DE SOTO — The Louisburg track and field team competed in one of its bigger meets of the season on May 2 at the De Soto Invitational. 

Louisburg won three events between its two teams and had seven top three finishes at the 15-team meet at De Soto High School.

Overall, the Wildcat boys finished fourth in the team standings with 78.5 points. The girls were seventh with 62 points.

“While we didn’t have many top three finishes, we placed in the top seven in 10 different events,” Louisburg boys coach Andy Wright said. “To be able to secure fourth place in a tough meet like this one was good to see.”

As for the girls, the Wildcats had 10 top 6 finishes and a handful of those came from junior Kendall Crossley.

Crossley won the 100-meter dash in 12.70 seconds and later took runner-up in the 200 dash in 26.68, in what was a close race at the finish.

In the 4×100 relay, Crossley, Mackenzie Rooney, Addi Mallett and Suzanna Dansel continued their successful season with a gold medal finish in 50.57 seconds.

Crossley, Rooney, Mallett and Ellie Vohs took fourth in the 4×400 relay in 4:12.57. Mallett also went on to take fourth in the 100 dash in 13.14 seconds.

Vohs scored points in a pair of distance races as she took sixth in both the 800 (2:27) and 1,600-meter (5:36) runs.

Sophomore Caroline Apple took fifth in the 300 hurdles in 51.36 seconds and also was eighth in the high jump at 4 feet, 10 inches.

Also in the field events, sophomore Adelyn Moore had one of her best days of the season in the javelin as she took runner-up with a throw of 110-5.

Junior McKenna Lohse had one of her best days of the season in the shot put as she recorded a throw of 36-8 to finish fourth overall.

On the boys side, the Wildcats had a lot of success and personal best times or marks, and it started in the pole vault.

Senior Cooper Wingfield won the pole vault with clearance of 15-1. Senior teammate Jacob Brown was third with a personal-best mark of 13-6.

In the long jump, senior Gavin Lohse took third overall at 21-5.75 and senior Myles Vohs was fifth at 21-3.

The Wildcats also experienced a lot of success in the javelin as all three throwers scored points. 

Junior Tasen Ellison led the charge with a toss of 154-2 and took fourth. Brayden Yoder was fifth at 144-11 and Cole Poindexter finished seventh at 140-8.

“Those guys are working hard everyday in practice,” Wright said. “I’m glad to see their dedication pay off.”

Louisburg also scored points in the shot put as senior Miles Meek was seventh at 43-7.

On the track, senior Aidan Meyer had his best performance of the season in the 400-meter dash as he was second in a new personal record time of 50.37 seconds. Senior Emmett White was sixth in the event at 52.93 and Lohse took fifth in the 200 dash in 23.12.

In the relays, the 4×400 of Meyer, White, Myles Vohs and Colton Blue had a strong race in 3:27. The 4×100 of Vohs, Meyer, Caleb Feldkamp and Lohse took sixth in 44.62, while the 4×800 group of Ryan Barberich, Spencer Mattison, Mathias Wright and Levi Cotter finished sixth in a personal record time of 8:52.

“We need to tighten up a few things in the 4×100 relay to get back to where we were a couple of weeks ago,” coach Wright said. “However, the 4×800 and 4×400 relays continue to improve every week.”

Senior Jerynce Brings Plenty led the WIldcats in the distance races. Brings Plenty was eighth in the 1,600 run in 4:41.

Louisburg is back in action on May 9 as the Wildcats travel to the Redbud Relays in Wellsville. 

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

KENDALL CROSSLEY, JUNIOR, TRACK AND FIELD

Louisburg junior Kendall Crossley has emerged as one of the Wildcats’ top sprinters and it was on display last Friday at a tough De Soto Invitational. Crossley won the 100-meter dash in 12.70 second and finished a close second in the 200 dash in 26.68.

Crossley also joined Mackenzie Rooney, Addi Mallett and Suzanna Dansel to win the 4×100-meter relay in 50.57 seconds. She is also a member of the 4×400 relay that took fourth.

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

Previous winners

Week 1: Luke Schultz

Week 2: Faith Sewell

Week 3: Meade Rutherford

Week 4: Brynley Bauer

Week 5: Rowan Yows

SPRING HILL — The Louisburg track and field team continues to rack up medals in what is a successful start to its season —  this time it was during the Spring Hill Invitational.

During the April 28 meet, the Wildcats earned a total of 20 top three finishes. The Louisburg boys finished second with 52 points and the girls were third with 49.

The Wildcat boys team earned three gold medals, along with six runner-up finishes. 

“Overall I believed we performed well as a group,” Louisburg boys coach Andy Wright said. “We had some that were dinged up that didn’t compete, but hopefully everyone will be ready for our next meet at De Soto.”

The Louisburg boys started strong in the field events as they finished 1-2 in the pole vault. Senior Cooper Wingfield took the gold after clearing 14 feet, 6 inches, while senior Jacob Brown was second at 12-6.

Junior Evan McKitrick won the triple jump with a mark of 38-10 and later finished in a tie for second in the high jump after he cleared 5-10.

On the track, senior Colton Blue won the Wildcats’ third gold of the night as he set a personal record to win the 400-meter dash in 51.83 seconds. Senior teammate Emmett White was second at 52.75.

Senior Jerynce Brings Plenty had a strong finish in the 800-meter run as he took second in 2:07. He also took fifth in the 400 dash in 54.63.

In the sprints, senior Gavin Lohse took third in the 100 dash in 11.86 seconds. Another senior, Aidan Meyer, was fourth in the 200 dash in 24.21.

Lohse, Meyer, Myles Vohs and  White took third in the 4×100-meter relay in 44.85 seconds.

Back in the field events, the Wildcats had a season-best day in the shot put as they medaled two in the top three. Seniors Miles Meek and junior Michael Foote both had personal bests in the event.

Meek finished runner-up with a toss of 44-2 and Foote took third at 42-4. Foote also scored points in the discus as he finished fifth at 114-2.

In the javelin, junior Tasen Ellison battled for the title, but took second overall with a throw of 145-10. Meek finished fourth at 125-5.

On the girls side, the Wildcats won four golds and all four were in the running events. 

The 4×100-meter relay of Mackenzie Rooney, Kendall Crossley, Addi Mallett and Suzanna Dansel put together a season-best time of 50.04 seconds to win the relay by more than two seconds. 

“The girls competed well at Spring Hill,” Louisburg girls coach John Reece said. “It was a very windy day for all competitors and I feel that the girls did not let that affect them. The 4×1 hit their handoffs and thus ran a season best, even though we are still a little dinged up. 

“The high jump girls had to make adjustments, because of the wind, on the fly and found success and learned a little something along the way. All in all it was a good day.”

Crossley also went on to win the 200 dash in 27.30 seconds, while sophomore Breck Nielsen took fourth in the 400 dash in 1:08.

Sophomore Caroline Apple medaled in all three of her events, with her best coming in the 300-meter hurdles. Apple won the 300 in 51.34 seconds and finished second in the 100 hurdles in 18.01.

Apple also cleared 5 feet in the high jump and took third overall, while Nielsen was fifth at 4-8.

Senior Marissa Vallejo won the 1,600-meter run with a time of 6:07 and took fifth in the 3,200 in 13:27. Also in the distance races, sophomore Adelyn Moore took fourth in the 800 run 2:51.

In the field events, junior McKenna Lohse scored points in a pair of events. Lohse finished runner-up in the shot put with a toss of 35-7.25 and also took fourth in the discus at 98-8.

In the javelin, Moore and freshman Khloe Holland both scored points. Moore finished third with a throw of 95-10 and Holland took fourth at 94-1.

Louisburg is back in action on May 2 as the Wildcats travel to the De Soto Invitational. Events begin at 3:30 p.m.

The Louisburg boys track and field team put on a show in front of its home fans on April 24 at the Louisburg Invitational.

Louisburg won its home meet with a total of 150.5 points and Paola was second with 135 in the 9-team meet. In all, the Wildcats won seven golds on the day and scored points in 16 of 18 events.

“It was nearly a perfect day for a track meet, and the times reflected that,” Louisburg boys coach Andy Wright said. “As a team, it always feels great to win, especially at home. Overall, we had numerous personal records, but we still need to continue improving.”

Wildcat senior Aidan Meyer came away with three golds to lead the way, including a career-best performance in the 400-meter dash. Meyer won the 400 in a personal best time of 50.39 seconds.

Meyer was one of five Wildcats to score points in the event. Senior Emmett White was runner-up in a PR time of 51.46 and senior Colton Blue was fourth in a PR of 52 seconds. Anis Ghannam and Bryce Liddell, took fifth and sixth, respectively.

“Aidan had the race of his life,” Wright said. “He took off right from the start. It’s rewarding to see that his hard work is paying off.”

Meyer was also a part of two first place relays. The 4×100 group of Meyer, Myles Vohs, Caleb Feldkamp and Gavin Lohse took first in 43.65 seconds.

In the 4×400 relay, Vohs, White, Meyer and Blue were first in a new personal best time of 3:27. Mathias Wright, Ryan Barberich, Levi Cotter and Spencer Mattison helped the 4×800 to a runner-up finish in 9:00.54.

“The 4×800 set a new PR by more than 20 seconds and I am excited to see what this group does the next two weeks as they keep improving,” coach Wright said. “The 4×100 had a solid race and all those guys did excellent. The 4×400 also set a new PR, so I was really pleased with all of the relays.”

In the distance races, senior Jerynce Brings Plenty earned a gold in the 1,600-meter run in 4:41 and also took second in the 800 run in 2:06. Cotter placed third in the 3,200 run in 10:49.

Louisburg also found success in the other sprint races as Lohse took third in the 100-meter dash in 11.48 seconds. Feldkamp took sixth at 11.54. He later finished third in the 200 dash in 22.98 and White took sixth.

Lohse wasn’t done as the Wildcat senior won the long jump with a personal-best mark of 22 feet, 2 inches. Vohs took third at 20-9, while Martin Alicea Soto was fifth at 19-4.

“With Gavin’s new PR, he really is positioning himself as one of the top jumpers in 4A,” coach Wright said.

Louisburg senior Cooper Wingfield continued his winning ways in the pole vault as he took the top spot after he cleared 14-7.

Also in the field events, junior Evan McKitrick captured the high jump title after he cleared 5-10, while junior Tasen Ellison was right behind him in second at 5-8.

Ellison also scored points for the Wildcats in the javelin as he recorded a toss of 150-1. Senior Miles Meek (41-10.5) and junior Michael Foote (41-9) also fared well in the shot put as they took fourth and fifth, respectively. 

Louisburg is back in action on April 28 as the Wildcats travel to the Spring Hill Invitational. Events begin at 4 p.m.

The Louisburg girls track and field team put together one of its best performances of the season on April 24 and the Wildcats couldn’t have picked a better time.

In front of its home fans, the Wildcats won the Louisburg Invitational with 130.5 points as they edged out Paola, who had 121, to win their home meet.

Freshman Ellie Vohs came up big for the Wildcats as she garnered four medals on the day, while junior Kendall Crossley won a pair of individual events and earned three medals.

“It is always a great thing to win your home meet,” Louisburg coach John Reece said. “Especially for the seniors that have given so much to the program. As a whole, we performed well with some individual personal records and athletes stepping up to help out when a teammate could not run in a relay.”

Crossley had a big day in the sprints as she won the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.68 seconds. Earlier in the meet, she also captured the 400-meter dash title in 1 minute and 3.29 seconds.

The 4×100 relay team of Crossley, Mackenzie Rooney, Addi Mallett and Suzanna Dansel nearly pulled off the victory despite a bad handoff, but took second in 50.88 behind Wellsville (50.56).

Also in the sprints, Dansel and Mallett battled it out in the 100 dash. Dansel was second in 13 seconds and Mallett took third in 13.08. Wellsville’s Ellie Strain won in 12.68.

Crossley, who normally runs in the 4×400 relay as well, had to bow out due to an injury, but one of her teammate filled her shoes nicely. Sophomore Breck Nielsen joined Rooney, Vohs and Mallett to win the relay in 4:18.

“Kendall is a warrior,” Reece said. “She is not at 100 percent at this time, but that does not stop her from competing and doing what is best for the team. She ran two solid races in the 400 and 200. Then bowed out of the 4×4 because of some tightness which allowed Breck to step in and the girls did not miss a beat.”

That relay was just one of three medals for Vohs as she competed in a tough distance field that featured a state champion in Prairie View’s Bree Allen.

Vohs more than held her own as she was second in the 800-meter run in 2:28 and third in the 1,600-meter run in 5:38. Annie Hornberger (800) and Marissa Vallejo (1,600) also took sixth in their respective races.

Vohs, Hornberger, Vallejo and Adelyn Moore finished runner-up in the 4×800 relay in 10:35. Vallejo also took fourth in the 3,200 run in 13:37.

“Ellie has shown the coaching staff that she is willing and able to do anything we ask of her,” Reece said. “She currently finds herself closing in on two school records and yes she is only a freshman, which only makes me smile. She brings positive energy to the team and is always smiling.”

Sophomore Caroline Apple found success in both the track and field events. Apple won the high jump as she cleared 5 feet, while Nielsen and Luciana Vallejo took third and fifth, respectively.

Then on the track, Apple finished third in the 100 hurdles in 17.65 seconds and freshman Taylor Tidd was sixth. Apple later took fourth in the 300 hurdles in 50.17 seconds.

Junior McKenna Lohse captured the shot put crown as she recorded a season-best throw of 36 feet and 8.5 inches. Lohse also went on to take sixth in the discus in 96-1.

In the javelin, the Wildcats had three point scorers in the event. Moore took fourth with a toss of 93-8. Freshman Khloe Holland and sophomore Kinley Scott were fifth and sixth, respectively.

“We only have four seniors on the team this year so the bulk of the team will be back which again makes me smile because they are hard workers and want to do well,” Reece said. “We also have a great group of incoming freshmen for next year that will fill emptied spots and then some. The future of LHS girls track and field looks great.”

Louisburg is back in action on April 28 as the Wildcats travel to the Spring Hill Invitational. Events begin at 4 p.m.

GARNETT — The Louisburg track and field teams competed in the Anderson County Invitational on April 17 and the Wildcats had their fair success.

Overall, the Wildcats won three events and had several place in the top five.

The Louisburg girls scored a lot of their points in the field events and it started with Caroline Apple. The Louisburg sophomore won the high jump after she cleared 4 feet, 10 inches.

Teammates Breck Nielsen and Luciana Vallejo each tied for third after clearing 4-8.

“The girls that went to Anderson County did an awesome job despite the very windy conditions,” Louisburg girls coach John Reece said. “All our high jumpers did great. They continue to improve and are setting themselves up for success at the end of the season.”

Junior McKenna Lohse finished as a runner-up in the shot put with a toss of 35-3 and Kinley Scott took fifth at 30-8.  Freshman Khloe Holland took fourth in the javelin with a season best throw of 101-1. 

On the track, senior Marissa Vallejo won the 1,600-meter run with a time of 6:10 and later took fifth in the 3,200 run in 13:54.

Apple also scored points in both hurdle events. She took third in the 300 in 52.31 and was fourth in the 100 with at time of 19.41.

On the boys side, the Wildcats ended the meet with their lone victory of the night as the 4×400-meter relay of Anis Ghannam, Ryan Barberich, Mathias Wright and Bryce Liddell won in 3:45.69.

“Although the weather conditions weren’t perfect, we came out and competed fiercely,” Louisburg boys coach Andy Wright said. “It was exciting to finish the meet with a first-place finish in the 4×400, continuing the tradition of having a strong relay team.”

Also on the track, Barberich, Levi Cotter, Wright and Cameron Jenkins finished third in the 4×800 relay in 9:33.

In the hurdles, Grant Cannon and Gavin Manson finished third and fourth, respectively, in the 110 meters. Cannon also took third in the 300 hurdles, while Jay McCaskill finished fifth. 

Ghannam and Tanner LaBrie were fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 100 dash, while Cotter finished fifth in the 3,200-meter run. 

Senior Brayden Yoder led the Wildcats in the field events as he took second in the javelin with a season-best throw of 145-7. Junior Tasen Ellison was right behind him in third at 143-3 and senior Miles Meek took fifth at 130. 

Junior Evan McKitrick took fourth in the high jump after he cleared 5-10 and junior Johnny Hendrickson was fifth in the discus at 124-0. 

Sophomore Noah Kush finished fifth in the triple jump with a mark of 36-2.

Louisburg is back in action on April 24 when it hosts the Louisburg Invitational. Events begin at 4 p.m.

LAWRENCE — Cooper Wingfield and Gavin Lohse have had their fair share of success at the state track and field level.

Wingfield is a returning state champion in the pole vault, while Lohse captured a state medal in the long jump a year ago.

The two Louisburg seniors recently competed against some of the best —  not just from Kansas — but from Missouri, Oklahoma and other surrounding states at the 2025 Kansas Relays in Lawrence and both left with some hardware.

Wingfield medaled sixth in the pole vault, while Lohse earned a seventh-place medal in the long jump during the meet held on April 18-19.

In the pole vault, Wingfield broke his own school record after he cleared 15 feet and 7.75 inches. Lohse recorded a jump of 21-8.75 in the long jump to earn a spot among the area’s best.

“KU provided an opportunity to compete against a group of elite high school athletes,” Louisburg boys coach Andy Wright said. “Cooper performed well, improving his personal record and had great attempts at 16-1.75. It’s only a matter of time before Cooper clears 16 feet. 

“Given the weather conditions, Gavin did what he needed to reach the finals in the long jump. Although his jumps were not his best, they were sufficient to place him in the top 7. Medaling at KU is challenging, so having two individual medals last weekend is remarkable.”

The Wildcat boys also participated in four different relays.

Myles Vohs, Aidan Meyer, Emmett White and Colton Blue helped the 4×400-meter relay to a 31st place finish out of 76 with a time of 3 minutes and 29 seconds. Vohs, Meyer, Caleb Feldkamp and Lohse were 45th out of 83 in the 4×100 relay in 43.56 seconds.

Louisburg also participated in the Distance Medley Relay as Blue, Meyer, Vohs and Jerynce Brings Plenty were 23rd. On the 19th, the Wildcat group of Blue, White, Feldkamp and Brings Plenty took 17th in the Sprint Medley Relay.

“The relays competed well and had the chance to experience a full track of races,” Wright said. “We improved our time in the 4×100, and the 4×400 was a valuable experience, allowing us to learn how to maneuver around traffic. We also ran the Distance Medley and Sprint Medley relays, which provided a great opportunity to compete alongside other talented athletes.”

Louisburg also took a pair of relays on the girls side, along with Adelyn Moore, who threw the javelin. 

The Wildcats’ 4×100 relay of Mackenzie Rooney, Kendall Crossley, Addi Mallett and Suzanna Dansel ran a season best time of 50.32 seconds to take 36th overall and earned a spot in the Sunflower Showdown finals.

Mallett, Rooney, Crossley and Ellie Vohs also ran strong in the 4×400 relay as they took 44th in 4:16.

Moore, who is a returning state qualifier in the javelin, recorded a toss of 101-8 to take 23rd.

“The girls did a great job at Kansas Relays,” Louisburg girls coach John Reece said. “The 4×1 posted their best time of the season and the 4×4 was only a second off of their best time. Adelyn threw well and all gained experience in a large competitive meet.”

PAOLA — The Louisburg boys track and field team didn’t have the victories it hoped for at the Paola Invitational, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t a success.

Louisburg took first in two events and placed in the top three in six others as the Wildcats finished fourth in the team standings with 101.5 points. Paola won with 126 and Spring Hill was second in the 11-team meet with 124.5 points.

The Wildcats racked up several personal bests in the process as they continue to show improvement.

“We achieved many personal bests, with over 11 different athletes setting their personal records at the meet,” Louisburg coach Andy Wright said. “We just need to continue improving throughout the season.”

One of the highlights for the Wildcats came at the end of the meet. The Louisburg 4×400-meter relay of Aidan Meyer, Emmett White, Colton Blue and Myles Vohs won in 3 minutes and 28.14 seconds.

Louisburg’s relay success continued with the 4×100 as Vohs, Meyer, Caleb Feldkamp and Gavin Lohse took second in 45.08 seconds. 

“The 4×400 relay is doing great, but we just need to continue to get in better shape,” Wright said, .”The 4×100 relay is also improving. With some new runners on the team this year, it’s going to take a few meets to work on our handoffs.”

Feldkamp also scored points in the sprints as he medaled third in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes in 11.18 and 23.17 seconds, respectively. Lohse was fourth in the 100 in 11.21, while White was fifth win the 200 in 23.49.

Blue, who ran in the 400-meter dash for the first time this season, also medaled third in 52.61 seconds.

Senior Jerynce Brings Plenty ran strong in a pair of distance races. Brings Plenty took third in the 800 run in 2:05 and fourth in the 1,600 run in 4:42.

Junior Grant Cannon earned points in the 110 hurdles as he finished sixth in 18.70 seconds.

Senior Cooper Wingfield once again led the Wildcats in the field events. Wingfield won the pole vault after he cleared 14-1, while teammate Jacob Brown finished second at 13-1.

Lohse, a returning state medalist in the long jump, took fourth overall with a mark of 21-2.5. His teammate, Martin Alicea Soto, was right behind hm in fifth at 20-9.5.

Evan McKitrick took sixth in both the triple and the high jumps.

“Gavin’s initial jumps were solid, and I believe he will continue to improve throughout the season,” Wright said. “Martin is also starting to come along in the long jump, with all of his jumps landing in the 20-foot range. I’m excited to see what he will achieve this season.”

Tasen Ellison led the Wildcats in the throws as he took fourth in the javelin with a season-best toss of 152-5 and Brayden Yoder was eighth with a mark of 135-1.

Johnny Hendrickson took seventh in the discus with a mark of 122-4 and Michael Foote placed eighth in the shot put with a toss of 41-11.

Louisburg is back in action on April 17 when the Wildcats travel to the Anderson County Invitational. Events begin at 3:30 p.m.

A select group of athletes were also selected to participated in the Kansas Relays in Lawrence beginning on April 18.

The Wildcats 4×100 and 4×400 relays will compete, along with Cooper Wingfield (javelin) and Gavin Lohse (long jump).

Louisburg’s Jerynce Brings Plenty, Colton Blue, Emmett White and Caleb Feldkamp will run in the Sprint Medley Relay, while Blue, Aidan Meyer, Brings Plenty and Myles Vohs will compete in the Distance Medley Relay.

PAOLA — Louisburg juniors Addi Mallett and Kendall Crossley left the Paola Invitational with their fair share of hardware.

During the April 10 meet, the two Wildcats dominated the sprints as Mallett won the 100-meter dash and Crossley took the 200 dash. Both runners also helped the 4×100 and 4×400 relays to gold medal finishes. 

They guided the Wildcats to a third place team finish with 93 points. Spring Hill won the team title with 189 points and Paola was second with 124.5.

“The girls’ overall performance was great,” Louisburg coach John Reece said. “We are still trying some different things so it is great to see them find success in events that might not have done last year. 

“Addi and Kendall ran very well at Paola. It was awesome to see Addi run a strong 100 as she did not run it last year. They ran solid relay legs, as did their teammates, to bring home gold and continue to improve their times in each.”

Mallett edged out teammate Suzanna Dansel for the title in the 100 dash with a time of 12.79 seconds to take the gold, while Dansel was second at 12.88.

Crossley breezed to the title in the 200 dash with a time of 26.60 seconds

In the relays, the 4×100 team of Mallett, Crossley, Dansel and Mackenzie Rooney improved their season best time to win the event in 50.42 seconds. The Wildcat quartet dominated the field as they won by a second-and-a-half.

It was much of the same in the 4×400 as Mallett, Crossley, Rooney and Ellie Vohs cruised to a victory in 4:15.69 and won by almost three seconds.

“The 4×1 and 4×4 are very solid at this point in the year,” Reece said. “We still need to get those handoffs perfect in the 4×1, and make a run at the school record. The 4×4 continues to improve and there is definitely more to give, which I know the girls will do each meet.”

Louisburg’s 4×800 relay of Marissa Vallejo, Adelyn Moore, Annie Hornberger and Vohs also had a strong performance as they took runner-up in 10:58. Vohs also scored points in the 1,600-meter run as she finished fourth in 5:43.

Sophomore Caroline Apple fared well on the track as she was seventh in the 100 hurdles in 18.21 seconds. However, Apple’s best event came in the field at the high jump. 

Apple, along with teammate Breck Nielsen, both set personal best marks in the event. Apple took second after she cleared 5 feet and Nielsen was third at 4-10.

“Caroline and Breck are really jumping well,” Reece said. “Finding early success will drive them to do even better as we continue to see our regional competition and see how we match up with them.”

In the throws, junior McKenna Lohse finished third in the shot put with a toss of 34-10 and teammate Kinley Scott was fifth at 32-1. Lohse also scored points in the discus as she took eighth with a mark of 91-7.

Sophomore Adelyn Moore and freshman Khloe Holland had top 8 finishes in the javelin. Moore took fifth with a throw of 108-11 and Holland was eighth at 96-7.

Louisburg is back in action on April 17 when it travels to the Anderson County Invitational. However, a select number of girls will travel to Lawrence on April 18 to compete in the KU Relays.

The 4×100 and 4×400 relays, along with Adelyn Moore (javelin), qualified to compete in Lawrence.

“The 4×1 and 4×4 will get a chance to run against great competition on Friday at the Kansas Relays,” Reece said. “Adelyn will be throwing the javelin as well. We look to perform well and continue a solid start to our season.”

OTTAWA — The Louisburg boys track and field team have a handful of returning state qualifiers and medalists and many of them picked up right where they left Thursday during their season opener.

Louisburg finished fourth at the Ottawa Invitational with 86 points at the 10-team meet. Olathe East won with 185 points and St. James Academy was second with 139.5.

In all, the Wildcats won one event, had three runner-up finishes and scored points in 12 events.

“It was nice to get out and compete against other teams,” Louisburg boys coach Andy Wright said. “Overall, we saw some positive performances, as well as areas that need improvement. The experience of competing against larger schools will only help our athletes grow and develop as the season goes along.

“The enthusiasm and determination shown by the team are encouraging, and I believe we have a promising season ahead of us. With continued hard work and focus, I am excited to see how our athletes progress.”

Louisburg senior Cooper Wingfield leads the Wildcat jumpers as he is the returning state champion in the pole vault. He wasted no time getting back into form.

Wingfield won the pole vault as he cleared 15 feet to take gold. Senior teammate Jacob Brown, who is also a returning state medalist, took second after he cleared 13-0.

In the long jump, senior Myles Vohs got out to a good start as he took third with a mark of 20-2.5 and Martin Alicea Soto was sixth at 19-4.

“Our vaulters have been working hard and are eager to push each other this season,” Wright said. “Myles had a strong start, especially considering he only used a short approach for his jumps. I am confident that as the season continues, he will improve further and reach new heights.”

Evan McKitrick went on to score points in the high jump as he took fourth at 5-8 and was eighth in the triple jump at 38-1.5.

On the track, senior Gavin Lohse, who is a returning state medalist in the long jump, had a strong showing in the 100-meter dash as he was second in 11.39 seconds. Caleb Feldkamp was fourth in 11.48.

Another senior and returning state medalist, Jerynce Brings Plenty, found success in the distance races. Brings Plenty was runner-up in the 1,600-meter run in 4:44. He was also ninth in a talented field in the 3,200 run with a time of 10:42.

“Jerynce had two solid races, finishing with impressive times for the beginning of the year,” Wright said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how he continues to develop and what he will achieve this season.”

Also on the track, Aidan Meyer, Emmett White, Colton Blue and Vohs ended the night with a third place finish in the 4×400 relay in 3:29. Meyer also went on to take fourth in the 400 dash in 52.57 and White was seventh at 53.74.

In the 800-meter run, Blue earned a fourth-place finish in 2:07, while Gavin Manson was seventh in the 100 hurdles in 22.05.

The Wildcats also scored points in the throws and it started in the javelin. Senior Brayden Yoder edged junior teammate Tasen Ellison for fifth at 136-3, and Ellison was sixth at 136-0.

Johnny Hendrickson took fifth in the discus with a throw of 120-1 and Michael Foote finished eighth at 107-2.

Louisburg is back in action on April 10 as the Wildcats travel to the Paola Invitational. Events begin at 3:30 p.m.