Louisburg junior Carter Anglin finished third overall in the discus Thursday at the Prairie View Invitational.

LA CYGNE – On one of the more windy days of the season, the Louisburg boys track and field team was still able to put together some of its best performances of the year.

The Wildcats recorded several personal
bests Thursday during the Prairie View Invitational and blew away the
competition. Louisburg captured its second consecutive team title as they
racked up 164 points and won by nearly 100 points. Central Heights was second
with 65.

Louisburg won eight events on the day, including five on the track. The Wildcats won three field events in which each of them had a personal record.

“We
came out did what we were supposed to do,” Louisburg coach Andy Wright said. “I
knew our athletes had been working and was not surprised to see a few personal
records, even with the conditions.”

Senior
Blue Caplinger had a big day in the sprints as he won two individual events and
was a part of two gold-medal winning relays.

Caplinger
won the 100-meter dash in 11.30 seconds and edged senior teammate Brandon
Cooper, who was second in 11.31. Sophomore Justin Collins was third in 11.44.

In
the 200 dash, Caplinger edged Louisburg sophomore Ben Wiedenmannn in 23.25
seconds to win gold. Wiedenmann was second in 23.50.

The
Wildcat 4×100 and 4×400-meter relays couldn’t be stopped as the 4×100 team of Wiedenmann,
Collins, Caplinger and Cooper took first in 44.19 seconds. Caplinger,
Wiedenmann, Collins and Chris Williams ran a 3:38 to win the 4×400.

Williams, a senior, also won the 400-meter dash in 53.86 and edged Drexel’s Aaron Woods by .01 seconds.

“I thought all of the
kids handled the competition solidly and ran their races,” Wright said. “It was
great to have personal records across the board in the 100, and to win out in
the sprints. It was a total team effort and I am excited about the next part of
our season.”  

Louisburg also struck gold in the field events as three athletes earned personal records on their way to a first-place finish.

Senior
Kiefer Tucker had a strong day in the discus with a personal best throw of 153
feet and .75 inches and won his first discus competition of the season.
Teammates Carter Anglin (124-5.75) and Brayden White (117-10.75) took third and
fifth, respectively.

Tucker
also scored points in the shot put as he was third with a toss of 41-9.5 and
White was fifth at 40-2.

“Kiefer
has been focusing on discus at practice and it really showed at Prairie View,”
Wright said. “Three out of the four throws were over his PR. This week with his
confidence built up in discus he is going to focus a little more on shot and I
think we will see the benefit from that focus at the next meet.”

Sophomore Luke Faulkner and junior Trent Martin battled it out for the top spot in the pole vault as both cleared 13 feet. However, it was Faulkner who took gold based on the number of misses as 13 feet was also a personal best for him.

“The great part of it is that Luke and Trent watch each other compete and are each other’s best fans, cheering and encouraging each other,” Wright said. “It was nice seeing Luke get away from 12-6 and move up to the 13-0 mark. He has been clearing 12-6 at every meet, and I knew it wouldn’t be long before he clears 13-0.”

The
success for Louisburg continued in the javelin as sophomore Jay Scollin had his
best throw of the season with a mark of 146-7 to win the event for the first
time this season. Junior Michael Waldron was second at 143-9 and freshman A.J.
Reed was sixth at 129-3.5.

“Jay
has been down the last couple of meets, so it was great for his confidence to
come out and compete, and PR in the process,” Wright said.

The
Wildcats were also able to score a few points in the jumps as freshman Hayden
Feikert was fourth at 17-11 and Martin was sixth at 17-5.5 in the long jump. In
the triple jump, junior Indy Strumillo was fourth at 37-6.5 and sophomore
Weston Guetterman took sixth with a mark of 35-2.5.

Back
on the track, freshman Tom Koontz scored points for the Wildcats in both hurdle
events. Koontz was runner-up in the 300-meter hurdles in 44.50 seconds and
fourth in the 110 hurdles in 17.49.

Junior
Anthony Davis earned a medal in the 1,600-meter run as he took third in 5:06.
Freshman teammate Ryan Rogers was sixth in 5:26.

Louisburg
will be back in action Friday when it travels to Wellsville for the Redbud
Relays. The meet is set to begin at 3:30 p.m.

Other results are:

400 dash: Dylan Armstrong, 9^th,
59.39; Weston Guetterman, 10^th, 1:00

800 run: Anthony Davis, 9^th,
2:21; Ryan Rogers, 11^th, 2:25; Sawyer Richardson, 17^th,
2:37

1,600 run: Richardson, 10^th,
5:41

Long jump: Indy Strumillo, 10^th,
16-8

Triple jump: Isaac Guetterman, 8^th,
34-9.75

Louisburg’s Sydni Keagle takes the handoff from teammate Jordan Leach during the 4×100-meter relay Thursday at the Prairie View Invitational.

LA CYGNE – The Louisburg girls
track team ran right past its competition Thursday during the Prairie View
Invitational.

Louisburg won seven events on the day, including a sweep of the sprints and two relay victories. However, the most important one came later as the Lady Cats won the team title with 135 points and edged runner-up Prairie View, which finished with 111.

It was the third consecutive team title victory for the Lady Cats as they continue to see their times and distances improve.

“It was nice to get another team victory,”
Louisburg coach John Reece said. “All in all it was a good meet with a few
athletes improving upon their best marks. I can’t wait to get in a meet that
does not have a 20-plus mph wind and/or cool temperatures. But the conditions
are the same for all so there can be no excuses.”

Freshman Delaney Wright continued her
success on the track as she finished the day with three golds. Wright won both
the 200 and 400-meter dashes and later helped the 4×400-meter relay of Carlee
Gassman, Rain Pugh and Shaylor Whitham to a first-place finish in 4 minutes and
30 seconds.

Wright recorded a season-best time of
1:02 in the 400-meter dash and also had a season-best mark in the 200 dash in
26.52.

Senior Jordon Leach also had a strong performance in the sprints. Leach took gold in the 100-meter dash in 12.82 seconds and was second in the 200 in 27.37. Pugh, a freshman, was third in the 100 in 13.31.

“Jordon again improved on her personal
record in the 100 and is setting herself up to make a run at qualifying for
state as an individual,” Reece said. “Her 200 time is also getting better and
that is great to see.”

Leach, along with Pugh, Sydni Keagle and
Gassman, won the 4×100-meter relay in 52.10 seconds to complete the Lady Cats’ dominance
on the track.

In the hurdles, Louisburg had two runner-up
finishes. Keagle recorded a time of 16.36 in the 100-meter hurdles to take
second, while Gassman was second in the 300 hurdles in 49.14.

Louisburg also won a pair of field events
and scored points in several others.

Gassman won the long jump for the first time this season as she recorded a mark of 16 feet, 2.5 inches as the participants jumped in to stiff wind most of the day. Wright was second in the event in 15-9.5 and Keagle was sixth at 14-5.5.

“Carlee did not let the headwind stop her
from winning the long jump,” Reece said. “It was her best mark, but she was
very consistent in tough conditions.”

Junior Avery Graham also had another good
showing in the pole vault as she took gold after clearing 9-6.

Senior Eileen Benne had a pair of
runner-up finishes for the Lady Cats in the high jump (4-6) and triple jump
(28-8.5).

Louisburg also scored points in
the throws as sophomore Shea O’Hara was fourth in the shot put with a toss of
29-11. Sophomore Aiyana Penca (88-1.25) and senior Melia Rice (85-10.75) were
fourth and fifth, respectively, in the discus.

The Lady Cats will see their competition
rise Friday when they travel to the Redbud Relays in Wellsville. The meet is
set to begin at 3:30 p.m.

“The best is yet to come with these girls and our efforts are showing it,” Reece said. “Wellsville is a big meet that will give us a good barometer on how we will do as league and regionals draw near. We are in a good spot in many events, but we are not content with that. We are working to be the best and doing so, I hope we make some noise when we get to state.”

Other results are:

100 dash: Andrea Gaza, 10^th,
14.54

200 dash: Gaza, 11^th,
31.60

400 dash: Gaza, 8^th,
1:15

1,600 run: Shaylor Whitham, 8^th,
6:27

100 hurdles: Kristen Bell, 10^th,
18.80

300 hurdles: Sydni Keagle, 7^th,
58.97; Bell, 9^th, 1:05

Shot put: Cayden Forrester, 9^th,
27-5; Eden Strumillo, 12^th, 26-2.25

Discus: Forrester, 12^th,
74-8.5;

Javelin: Davis Guetterman, 8^th,
76-8.5; Forrester, 15^th, 55-8; Lexi Rogers, 18^th, 43-9

Louisburg senior Eileen Benne won both the high jump and triple jump titles last Thursday during the Louisburg Invitational.

Delaney Wright continued to show,
while she may be a freshman in grade level, she is performing like an
experienced veteran on the track.

Wright had a big day at the Louisburg Invitational last Thursday as she racked up three gold medals and helped the Lady Cats to a first-place team finish.

Louisburg finished with 144 points
and held off runner-up Prairie View, who had 129. As a team, the Lady Cats won
10 events.

“The first place finish was awesome
considering we held out a few athletes from normal events due to going to
Kansas Relays,” Louisburg girls coach John Reece said. “With that said, it
shows how much all of our runners and jumpers compete at their highest level.
We had four seniors compete in their final home meet and all four received two
medals each, which is great.”

Wright continued her success in the long
jump as she recorded a leap of 17 feet, 3.75 inches to take first and the Lady
Cats swept the medals in that event. Junior Carlee Gassman was second with a mark
of 16-10.5 and Sydni Keagle was third at 16-3. Freshman Rain Pugh also scored points
as she was fifth at 15-4.75.

On the track, Wright blew away her competition in the 200 and 400-meter dashes. She won the 200 in 26.88 seconds and the 400 in 1 minute and 3 seconds. Teammate Andrea Gaza was sixth in the 400 in 1:14 to also score points for Louisburg.

“Delaney is a competitor,” Reece said. “Each
meet she comes to win, and if not, she pushes those who beat her. It is almost
expected out of her to do well even with her being a freshman.”

The Lady Cats swept the sprints as senior Jordon Leach won the 100-meter dash in 12.88 seconds and Pugh medaled third in 13.23.

Keagle put together a strong time
in the 100-meter hurdles as she took gold in 16.32 seconds and senior teammate
Kristen Bell was third in 20.18. Bell also medaled third in the 300 hurdles in
1:02.

The 4×100-meter relay team of
Gassman, Keagle, Pugh and Leach also finished first in 51.93 seconds.

In the field events, senior Eileen
Benne was successful in her final home outing. Benne finished the day with two
gold medals.

Benne opened with a gold medal
performance in the triple jump with a mark 29-11.5 and also won the high jump
after she cleared 4-8.

“Eileen winning both the high jump
and triple jump as outstanding,” Reece said. “She was all smiles when the
medals were handed out afterward”

It was also a big day at the pole
vault for Avery Graham. The Louisburg junior set a new personal record as she
cleared 10 feet to take gold and freshman Malee Rutherford also scored points
as she was fourth after clearing 6-6.

“Avery is doing great,” Reece
said. “I’m proud of her for clearing 10 feet. The PR monkey is now off her back
and I hope she continues to go higher.”

Back on the track, senior Shaylor
Whitham medaled in both of her distance races. Whitham was third in the 800 run
in 2:55 and teammate Bailey Hallas was fifth at 3:02.

In the 1,600 run, Whitham medaled
third in 6:22 and freshman Lacie Kallevig was sixth overall in 7:03.

The Lady Cats ended the meet on a strong note as the 4×100 throwers relay of Shea O’Hara, Mable Graham, Aiyana Penca and Eden Strumillo won in 1:09.

Louisburg is back in action today
when it travels to the Prairie View Invitational. The meet is set to begin at
3:30 p.m.

“There will be some shuffling of athletes through the next few
meets so that we get a good look at all of our options,” Reece said. “There
will be some asked to step up as we near the end of the season and look to the
future and it looks bright.”

Other results are:

100 dash: Andrea Gaza , 9^th,
14.58; Hannah Cook, 11^th, 15.45; Gabbie Nichelson, 14^th,
15.59

200 dash: Gaza, 9^th,
31.51; Nichelson, 12^th, 32.62; Cook, 16^th, 34.0

400 dash: Lakin Cunningham, 7^th,
1:20

800 run: Lacie Kallevig, 7^th,
3:17

Shot put: Shea O’Hara, 8^th,
28-4.5; Cayden Forrester, 9^th, 25-7; Eden Strumillo, 10^th,
24-10; Aiyana Penca, 14^th, 24-2; Mable Graham, 17^th,
23-1.5

Discus: Penca, 7^th,
84-6; Forrester, 10^th, 79-10; Graham, 11^th, 72-8; Strumillo,
12^th, 68-8; O’Hara, 15^th, 54-11

Javelin: Lexi Rogers, 18^th,
43-2

Wright medals at KU Relays

With all the success she had at her home meet, Louisburg
freshman Delaney Wright didn’t stop there.

Wright competed in the long jump Saturday at the Kansas Relays
in Lawrence and it was a loaded field. Wright, who was the lone freshman in the
event, was the first one to go and her mark of 16 feet and 10 inches was good
for ninth overall to earn a medal.

“Her ninth place finish at the Kansas Relays in the long jump is
a prime example of her grit and determination to her best,” coach John Reece
said.

Wright recorded her medal-winning mark in her final attempt of
the preliminaries, which helped her get to the finals.

On Friday, junior Carlee Gassman also competed in a tough field
in the 300-meter hurdles. Gassman had a season-best time of 48.05 seconds to
take 22^nd overall.

“Carlee is getting back to her form and getting in better shape
for the 300’s,” Reece said. “She is a hard worker, worked out Sunday evening on
her own at the track with dad and brother and sister, and she will be ready
come regional and state meets.”

Louisburg’s (from left) Blue Caplinger, Brandon Cooper, Ben Wiedenmann and Justin Collins battle it out in the 100-meter dash last Thursday at the Louisburg Invitational.

The Louisburg boys track and field team ran away with its home invitational title, both figuratively and literally.

Louisburg won six events, including four on the track, and the Wildcats came away with several medals as they racked up 192 points to win the Louisburg Invitational. Spring Hill was runner-up with 163 as the Wildcats won by nearly 30 points.

“I thought we came out and did
what we needed to do,” Louisburg coach Andy Wright said. “Over half of the
athletes got their personal record for the year and I was excited to see us
build some confidence.”

The Wildcats had a lot of speed on
display as they won both the 100 and 200-meter dashes, along with 4×100-meter
relay.

Sophomore Justin Collins had a big
day as he won the 100-meter dash in 11.47 seconds and the Wildcats swept the
first four places. Senior Brandon Cooper (11.52) was second, senior Blue
Caplinger was third (11.64) and sophomore Ben Wiedenmann was fourth (11.71.)

Caplinger went on to win the 200
dash in 23.27 seconds and edged Osawatomie’s Thaid Timblin by .01 seconds.
Wiedenmann went on to medal third in 23.55.

The 4×100 relay team of Collins,
Caplinger, Wiedenmann and Cooper blew away the competition as they took gold in
44.24 seconds.

“Every week we have someone
different winning the 100,” Wright said. “That is fantastic. As a coach, it is
so nice to have 4-5 sprinters that can push each other every week at practices
and in meets. The 4×100 team is slowly improving throughout the year, but we
still need to clean up our handoffs.”

In the field events, Louisburg
went 1-2 in the pole vault as junior Trent Martin had his best day of the
season as he cleared 13 feet to win the event for the first time this season.
Sophomore Luke Faulkner was second at 12-6.

“Trent is working his way back up
to his personal record, so it was good for him to get some momentum with the
win,” Wright said. “He will keep working hard, and I expect to see him keep
climbing.”

Junior Carter Anglin was another
gold medal winner for Louisburg as he captured the discus title with a throw of
143 feet, 2 inches and senior teammate Kiefer Tucker was second at 130-2.
Junior Brayden White also scored points in the event with a toss of 115-10 and
took fourth.

Tucker also picked up a medal in the shot put as he was runner-up with a mark of 41-9.25. White (40-2) and Jonathan DePriest (38-2.75) also scored points as they were fifth and sixth, respectively.

The Wildcats continued their
throwing success in the javelin as they had two athletes earn medals. Junior
Michael Waldron recorded a throw of 163-8 and took second overall, while
sophomore Jay Scollin had a toss of 144-8 to take third.

Louisburg was also able to score
points in the jump as junior Indy Strumillo was third in the triple jump with a
mark of 37-0.25. Freshmen Isaac Guetterman (36-8.25) and Will Finestead
(36-1.75) took fifth and sixth, respectively.

Freshman Hayden Feikert had his
best day in the long jump as he recorded a leap of 19-8 to finish runner-up by
just .25 inches. Martin finished fourth with a mark of 19-2.75 and Finestead
was sixth at 18-10.25.

Back on the track, freshman Tom
Koontz medaled in both hurdle events. Koontz was second in the 300-meter
hurdles in 43.57 seconds and third in the 110 hurdles in 17.56.

Senior Chris Williams also earned
a runner-up performance in the 400-meter dash in 52.33 seconds.

In the distance races, junior
Anthony Davis finished second in the 1,600-meter run in a time of 5 minutes and
7 seconds. Freshmen Ryan Rogers (5:15) and Caden Bradshaw (5:20) also scored
points as they took fifth and sixth, respectively.

The same three runners also fared
well in the 800 run. Davis medaled third in 2:20, while Bradshaw was fourth in
2:23 and Rogers was fifth in 2:24.

Louisburg also ended the meet on a
strong note as the Wildcat 4×100 throwers relay took gold as the team of
Waldron, Tucker, DePriest and Austin Moore won in 47.52 seconds.

The Wildcats return to action
today as they travel to the Prairie View Invitational. The meet is set to begin
at 3:30 p.m.

Other results are:

100 dash: Charlie Koontz, 14^th,
12.37

200 dash: Skyler Tinsley, 10^th,
25.21; Cooper Hipp, 13^th, 25.85

400 dash: Dylan Armstrong, 8^th,
56.74; Weston Guetterman, 11^th, 58.91; Isaac Guetterman, 22^nd,
1:03

800 run: Sawyer Richardson, 7^th,
2:28; Gareth Baus, 16^th, 2:47

1,600 run: Richardson, 7^th,
5:24; Baus, 12^th, 6:13

Pole vault: A.J. Reed, 7^th,
9-6; Caleb Shaughnessy, 12^th, 8-6

Long Jump: Indy Strumillo, 11^th,
17-4.75; W. Guetterman, 15^th, 17-0

Triple jump: W. Guetterman, 8^th,
35-10.5

Shot put: Cole Evans, 7^th,
37-9.5; Will Patterson, 27^th, 30-3

Discus: Chase Pritchard, 9^th,
105-9; Jonathan DePriest, 10^th, 102-2

Javelin: Reed, 8^th,
135-11; Austin Moore, 12^th, 130-1; Tyler Detherage, 26^th,
86-3

Wildcat relay medals at KU Relays

Justin Collins, Chris Williams,
Blue Caplinger and Ben Wiedenmann had a big day at the Kansas Relays on Friday
and Saturday in Lawrence.

The quartet competed in the Sunflower Finals of the 4×400-meter relay and the Wildcat team medaled fifth overall in 3 minutes and 30 seconds.

Several other Wildcat athletes competed in the two-day meet and Louisburg coach Andy Wright was pleased with what he saw from his athletes.

“KU Relays was a great experience
for our guys,” he said. “We experienced lows and highs that come from high
stakes competing. The stage at KU Relays is as big as we are going to see,
probably bigger than state as there are the best of the best from multiple
state competing, as well as college athletes. This can be an intimidating
experience, and I thought that our athletes stepped up to the task and competed
well.”

On Saturday, junior Michael
Waldron threw the javelin and was 22^nd with a throw of 151-3.

Louisburg opened the meet on
Friday as senior Brandon Cooper was 43^rd in the 100 dash in 11.53
seconds. Williams also ran the open 400 and took 29^th in 53.90
seconds.

Collins, Wiedenmann, Cooper and
Caplinger also competed in the 4×100 relay, but were disqualified.  

Louisburg junior Michael Waldron won the javelin competition Thursday at the Anderson County Invitational and helped the Wildcat boys to a second place finish.

GARNETT – On a
cold, blustery day in Garnett, it was going to be difficult for any of the
athletes of the Louisburg track and field teams to set any kind of personal
bests.

However, that
didn’t mean the Wildcats weren’t able to find success.

The Louisburg
girls won the team title Thursday at the Anderson County Invitational with 119
points and finished seven points ahead of runner-up Spring Hill. Anderson
County was third with 111.5

“The weather
should never be a factor for competing,” Louisburg girls coach John Reece said.
“Everyone
has to deal with the same conditions so only the mentally tough will overcome
and we did. It was a close race for first and our girls stepped up.”

It was the same type of performance on the boys side as the Wildcats finished second in the team standings with 152.5 points and won seven events on the night. Spring Hill was first with 216.5 and Eudora was third with 89.5.

“The weather
conditions were less than ideal,” Louisburg boys coach Andy Wright said. “I
just wanted our athletes to go out and compete against the rest of the field.
With the results that we were able to achieve, they did just that.”

Senior Blue
Caplinger led the boys side as he recorded three gold medals on the day,
including two individual wins. The Wildcats swept the 100-meter dash and
Caplinger won in 11.74 seconds, while sophomore Ben Wiedenmann was second at
11.82 and senior Brandon Cooper was third in 12 seconds.

Caplinger later won the 200-meter dash in 24.18 seconds and Wiedenmann was right behind him in second in 24.66. To end the meet, the Wildcat 4×400-meter relay of Chris Williams, Wiedenmann, Caplinger and Justin Collins took gold in 3 minutes and 34 seconds.

“It was nice having Blue back,” Wright said. “When
you are forced to run into a very hard wind it takes a strong runner to finish,
and Blue fits that caliber. Blue ran two strong races, of course because
of the wind and conditions they were not his best times, but he stepped up
and competed and that is all we can ask.”

Senior Chris Williams won his second consecutive
race in the 400-meter dash with a time of 53.78 seconds. Junior distance runner
Anthony Davis also medaled as he took third in 1,600-meter run in 5:08, while
freshman Tom Koontz was third in the 300-meter hurdles in 46.20 seconds.

The Wildcat also struck gold in the field events as they won three in that area.

Michael Waldron didn’t let the conditions stop him
as he recorded a personal best throw in the javelin with a mark of 163 feet, 10
inches and the Louisburg junior finished first. Freshman A.J. Reed also medaled
as he took third with a toss of 137-06.

Sophomore Luke Faulkner continued his success in
the pole vault as he finished first with a clearance of 12-6, which tied his
personal best.

Junior Trent Martin shined in the long jump as he
recorded a mark of 19-9.5 to win gold for the first time this season in the
event.

“I’m proud of the way they competed because of the conditions most of the track meet was a mental game,” Wright said. “The athletes in the field events stepped up and made their marks work. Learning how to compete in terrible conditions now will help all of our athletes down the road.”

On the girls side, freshman Delaney Wright continued
her successful start to the season.

Wright won gold in two events and later helped the
4×400-meter relay of Carlee Gassman, Rain Pugh and Sydni Keagle to a second
place finish in 4:25. Wright later went on to win the long jump with a mark of
17-1.5 and the 400-meter dash in 1:05.

Gassman also had a big day for the Lady Cats as she
finished with three second place finishes and a gold. In the 4×100 relay,
Gassman, Jordon Leach, Pugh and Keagle edged Eudora to finish first in 54.21
seconds.

Gassman also went on to take second in the long
jump with a mark of 16-05 and was also runner-up in the 300-meter hurdles in
51.95 seconds.

Also on the track, Keagle took third in the 100-meter hurdles in 18.25 seconds, while senior Shaylor Whitham did the same in the 1,600-meter run in 6:22.

“We had
several girls really step up and place higher than usual,” Reece said. “One in
particular that stood out was Shaylor as she placed third in the 1,600 and
scored a total of 10 points for the team. She has definitely made her senior
year her best year in both cross country and track.”

The Lady Cats earned another medal in the field events as junior Avery Graham finished second overall in the pole vault as she cleared 9-0.

Louisburg returns to the track this Thursday when
it competes in its home invitational. Events are set to begin at 4 p.m. at
Wildcat Stadium.

Other results
are:

GIRLS

100 dash: Rain
Pugh, fourth, 14.13; Jordon Leach, 12^th, 14.70; Andrea Gaza, 17^th,
15.15; Hannah Cook, 20^th, 16.31

200 dash: Gaza,
12^th, 32.79; Cook, 20^th, 36.07

400 dash: Gaza,
sixth, 1:16

800 run:
Shaylor Whitham, fifth, 2:54; Lacie Kallevig, 13^th, 3:21

1,600 run:
Kallevig, 11^th, 7:17

100 hurdles:
Kristen Bell, sixth, 20.26

300 hurdles:
Bell, 10^th, 1:09

High jump:
Eileen Benne, fourth, 4-10; Shelby Grandon, eighth, 4-6

Pole vault:
Malee Rutherford, fifth, 7-0

Long jump:
Sydni Keagle, fifth, 14-10.75; Pugh, ninth, 14-3.25; Benne, 14^th,
12-5.5

Triple jump:
Benne, seventh, 29-11.5

Shot put: Shea
O’Hara, 12^th, 27-2; Melia Rice, 19^th, 23-2.5; Aiyana
Penca, 25^th, 21-3

Discus: Rinny
McMullen, ninth, 82-1; Penca, 10^th, 77-10; Rice, 11^th,
75-2; O’Hara, 17^th, 66-7; Davis Guetterman, 20^th, 62-11

Javelin:
Guetterman, 14^th, 72-5; Rice, 24^th, 56-8; Lexi Rogers, 25^th,
54-7

BOYS

100 dash: Justin
Collins, fifth, 12.09; Charlie Koontz, eighth, 12.15

200 dash:
Collins, sixth, 25.71; Koontz, 12^th, 26.72; Dylan Armstrong, 20^th,
28.02

400 dash:
Weston Guetterman, 12^th, 59.97; Will Finestead, 13^th,
59.99; Isaac Guetterman, 17^th, 1:01; Armstrong, 19^th,
1:03

800 run:
Anthony Davis, seventh, 2:23; Sawyer Richardson, 13^th, 2:31; Caden
Bradshaw, 14^th, 2:31; Gareth Baus, 29^th, 2:54

1,600 run: Ryan
Rogers, ninth, 5:23; Bradshaw, 12^th, 5:36; Richardson, 14^th,
5:40; Baus, 25^th, 6:16

110 hurdles:
Tom Koontz, fourth, 17.96

High jump: Indy
Strumillo, seventh, 5-2

Pole vault:
Trent Martin, fifth, 11-0

Long jump:
Finestead, 14^th, 17-4; I. Guetterman, 18^th, 16-9.5;
Strumillo, 23^rd, 15-11; Armstrong, 25^th, 15-9

Triple jump:
Strumillo, sixth, 35-11.5; W. Guetterman, seventh, 35-5.5; I. Guetterman, 10^th,
34-5.5; Finestead, 16^th, 32-8

Shot put:
Kiefer Tucker, fifth, 39-4.5; Brayden White, 10^th, 38-1; Jonathan
DePriest, 17^th, 35-5.5; Cole Evans, 18^th, 35-4.75; Will
Patterson, 28^th, 31-3

Discus: Carter
Anglin, fourth, 129-7; Tucker, fifth, 126-10; DePriest, ninth, 108-9; White, 12^th,
106-3; Chase Pritchard, 21^st, 98-1

Javelin: Jay
Scollin, fifth, 134-9; Austin Moore, 13^th, 114-8

Louisburg freshman Rain Pugh takes the hand-off from senior Jordon Leach during the 4×100-meter relay Thursday at the Paola Invitational.

PAOLA – When Louisburg junior
Sydni Keagle crossed the finish line of the 100-meter hurdles, she saw the rest
of the competition behind her.

On Thursday at the Paola
Invitational, Keagle won the event with a time of 16.56 seconds to get her
first gold medal on the day. There would be a couple more that went her way.

Keagle was a part of the 4×100-
and 4×400-meter relay teams that also won gold and helped the Lady Cats to a
fourth-place team finish in Paola.

Louisburg recorded 83 points, just
five points behind third-place Spring Hill. Paola won the girls team title with
145 points and Lamar (Mo.) was second with 116.

On the 4×100 relay, Keagle teamed
with Jordon Leach, Rain Pugh and Carlee Gassman to win in 52.48 seconds.
Gassman, Keagle, Pugh and Delaney Wright blew away the competition in the 4×400
relay as they finished first in 4 minutes and 22 seconds and won by five
seconds.

Wright finished her outing with
four medals overall, which was her second four-medal performance in a week. The
Louisburg freshman finished runner-up in the long jump with a mark of 16 feet,
11.75 inches and was also second in the 400-meter dash (1:03) and third in the
200 dash (27.28).

Gassman, a junior, also finished
the day with four medals as she was runner-up in the 300-meter hurdles in 49.28
seconds. She also took third in the long jump with a mark 16-2.5, along with
her two performances on the relays.

Junior Avery Graham also earned a
medal for the Lady Cats as she took third in the pole vault and tied a personal
record in the process with a clearance of 9-6. Sophomore Shelby Grandon was
other lone point-getter in the field events as she took seventh in the high
jump at 4-6.

Along with their performances in
the relays, Leach and Pugh both scored points in the 100 dash as they finished fifth
and sixth, respectively. Senior Shaylor Whitham also helped the Lady Cats in
the distance races as she took eighth in the 800-meter run in 2:49.

Louisburg returns to action
tomorrow when it travels to the Anderson County Invitational. Events are set to
begin at 3:30 p.m.

Other results are:

1,600 run: Shaylor Whitham, 10^th,
6:24

100 hurdles: Kristen Bell, 14^th,
20.17

Long jump: Rain Pugh, 10^th,
14-4.25

Shot put: Shea O’Hara, 10^th,
29-11; Melia Rice, 18^th, 25-1; Eden Strumillo, 20^th, 22-6

Discus: Aiyana Penca, 13^th,
77-07; Rice, 15^th, 75-9; O’Hara, 19^th, 58-0

Javelin: Tae Ellison, 17^th,
77-07; Rice, 22^nd, 57-08

Louisburg senior Chris Williams sprints to the finish line in the 400-meter dash Thursday during the Paola Invitational. Williams won the event with a time of 52.02 seconds.

PAOLA – The Louisburg boys track and field team competed in its second meet in four days Thursday when the Wildcats traveled to the Paola Invitational.

Louisburg was missing several
athletes due to a class trip, so the Wildcats were a little short-handed. It
didn’t seem to bother them much as they racked up points in several different
events as they went on to finish fourth in the team standings.

The Wildcats recorded 69 points on
the night and was just one point behind third place Lamar (Mo.). Spring Hill
won the meet with 187 points and Paola was second with 164 in the 11-team meet.

“With two of our senior sprinters absent
from the meet, I was proud of the other athletes that stepped up,” Louisburg
boys coach Andy Wright said. “I thought our throwers and relays did a nice job
earning some points against tough competition.”

Senior Chris Williams got the Wildcats’
lone gold medal on the night as he won the 400-meter dash in 52.02 seconds.
Just minutes earlier, Williams filled in on the 4×100-meter relay team with
Justin Collins, Ben Wiedenmann and Charlie Koontz to take second in 44.57
seconds.

The 4×400-meter relay of Williams,
Wiedenmann, Collins and Dylan Armstrong also took runner-up in 3 minutes and 35
seconds.

“Chris ran a solid race,” Wright said. “His times are not where
he would like them to be, but as long as he keeps working hard I have no doubt
that we will see those times just keep improving.

“We are fortunate to have 5-6 sprinters that can step in on the
4×100 if needed. With the little practice that we were able to get in, we
actually ran faster at Paola with the two new runners. In the 4×400 relay, Dylan
stepped in and ran a nice solid leg. I was pleased with effort from both
relays.”

The Wildcats were also able to earn
medals in the field events as they had several place in the top 3.

In the discus, junior Carter Anglin was second with a throw of 125 feet, 6.5 inches and senior Kiefer Tucker was right behind him in third with an attempt of 124-10.5. Tucker also scored points in the shot put with a mark of 42-2 to finish sixth.

Junior Michael Waldron set a new personal
record in the javelin with a toss of 160-10 to come in third, while teammate
Jay Scollin also recorded a new personal record at 146-2 to take sixth.

Sophomore pole vaulter Luke Faulkner tied
his personal record as he cleared 12-6 to finish third overall. Junior Trent
Martin also scored points as he cleared 11-6 and finished sixth.

“Carter and Kiefer have been working really hard in practice, so
it’s nice to see that work paying off for them,” Wright said. “Luke is going to
keep progressing in the pole vault and I have no doubt we will continue to see
him go higher. Michael and Jay take a lot of pride in javelin, and they
are going to keep improving every week.”

On the track, Collins (11.87) and Wiedenmann (12.04) finished
seventh and eighth, respectively, to score points in the 100-meter dash.
Wiedenmann also took seventh in the 200 dash in 24.32.

In the distance races, freshman Ryan Rodgers had a strong
performance in the 1,600-meter run as he finished sixth in 5:04.

Louisburg returns to the track Thursday when it travels to the
Anderson County Invitational. Events are set to begin at 3:30 p.m.

Other results are:

200 dash: Justin Collins, 10^th,
24.32

400 dash: Dylan Armstrong, 9^th,
55.54; Weston Guetterman, 18^th, 59.39

800 run: Ryan Rodgers, 13^th,
2:22; Sawyer Richardson, 18^th, 2:29

1,600 run: Richardson, 13^th,
5:27; Gareth Baus, 16^th, 6:13

Long jump: Indy Strumillo, 11^th,
17-6.25; Armstrong, 15^th, 16-5.5; Guetterman, 18^th,
14-2.5

Shot put: Brayden White, 10^th,
39-4; Jonathan DePriest, 20^th, 34-3

Discus: DePriest, 18^th,
92-1.5

Louisburg’s Justin Collins (right) and Charlie Koontz (middle) battle it out in the 100-meter dash Monday during the Leavenworth Invitational. Collins took fifth overall and Koontz helped the 4×100 relay to a first place finish.

LEAVENWORTH – It was the start the
Louisburg boys track and field team was looking for Monday in its season opener
at the Leavenworth Invitational.

The Wildcats won two events, and
medaled in several others, as Louisburg finished third in the team standings
with 70 points at Leavenworth High School. Leavenworth won the meet going away
with 166 points and St. James Academy was second with 120, but it was good
first step for the Wildcats this season.

“We were just happy to get the season started,” Louisburg boys
coach Andy Wright said. “We have had to face a lot of adversity as a track
team, and I couldn’t be more pleased with how the kids came out and
competed.  We found out we have some room for improvement, but overall I
was ecstatic with the start.”

Sophomore Luke Faulkner got it started for the Wildcats in the
pole vault as he came close to matching his personal record in his first time
out. Faulkner took the gold medal in the event as he cleared 12 feet and won by
six inches.

“Luke came close to tying his PR from
last year, so that is a great starting point for the first meet of the year,”
Wright said. “With our jump pits unavailable for practice, we have had to get
creative with getting kids reps and borrowing time on other tracks. Now
that we should be able to start practicing on our track, we look to really
start getting practice time in to improve the marks.”

The Wildcat 4×100-meter relay team also
struck gold with a nice performance. The team of Charlie Koontz, Blue
Caplinger, Ben Wiedenmann and Brandon Cooper edged out Sumner Academy and
Leavenworth for first in 44.63 seconds.

“Of course a win is always good to start the season with, but we
aren’t satisfied with that,” Wright said. “We want to continue to build from
this meet.”

Louisburg also brought home several other medals, including three runner-up performances.

Junior Michael Waldron had a strong first throw in the javelin
with mark of 158 feet, 11.5 inches to finish second and was less than three
feet out of first.

“Michael is going to surprise a few
schools this year,” Wright said. “This is only his second year throwing the javelin,
and we are very excited with what the future holds for him.”

On the track, Caplinger earned two more medals, including one
individual and one on another relay. Caplinger ran a time of 23.80 to finish
second in the 200-meter dash.

To end the meet, Caplinger joined Chris Williams, Justin Collins and Wiedenmann and took second in the 4×400 relay in 3 minutes and 33 seconds.

Williams was a two-time medalist for the Wildcats as he also took third in the 400 dash in 52.54. Freshman Tom Koontz had a strong day in the hurdles for Louisburg as he finished third in the 110-meter hurdles in 17.87 and fourth in the 300 hurdles in 45.83.

In the field events, freshman A.J. Reed
came in fourth in the pole vault after he cleared 9-6. Sophomore Jay Scollin
also scored points for the Wildcats in the javelin with a fifth-place finish
with a mark of 139-9.

On the track, Collins (12.08) and
Wiedenmann (24.07) scored more points for Louisburg as they finished fifth in the
100 and 200 dash, respectively.

A few of the Wildcat throwers also got to
have a little fun as they took part in the throwers relay. Austin Moore, Kiefer
Tucker, Michael Waldron and Jonathan DePriest won with ease in a time of 48.49
seconds.

Louisburg will get back on the track
today when it travels to the Paola Invitational. Events are set to begin at
3:30 p.m.

Other results from Leavenworth are:

Pole vault: Tom Koontz, eighth, 8-0

High jump: Indy Strumillo, eighth, 5-4;
Weston Guetterman, ninth, 5-0

Long jump: Will Finestead, 12^th,
17-10.5; W. Guetterman, 14^th, 17-4.5; Dylan Armstrong, 19^th,
16-9; Strumillo, 19^th, 16-9; Isaac Guetterman, 21^st, 16-0

Discus: Kiefer Tucker, seventh, 129-5;
Jonathan DePriest, 12^th, 111-1; Brayden White, 14^th,
107-8; Chase Pritchard, 22^nd, 69-9

Shot put: Tucker, seventh, 41-11; White,
13^th, 40-0; Cole Evans, 17^th, 35-10.5; DePriest, 18th,
35-0; Will Patterson, 19^th, 33-7.5

Javelin: A.J. Reed, ninth, 134-5; Austin
Moore, 13^th, 126-9; Remington Rice, 24^th, 78-6

100 dash: Brandon Cooper, eighth, 12.19; Ben
Wiedenmann, 10^th, 12.25; Charlie Koontz, 11^th, 12.30;
Finestead, 29^th, 13.13

1,600 run: Anthony Davis, 13^th,
5:19; Ryan Rodgers, 15^th, 5:25; Caden Bradshaw, 18^th,
5:34; Gareth Baus, 24^th, 6:17

400 dash: Armstrong, 10^th,
57.09; Finestead, 15^th, 58.69; W. Guetterman, 19^th, 1:00

800 run: Davis, 13^th, 2:22;
Rodgers, 15^th, 2:29; Bradshaw, 16^th, 2:31; Sawyer
Richardson, 17^th, 2:35; Baus, 20^th, 2:52

200 dash: I. Guetterman, 26^th,
27.09

Louisburg freshman Delaney Wright lands in the sand pit for one of her attempts in the long jump Monday during the Leavenworth Invitational. Wright won the event and medaled in three others.

LEAVENWORTH – Delaney Wright may just be a freshman, but she performed like a seasoned veteran during Louisburg’s season opening track and field meet Monday in Leavenworth.

Wright finished in the top three in all four of her events, including a gold medal in the long jump, at the Leavenworth Invitational and helped the Lady Cats to a fourth-place team finish.

The Louisburg freshman garnered the long jump title with a mark of 17 feet 5 inches, to win the event by six inches. Wright later went on to finish runner-up in the 100-meter dash in 13.47 seconds and was third in the 400 dash (1:04) and 200 dash (27.84).

“Delaney did fantastic,” Louisburg girls coach John Reece said. “Medaling in her first meet as a freshman is incredible, but to medal in multiple events is…wow. Delaney and her teammates are going to have a lot of fun and success this year as we move through the season.”

Wright’s teammates had plenty of success Monday at Leavenworth as the Lady Cats captured gold in two other events.

Junior Sydni Keagle pulled away from the field in the 100-meter hurdles
as she won in 17.66 seconds to get her season off to a good start. Fellow
junior Avery Graham also had a good performance in the pole vault she cleared 9
feet to take first as well.

“Sydni and Avery are setting a high standard for themselves and
their teammates by their effort,” Reece said. “It seems like we will be
visiting short term goals more frequently and continuing to bump up their long
term goal as the season progresses.”

Louisburg junior Carlee Gassman also came away with a pair of
medals on the evening. Gassman finished third in the 300-meter hurdles in 50.96
and also took third in the long jump with a mark of 16-7.

Freshman Rain Pugh earned points for the Lady Cats as she was
fourth in the 200 dash in 28.15 and sixth in the 100 dash in 13.73.

In the field events, Eileen Benne (4-8) and Shelby Grandon (4-6) took fourth and fifth, respectively, in the high jump. Senior Melia Rice was fifth in the discus with a mark of 87 feet and freshman Malee Rutherford was fifth in the pole vault after she cleared 7-6.

The Lady Cats also participated in the throwers relay and finished first with a time of 1:00.81.

Louisburg racked up 77 points for its fourth-place finish. Mill
Valley won the meet with 126 points and St. James Academy was second with 121.

“I was very impressed with the girls’
effort on a not so good weather day,” Reece said. “Their times, distances, and
heights showed they competed well. Finishing fourth as a team was outstanding.

“We had several
girls best their marks from last year or better their marks from early season
trials. They are a close knit group that will encourage each other and expect
the best effort by all at all times.”

The Lady Cats
return to action Thursday when they travel to the Paola Invitational. Events
are set to begin at 3:30 p.m.

Other results are:

Long jump: Sydni Keagle, seventh,
15-1; Rain Pugh, eighth, 15-0; Eileen Benne, 17^th, 13-7

Triple jump: Benne, eighth, 28-0

Discus: Aiyana Penca, ninth,
78-04; Shea O’Hara, 12^th, 63-04; Rinny McMullen, 13^th,
62-6; Davis Guetterman, 14^th, 59-10

Shot put: O’Hara, ninth, 30-3.5;
Eden Strumillo, 12^th, 25-1; Melia Rice, 13^th, 24-11;
Penca, 16^th, 22-8; Cayden Forrester, 17^th, 22-0.50

Javelin: Alyse Moore, ninth,
85-3.5; Tae Ellison, 10^th, 79-09; Rice, 12^th, 68-04; Guetterman,
16^th, 59-9.5

100 hurdles: Kristen Bell, 10^th,
20.89; Shelby Grandon, 11^th, 21.61

100 dash: Jordon Leach, 14^th,
14.13; Andrea Gaza, 25^th, 15.55

300 hurdles: Keagle, 10^th,
58.29; Bell, 11^th, 1:11

800 run: Shaylor Whitham, 12^th,
2:52

200 dash: Leach, ninth, 28.96;
Carlee Gassman, 10^th, 29.15; Gaza, 22^nd, 32.02

Louisburg junior Carlee Gassman hopes to improve on her state runner-up finish in the 300-meter hurdles this season.

It was a successful 2018 for the
Louisburg High School track and field team, and one that saw the Wildcats medal
in six events at the state meet.

The Wildcats hope that success
will translate into even bigger things in 2019 as they return athletes in five
of those state events. Gone is Isabelle Holtzen’s medal-winning event in the
pole vault, but the Wildcats appear to be even stronger all the way around.

On the girls’ side, junior Carlee Gassman returns to lead the Lady Cats after her state-runner up finish in the 300-meter hurdles last season. Gassman was a two-time state medal winner last season after taking fourth in the long jump.

Gassman is one of the favorites to
stand atop the podium in the 300 hurdles once the season is complete and will
be a big part of the Lady Cat squad.

“Carlee did awesome last year and I see her taking the state
title (in the 300),” Louisburg girls coach John Reece said. “She has been
alternating between sprint and distance workouts in hopes of maybe running the steeple
sometime this year. As far as events go, we will do some different things with
her from the 100 to the 400, two relays, long jump and maybe some others.”

Louisburg will also add a new face to the girls team as freshman
Delaney Wright will look to achieve success at the high school level after two
years of breaking numerous records in her two years of middle school track.

Wright, like Gassman, hopes to medal in several events this
season. She is slated to run the 400-meter dash, long jump, relays and will try
a couple other events throughout the season as well.

“Delaney will do multiple events like
Carlee,” Reece said. “We will give her an opportunity to compete in both
individual events and the relays. I do not want to burn her out as she is just
a freshman and I hope she has a great four years.

“We will work different girls in both relays until we find the
right mix and they should be very competitive come league and regional meets.”

The Lady Cats also return senior Eileen Benne in the jumps, who
made progress in the high jump last season, along with junior Sydni Keagle who
returns as the team’s top performer in the 100-meter hurdles from a year ago.
Senior Melia Rice will help lead the Louisburg girls in the throws and senior
Shaylor Whitham will lead the Lady Cats in distance.

In all, Louisburg has 34 girls out for track this season and
Reece believes his team will improve as the season goes along.

“It has been a challenge getting started
this year with the weather and surprisingly the construction has not been that
much of an issue,” Reece said. “We will have quite a few young athletes asked to step up into a
varsity role this year so we will go through some growing pains, but be really
competitive at the end of the season.”

On the boys side, senior Chris Williams will lead the Wildcats
on the track after earning his first state medal in the 400-meter dash last
season and then later helped the 4×400 relay to a seventh-place finish at state
to get his second state medal.

“I would like to
see Chris start where he finished last year and grow from there,” Louisburg boys
coach Andy Wright said. “After we get a few meets under our belt, I
would like to see Chris extend to the open 800.”

Along with the Williams, the team of Blue Caplinger, Justin
Collins and Ben Wiedenmann also return to run the 4×400 relay as the Wildcat
quartet hopes to improve on their state finish from a season ago.

The Wildcats also return an experienced 4×100 relay in Caplinger, Collins, Wiedenmann, Charlie Koontz and Brandon Cooper as all five will be competing for a spot this year.

“If we stay healthy, our relays should be competing for the top
spot at most meets,” coach Wright said. “Both relays have all four returning
runners and it should be a good year.”

Louisburg also had a lot of returning experience in the pole
vault as junior Trent Martin returns after his state medal performance last
season. Sophomore Luke Faulkner, who also qualified for state last season, will
also provide the Wildcats with a lot of depth in that event.

“They both have been working to improve in the off-season, going to camps and indoor practice facilities,” coach Wright said. “I think both should have the opportunity to qualify for state and place in the top 8 if they continue to work hard.”

The Wildcats will also hope a lot of depth
in the sprints as Cooper, Caplinger, Wiedenmann, Collins and Koontz all hope to
medal throughout the season in the 100 and 200 dashes.

Although they didn’t go to state last season, Louisburg also has several returning letter winners from a year ago. Senior Kiefer Tucker, who made good strides in the shot put, comes back to lead the Wildcats in the throws and junior Michael Waldron will look to do the same in the javelin.

Junior Anthony Davis will lead the
Wildcat distance runners as he will compete in the 800 and 1,600-meter run.

In all, the Wildcats have 52 boys out
this season with 25 being freshmen, and despite the rough start to the season
with cold practices, Wright has liked what he has seen so far.

‘We have been making the best of the
weather and lack of track,” he said. “Other schools have been generous and
allowed us to workout at their facilities when they are done. The athletes have
handled the adversity well and they are staying positive headed into the first meet
with limited reps in the field events.”

Louisburg will open its season today
when it travels to the Leavenworth Invitational. The Wildcats will also compete
on Thursday in Paola.