished fifth at state, taking just a handful of athletes. Much of that was thanks to Delaney Wright as she won state titles in the 200 and 400-meter dashes and the long jump.
Even with all that success, both Wildcat teams are looking to match that, or even succeed it, in 2022 as several athletes return to try and create another special campaign.
“Practices have been going well,” Louisburg boys coach Andy Wright said. “We are coming off an amazing season in 2021. I would like to see us continue that high as we return nine state qualifiers, with seven state medalists. There will be some big shoes to fill in the sprints and distance events from last year’s seniors. I am confident that we have underclassmen that are up to the challenge.
“I am really looking forward to another great season, with some great athletes to work with. As a team we have to continue to work hard, keep focused, stay healthy, and improve with each practice.”
Koontz returns after a strong junior year that saw him win state in the 110 hurdles and was also a state runner-up in the 300 hurdles. He was also a member of the 4×100 relay that took second at state and the 4×400 relay that finished third.
Louisburg senior Tom Koontz, center, won the state title in the 110 hurdles and junior teammate Mason Dobbins (left) was third overall a year ago.
The Wildcats are hoping for big things out of their senior hurdler.
“Tom is a good leader,” coach Wright said. “He has been setting the tone at every practice. Tom wants to defend his 110 High hurdle state championship and also be a state champion in 300 Intermediate hurdles. He will also be a part of the 4×1 and 4×4 relays. With setting the tone at every practice, Tom is making sure that as a team we will be back on the podium with a team plaque.”
Louisburg figures to score a lot points in the hurdles this season as junior Mason Dobbins returns after taking third in the 110s and was also fifth at state in the high jump. Another junior, Nathan Apple, also returns as a state qualifier.
“Mason has been working hard in the off season,” coach Wright said. “Mason will be running the 110 hurdles ranked second and the 300s. I’m expecting big things from Mason this season. He is ranked as one of the top hurdlers in 4A and is also ranked in high jump. A new event for Mason this year will be the 4×1 relay. Nathan Apple is also ranked in the top 6th in the 110s this season. These three should be in the top six at most of the meets.”
The Wildcats also figure to score a lot of points in the field events as junior Nathan Vincent returns after taking fourth at state in the javelin and sophomore Caden Caplinger medaled eighth at state in the pole vault.
“They both have been working to improve this season,” coach Wright said. “Caden has been working all winter at an indoor practice facility for pole vault. He has improved his speed and I’m excited to see what he does this year.
Sophomore Nathan Vincent recorded a personal best throw of 176-10 in the javelin to take fourth at the state meet last season.
“Nathan is ranked second in javelin going into the season and top 16 in discus. Both of these two are bigger and stronger than last year looking forward to what they accomplish this season.”
Vincent, along with Layne Ryals, will both throw the javelin and discus this year, while Carson Wade will also look to score points in the javelin. J.R. Rooney and Chase Pritchard will look to score points in the shot put, while Pritchard will also throw the discus.
In the jumps, junior Isaiah Whitley returns after qualifying for state in the long jump and will be joined by senior Hayden Feikert in the event. Newcomer Colyer Wingfield will participate in both the long and triple jumps.
Jaden Vohs will also look to improve off a strong junior season that saw him earn a state medal in the 800 and 1,600-meter runs a year ago.
“Excited to see what Jaden does this season,” coach Wright said. “Last year was his first year out for track and ended up placing in three events at state. Jaden has been running all offseason to prepare himself for his senior year.”
Louisburg junior Jaden Vohs leads a pack of runners during the 1,600-meter run at the state meet last year. Vohs earned three state medals overall.
Vohs and teammate Hayden Ross were also a part of the 4×800 that also medaled at state, but Wright said they will be working throughout the year to put another 4×800 team together.
All three relays medaled at state a year ago, but each of them lost key pieces to their groups. This season, junior Ethan Ptacek, Koontz, Hunter Heinrich and Wingfield will run the 4×400.
In the 4×100, Caplinger, Dobbins, Koontz, Jase Hovey, Ptacek, Toby Espina-Roca, Hayden Feikert, Gavin York and Whitley are all competing for spots on the relay.
Ptacek will be the team’s top returning sprinter after he took eighth at state in the 400-meter dash and will also run the 100 and 200 dashes as well.
GIRLS TRACK
Delaney Wright had the best individual season in Louisburg girls track history as she won three state championships as is considered one of the top athletes in Class 4A.
Those accolades earned her attention from college coaches around the area and Wright signed to join the Kansas State University track and field program next season.
Unfortunately, a basketball injury will sideline Wright for the early part of the track season, but she still has plans to participate in all three events this year.
Delaney Wright lands in the sand pit during the long jump competition at state last season in Wichita. Wright won with a mark of 18-2.25
“Delaney will have a slow start to the season and it might be a few meets before she competes,” Louisburg coach John Reece said. “As of now we look for her to continue to do the 200, 400, and long jump. We could add another event for her with our new found talent and maybe put together a relay or three.”
The Lady Cats have 21 athletes out for track this season and return three state qualifiers in the process.
In the field events, Corinna McMullen (discus) and Davis Guetterman (javelin) both return for their senior seasons. McMullen earned her first state medal as she was fourth a year ago.
“Davis and Rinny are leading the way in the throws,” Reece said. “I expect them to do great things and return to state and improve upon their placings last year or even go in another event.”
Louisburg’s Corinna McMullen earned her first state medal in the discus last year as she took fourth with a throw of 113 feet.
Junior Emma Prettyman will also look to qualify for her first state meet this season as she competes in the shot put and discus.
On the track, sophomore Emma Vohs returns after earning a state medal in the 400-meter dash a season ago as she took sixth.
“Emma will be doing some different events throughout the season,” Reece said. “I look for her to continue with the 400 but move up to the 800 and possibly be a part of a strong 4×4 or 4×8. With a somewhat young team, we will have to see how we progress with training and times.”
Louisburg will also have some new faces in the distance races as Aubryn Berck, Maddy Rhamy, Ashley Branine and Nova Ptacek will join returner Erin Apple in those events.
Emma Lohse and Delaney Wieland will compete in the sprints, while freshman Mackenzie Rooney will took part in the hurdles.
“As a whole this is a good group,” Reece said. “We have several new upperclassmen out this year for the first time so after a few meets, we will really see the strength of our team.”
Top 10 Louisburg Sports Stories for 2021
It was a successful, and eventful, 2021 for Louisburg High School athletics and for those who are connected to the Wildcat program. This past year created a lot of school history for LHS and several programs brought back state hardware.
Below are the top stories from 2021, along with a brief explanation of each. Included in the explanation is the link to the actual story from the event.
When putting the list together, I took a lot of things into account – whether it was team vs. individual, popularity of the sport, historical achievements and the interest it drew on the web site.
This year was a blast to cover and I am looking forward to seeing what 2022 will bring. Thank you to everyone for their support and can’t wait for it all to begin again.
10. Louisburg golf team qualifies for state
INDEPENDENCE — For the second time in as many seasons, the Louisburg boys golf team qualified for the state tournament.
Except this time, the Wildcat team is made up of a completely new roster.
The Louisburg group of Johnny Eberhart, A.J. Arriola, Johnny Thompson, Sam Wheeler, Dacey Wieland and Jackson Olson shot a 392 to finish third at the Class 4A regional meet at Independence Country Club.
The Wildcats were just three strokes behind runner-up Field Kindley. Independence won the regional title with a 361.
Louisburg last went to state in 2019, but the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19.
Eberhart led Louisburg with an 87 and finished fourth overall and was the lone Wildcat to make the cut for the second day.
9. Compliment steps back from volleyball program after 15 seasons.
When Jessica Compliment walked off the floor following her team’s semifinal sub-state loss to Bishop Miege back in October of 2020, the only thought on her mind was how that match was more like a state championship battle.s
It wasn’t your normal match as the two perennial state contenders had to square off so early in the postseason. She was proud of her team and was looking forward to another season of helping Louisburg volleyball get to another state tournament.
Little did she know, it would be the last time she would find herself on the Lady Cat sideline.
Compliment certainly left her mark on the Louisburg volleyball program as she finished her 15th season back in October and has an impressive resume to show for it.
In the decade-and-a-half as the Lady Cat coach, Compliment guided Louisburg to eight state tournament appearances and placed in the top four of seven of them.
She also finished nine wins shy of 400 as she posted a record of 391-226 and helped Louisburg to three state championship matches.
8. Wildcat boys soccer wins Frontier League title, advances to regional title
It had the drama of a state championship match, but instead the No. 1 and 3 ranked teams in the state were playing for the Class 4-1A regional championship title.
Louisburg hosted Bishop Miege in hopes ending the Stags’ string of consecutive state championships.
Instead, the Wildcats once again saw their season come to a close after a 2-0 loss to the Stags at Wildcat Stadium and ended their season with a 12-5-1 record.
The loss was heartbreaking defeat for the Wildcats, who had their sights set on another state final four — and possibly — a state title. To make matters worse, it was to a Miege team that has handed Louisburg a loss in five of the last six postseasons.
SALINA — Cade Holtzen and Alec Younggren didn’t get to leave Salina with what they were hoping to earn.
Only a select few get to leave with the title of “state champion,” and both Louisburg seniors were close to reaching their goal. Despite that, both wrestlers helped the Wildcat team to their best state finish in nearly 11 years.
Younggren reached the championship match, only to finish second at 220 pounds, while Holtzen rallied back to medal third at 132 during the Class 4A Kansas State Wrestling Championships at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center. The two wrestlers combined to score 30 points, which put them 14th in the team standings.
Louisburg hadn’t finished that high since 2010, when Austin Hood won his first of three state titles and his brother Bryce, took second. The Wildcats were 10th that year.
6. Louisburg cross country qualifies both teams for state, medals four.
WAMEGO — It wasn’t the finish Louisburg wanted following the Class 4A state cross country meet, but the Wildcats left with more than their fair share of hardware.
The Lady Cats had hoped to earn a team plaque for the second year in a row, but took fifth overall with 144 points. Eudora won the girls championship with 56, Baldwin was second with 64 and Winfield was third with 93.
Sophomore Emma Vohs led the charge for Louisburg as she finished sixth overall. Sophomore Maddy Rhamy and senior Reese Johnson also medaled for the Lady Cats.
In his first year with the boys program, senior Jaden Vohs had a strong final run for the Wildcats as he medaled 12th overall.
5. Louisburg cheer finishes runner-up at state competition
TOPEKA — The Louisburg High cheer program knows a thing or two about being one of the last teams left standing at the Game Day Showcase.
Louisburg, which won a state title in 2019 and took third in 2020, found itself one of the two teams left standing.
When the final results were announced in November, the judges awarded the Wildcat cheer squad the state runner-up plaque. Paola won the state title, while Baldwin made it a Frontier League sweep as it took third.
4. Wildcat girls take fourth at state soccer
WICHITA — The Louisburg girls soccer team may have left the Class 4-1A Kansas State Girls Soccer Championships with a pair of losses, but the Wildcats took a lot of pride in what they accomplished.
For the fourth straight season, Louisburg advanced to the state final four and the Wildcats finished fourth in the state – a far cry where many people thought they would end up. The Wildcats lost a pair of 2-1 matches to Mulvane and then to McPherson in the third-place match at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita.
Louisburg, which lost 12 seniors from a season that didn’t happen due to COVID, returned just three varsity players. Despite all that, they ended up being one of the top teams in the state.
3. Louisburg girls basketball snaps 47-year state drought, takes third at state
The Lady Cats saw their season come to an end after their 58-46 loss to the Bullpups in Salina, but as hard as the finality of it was to take, they know what is the bigger picture.
Before the game even started, Louisburg already wrapped up its best finish in program history and became the first Lady Cat team to place at state as it finished third.
A season that finished with a 19-5 record and a third place state trophy, is one that will always be remembered in Louisburg history.
“It means the world to me to finish third at state,” senior Megan Foote said. “Obviously it wasn’t how we wanted to finish, but that’s okay. I’m still beyond proud of this group and the accomplishments we have made. We are the best girls basketball team in Louisburg history. I’d say to be a part of that, is pretty awesome. I’m honored.”
For the last three quarters of the game, Louisburg actually outscored McPherson 43-37, but it was the first quarter that the Lady Cats weren’t able to overcome.
McPherson scored the first 15 points of the first quarter and took a 21-3 lead going into the second period.
2. Wildcat basketball advances to first-ever state title game, finish runner-up
SALINA — The result of the state championship game is not what the Louisburg boys basketball team will focus on several years from now.
Louisburg, which played in its first-ever state championship game in Salina, fell to state power Bishop Miege, 94-40. As disappointing as the result was, many of the Wildcats were looking bigger picture.
“We will forever live in history with this senior class and with this team,” senior Weston Guetterman said. “Until someone wins it at least, we are going to be the bar that everyone looks to. It is a proud moment for all of us.”
In the state semifinal, the Wildcats got a revenge victory with a come-from-behind 58-55 win over Augusta to advance to the state title game.
1. Wildcat track wins second state championship; Wright wins three state titles.
WICHITA — On the 10th anniversary of the Louisburg boys’ first state track championship, this year’s team wanted to do something to commemorate the historic event.
The Wildcats decided they wanted to win one of their own.
It is just the second track championship for Louisburg and just the fourth team state championship in school history.
The first one was a golf title in 1977, and then football won its first state title in 2010. The track team followed with its first later that school year in 2011 and the Louisburg cheer squad won a state title in 2019.
“There are no words to describe how incredibly proud I was of the entire team,” Louisburg coach Andy Wright said. “It was a total team effort. It was a moment I will never forget as a coach, and how exciting that it came down to the final race. Everyone gave it their all, and I just couldn’t happier as a coach to see all of that hard work pay off for them with the greatest reward.”
Tom Koontz led the Wildcats with four state medals, including a state championship in the 110-meter hurdles.
Wright was the favorite to win state titles in her three events 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.”
Wright to stay a Wildcat as she looks forward to joining K-State track program
Delaney Wright is well on her way to being the most decorated female track athlete in Louisburg High School history — if she isn’t already.
Wright, who captured state titles in three different events at last year’s state meet, had a handful of college offers to consider. However, there was one that stood out among the rest.
Earlier this month, the Louisburg senior made it official as Wright signed her letter of intent to run track at Kansas State University next year. She did so at a signing ceremony at the school with several coaches — current and former — along with family, teammates and friends.
“I felt so relieved and secure deciding where I want to go to school,” Wright said. “I was extremely blessed to be able to visit many schools and grateful I got the opportunity to travel. I have always wanted to run track in college and pursue more in my academics as well as athletics. So many people have helped me over the years, and thanks to them, I am able to obtain those goals.”
Wright took a handful of college visits over the past few months and got offers from Kansas, Iowa State, South Dakota, North Dakota State, Arkansas-Little Rock and Pittsburg State.
Earlier this month, Louisburg senior Delaney Wright signed her letter of intent to join the K-State track and field program. Sitting next to Delaney are her parents Amy and Andy Wright, and her brother Mathias. Standing (from left) is her club track coach JT Collor, and Louisburg track coaches John Reece, Leanna Willer and Debbie Chipps.
However, Kansas State came in late in the process and wanted Wright to come in for a visit. It turned out to be the perfect landing spot.
“I had the opportunity to visit seven schools and K-State was one of my last minute visits before I was ready to decide,” Wright said. “I had been struggling because I narrowed down to my top 3 schools and felt good about all of them. K-State, however, stood out to me more because of the coaching and overall atmosphere that they have. I feel as I made the right decision for myself and found somewhere to really push me. The coaches at Kstate were very welcoming and considerate.”
Although she has focused on mainly the 200-meter dash, 400 dash and long jump, Wright hopes to expand to other events at K-State.
“At the college level I will be introduced to the multi events and trying the heptathlon,” Wright said. “I am extremely excited to be able to work on multiple events and find out what I am capable of. I have the expectation of working hard and being pushed out of my comfort zone. I want to get better and K-State is the place to do it.”
Wright has certainly made a name for herself at Louisburg as she won state titles in the 200, 400 and long jump last season and holds the school record in each of those events.
Now, as she enters her senior season, she is looking for more as Wright hopes to leave Louisburg in style,
“In my final season of high school I hope to try a couple of new events, as well as get better in the ones I have already been in,” Wright said. “I am excited, to say the least, for what is to come. My goal is to work harder than last year to prepare myself for the collegiate level. I also want to have fun and enjoy my last year in high school.”
OPINION: Wildcat success provides getaway from ‘real world’ problems
There hasn’t been a whole lot of good to talk about in the last year or so.
Our life has changed around us. We are having to deal with a new normal and there are a lot uncertainties as to what our future holds.
It is an unnerving time for a lot of people and our country seems more divided than ever. Still, to get by in this difficult time, you have to look for positives.
For me, the last school year brought me some of the best moments in my journalistic life. The 2020-21 school was arguably one of the most successful seasons in Louisburg High School history from top to bottom, and I was more than grateful to be there for it all.
Just look at what was accomplished last year:
Boys cross country qualified for state for the first time in school history.
Girls cross country placed at state for the first time in its history as they took third in Class 4A. Maddy Rhamy, Lola Edwards and Reese Johnson also earned medals.
Boys soccer had its best finish in school history with a 3rd place state finish.
Boys basketball advanced to the state championship game for the first time and took second.
Girls basketball advanced to the state tournament for the first time in 47 years and recorded its best finish in third.
Wrestlers Alec Younggren and Cade Holtzen took second and third, respectively, at the state tournament.
Boys golf qualified for state as a team.
Girls soccer made an improbable run to advance to its fourth straight state final four and the Wildcats took fourth.
Delaney Wright won three state track titles in the long jump, 200 dash and 400 dash and broke all three school records in the process.
Maybe perhaps the best accomplishment of all, the Louisburg boys track and field team won the Class 4A state championship as they edged out Andale for the title.
Just a year removed from losing their spring season due to COVID-19, the Wildcats came back stronger than ever and it showed. It was an exciting time to be a Louisburg sports fan.
However, with so much positivity from last season, it is time to turn the page and focus on what the 21-22 season has in store.
First day of fall practice begins this Monday and the football, volleyball, cross country and boys soccer team all have a chance to do some special things this season. I am fortunate I will be able to be there once again to cover it all.
As I talked about earlier, there is a lot of negativity going on in the world right now, but I am more than thankful to have a job where I can get away from all that and cover all the special moments.
Last season was a much-needed get away for me and it was an unbelievable journey to see all the Wildcat history that was made.
This year has another chance to be a special one. There is no way to predict what will happen, but I do know there is a chance for even more history and records to fall this upcoming year.
Football numbers are up and the Wildcats are poised for a big season, while the cross country, volleyball and boys soccer team all return several key pieces to make a run in the postseason – and that is just what the fall will hold.
The seasons can’t get here soon enough and I am ready to cover it all once again. Hope to see you all out there supporting the Wildcats and maybe you can forget all those stresses in life — even if it is just for a few moments.
