Louisburg senior Katie Elpers is joining the Southern New Hampshire University track and field team next season.

A little less than two years ago, Katie Elpers’ journey to competing in college took a big step forward.

As a sophomore, Elpers put together her best at the most opportune time. After qualifying for state in the javelin in 2022, she put herself among the top throwers in Class 4A when she threw a personal best and earned a state medal.

From there, Elpers’ love for the javelin took off and she realized it was something she wanted to do after high school. She now has that chance.

Last month, Elpers signed her letter of intent to join the track and field program at Southern New Hampshire University – a Division II school in Manchester, N.H.

“It really meant a lot to me when I finally made my commitment official,” Elpers said. “Playing a college sport is something I’ve always wanted to do and I’m so grateful that I was able to do it.

“I decided I wanted to do track in college after state my sophomore year. Ever since then I realized my potential with javelin and I wanted to expand on that.”

Elpers had an interest on expanding her track career away from home and Southern New Hampshire provided that for her. It didn’t take her long to realize it was going to be her future home.

“Southern New Hampshire University was a great fit for me because it had a great program for what I want to major in,” Elpers said. “I loved the campus, and I knew the track team there would be like a second family to me.”

Family has been important to Elpers and it was her family who helped her get started with javelin, and in track. Her mother, Joslyn, helped her in elementary school and had her compete in AAU events.

Since then, she has worked with Louisburg javelin coach Alex Gentges on taking the next step, along with joining the Hot Feet track club. It is there where she has been working on doing a new event in an effort to get ready for college, and is looking forward to working with her new coaches.

“The coaches at SNHU are super supportive, encouraging, and kind,” Elpers said. “To my knowledge, they want javelin to be my main event and then they want me to learn an indoor event too. I’m currently in the process of learning high jump through Hot Feet.”

Elpers experienced a little set back her junior year as she missed part of the season due to an injury, but eventually worked her way back to the state meet for the second year in a row.

She is hoping for another state medal in her final high school season and is ready to keep improving as she transitions to the college level.

“I am beyond excited for my senior season of track,” Elpers said. “I have high expectations for myself this coming season because I’ve been putting in a lot of conditioning work during the offseason.”

Louisburg’s Nathan Vincent will get a chance to compete at the highest collegiate level as he signed to join the Iowa State track and field program this coming season.

Growing up, the idea of doing track and field wasn’t even on Nathan Vincent’s radar.

As much as anything, Vincent was a big time football fan and he knew if we was going to do something in college — football was going to be it.

Then in his sophomore season, Vincent got a hold of the javelin and everything changed. That year he went on to medal fourth at state in the javelin — his first of three state medals in the event.

“Growing up I always pictured myself playing football in college, but as high school went on I realized that throwing would get me farther than football,” Vincent said. “Around sophomore year, I decided I was all in on it.”

That dedication allowed him to receive an offer to compete at Iowa State University next season. After committing to join the Cyclones, Vincent is excited to see what he can do at the collegiate level and against some tough competition in the Big 12 Conference.

“Signing with Iowa State and being able to compete at the Division 1 level is really a dream come true,” Vincent said. “I’ve watched Big 12 sports since I was a baby, and being able to be a part of them now is awesome.”

After garnering interest from different schools, Vincent was intrigued by what Iowa State had to offer. Once he took his visit, he knew this was the place for him.

“Iowa State’s facilities and coaching staff are really what stood out to me,” Vincent said. “The throwers coach is from Topeka-Hayden, so he knows the area and level of competition in 4A.”

Vincent expanded his throwing repertoire this past spring. After doing javelin and discus in the past, he added shot put to the list and the decision was a good one.

Not only did he qualify for state in all three events, but Vincent also came home with state medals in each. It was a learning experience, one that he hopes to use to his advantage when he reports to Iowa State as he tries new events there as well.

“I think doing shot, disc, and javelin this year have helped prepare me for college,” Vincent said. “Each throw has its own unique technique to it and working on those different aspects of each throw will make you better for all of the throws. I know I’m doing javelin there and I hope to do the hammer throw too.”

Vincent’s high school track and field career was a memorable one. Not only was it littered with state medals, he also helped the Wildcats to a state championship in 2021, a third place finish in 2022 and a state runner-up plaque this past spring.

It was an experience he is grateful for thanks to the coaches and his teammates.

“If I hadn’t gone to Louisburg, I don’t believe I’d be where I am today,” Vincent said. “Coach G (Alex Gentges) is one of the best javelin coaches in the state in my opinion and has always pushed with javelin. All of the sports I’ve played through my four years have all contributed to where I am now, each in their own way, especially football. 

“Even in the classroom and outside of school, Louisburg has provided me with lasting memories and experiences that I will take with me and use in the next phase of my life.”

It is that next phase that Vincent is looking forward to tackling, and he plans on wasting no time when he gets to Iowa State.

“I would say I have some lofty goals,” Vincent said. “I expect to place in the top 10 for the Big 12 next year and I expect to break 200 (feet), if not 210’s by the end of the season. I’m incredibly excited to get up there and start working and getting back into the swing of things.”

Louisburg senior Mason Dobbins was voted by the LHS head coaches as the 2023 Louisburg Sports Zone Male Athlete of the Year

Mason Dobbins had a senior season to remember when it came to athletics.

Dobbins left it all on the field/court/track during his final campaign with the Wildcats and he put his stamp on it. Whether it was winning a league title in football, helping the Wildcats to a state runner-up finish in track or earning all-league honors in three sports — Dobbins enjoyed it all.

Those were just some of the reasons Dobbins was named the 2023 Louisburg Sports Zone Male Athlete of the Year.

“It means a lot to me to be named athlete of the year,” Dobbins said. “It feels good to that know that all your hard work pays off.”

He certainly put in a lot of work and it showed throughout the 2022-23 school year. It started during football season as the team’s starting wide receiver.

The Wildcats finished as undefeated Frontier League Champions and Dobbins played a big role in that. Dobbins earned first team All-Frontier League honors at wide receiver with 25 catches, 382 yards and four touchdowns. He was also named honorable mention all-state.

Dobbins returned to the basketball court after taking a couple years off and his 6-foot-7 frame made an immediate impact as he led the team with 7.6 rebounds a game to go along with 1.5 steals and a block per contest. He was later named to the Frontier League All-Defensive Team.

However it was the track where he made his biggest impact.

Dobbins won the state championship in the high jump, and earlier in the year, broke the school record with a jump of 6 feet, 7 inches. He was a state runner-up in the 110-meter hurdles and also took third in the 200-meter dash. 

He was also a part of the 4×100-meter relay that also medaled third and set a new school record earlier in the year. In all, Dobbins won nine state medals in his Wildcat career.

At the state meet, Dobbins racked up 30 points to help Louisburg to a state runner-up finish as the Wildcats lost to Andale by just half-a-point.

“This past season was my best one yet,” Dobbins said. “In football we were league champs. In basketball, I thought I played way better than I thought I would. Then in track, I was a state champ and we almost won a state championship. It was a lot of fun.”

As easy as he made it look at times, competing in three sports has its challenges. 

“It’s definitely something that I am proud of,” Dobbins said. “Three sports can be a lot on the body, and for me to go without an injury the whole year, was a blessing.”

Now that his high school career is finished, he is looking forward to starting a new chapter in his life — with the Northwest Missouri State track and field program.

“I am so excited to start my track career at Northwest,” Dobbins said. “It’s a whole different world than what high school track is, but I am ready for it.”

Louisburg’s Nathan Apple will join the Missouri S&T track and field program next season after earning three state medals as a Wildcat.

When Nathan Apple was introduced to the hurdles in the seventh grade, he had no idea at the time how that event would become a big part in his life.

Since that time in middle school, Apple turned into one of the top hurdlers in school history and was a part of trio of hurdlers that helped the Wildcats to a state championship in 2021, a third place finish in 2022 and a state runner-up performance in 2023.

Apple played a role in all of those trophies, and those successes have now given him another opportunity to continue growing in the sport of track and field.

The recent Louisburg graduate signed his letter of intent to compete for the Missouri S&T track and field program next season.

“Signing for track was a fairly new dream for me,” Apple said. “It wasn’t until my sophomore or junior year that I realized that I could go somewhere with track and college athletics hadn’t even been a thought before. It means a lot to me to be able to continue doing something that I’m passionate about at a higher level of competition.”

Apple made significant strides as a hurdler, including when he qualified for state as a sophomore in the 110 meters. He went on to medal fourth in that event as a junior, and again this past season as a senior.

He picked up his third state medal in the 300 hurdles in May as he finished fourth in that event as well. 

“I’ve been hurdling for the past six years and I’ve made a lot of progress in both the form and speed of the race,” Apple said. “Ms. (Leanna) Willer was my first coach in high school and she taught me a lot about how to approach and go over hurdles while, coach (Andy) Wright was responsible for my growth in speed. I owe both of them a lot as I never would have reached this point without them.”

Apple is looking forward to joining a Miner team that will compete at a high level. Missouri S&T is a Division II program based in Rolla, Mo. and competes in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

Before he even accepted the Miners’ track offer, Missouri S&T was already the school of choice for Apple after high school.

“I was already planning on attending S&T for engineering and the ability to run for them was a welcome surprise,” he said. “I haven’t heard a lot about what I’ll be doing there other than hurdles, but I’m looking forward to trying new things.”

Apple is ready to take that next step in his track career, while getting a good education in the process. It is all he wanted.

“I’m looking forward to this next step in my life and I can’t wait to experience it,” Apple said. “I hope to do much better in college both athletically and academically than I did at home. My education is my top priority, but I feel that I can run better, and with the help of a collegiate training program I know that my times will improve.”

For the sixth consecutive year, Louisburg Sports Zone will be handing out an Athlete of the Year honor to a male and female athlete at Louisburg High School. I wanted the opportunity to recognize those who exemplify what it means to be an “athlete.”

Although I am giving out the award, I wanted the process to be subjective, so I asked the head coaches at LHS to help me out. I asked each coach to send me nominations of who they thought exemplified the Athlete of the Year honor. They will then vote for their top 3 male and female athletes and then I will tabulate the results and determine the winner. The winner will be announced in the coming days.

Below are the nominees for the Female Athlete of the Year award in alphabetical order by last name. Congrats to all those who were nominated and best of luck!

Emma Lohse – Senior – Basketball and Track and Field

Louisburg senior Emma Lohse was a big varsity contributor for the Lady Cat basketball team and blazed the track for the Louisburg girls as the team’s top sprinter.

On the track, Lohse recorded three state medals, including a pair of individual medals. She was the state runner-up in the 100-meter dash and later finished seventh in the 200 dash. Lohse was also a part of the 4×100-meter relay that medaled third and broke the school record in four straight meets. She also qualified for state in the 4×400-meter relay.

On the basketball court, Lohse was one of the Lady Cats’ top defenders as she played a big role on a team that reached the sub-state championship game.

Emma Prettyman – Senior – Volleyball, Basketball, Track and Field

Louisburg senior Emma Prettyman was a starter, or key contributor on three different Wildcat teams this past school year, including the volleyball, basketball and track and field programs.

On the volleyball court, Prettyman was one of the Lady Cats’ middle hitters as she helped Louisburg to a fourth place finish at the state tournament. She finished with a team-high 60 blocks and had 166 kills.

Prettyman was the starting center for Louisburg basketball as the Lady Cats earned a spot in the sub-state championship game. She was among the team leaders in rebounds with 6.5 a contest and had two assists a game. She was named to the All-Frontier League Defensive Team.

Prettyan was also the top thrower on the Lady Cat track and field team and earned a spot at the state meet in the discus. It was there where she earned her first state medal as she took sixth overall.

Adyson Ross – Senior – Volleyball, Basketball and Soccer

Louisburg senior Adyson Ross started for three different Wildcat programs this past season and it all started last fall in volleyball.

Ross, who started the season as an outside hitter, made the move to libero halfway through the year and thrived in her new role. She recorded 363 digs on the season to go along with 67 kills and 41 aces. She helped the Lady Cats to a fourth-place finish at the state tournament and earned second-team all-league honors.

On the basketball court, Ross was a starting wing for the Lady Cats as she helped them advance to the sub-state championship game. She was the team’s leading scorer at 12.5 points per game and averaged nearly seven rebounds a contest, to go along with two assists and 1.6 steals. Ross was selected first team all-league and earned a spot in the Missouri vs. Kansas all-star game. She also earned second team all-state honors.

On the pitch, Ross was one of the top goal scorers on a Wildcat team that reached the regional championship match. She finished the season with 16 goals and 21 assists to go along with 35 shots on goal. Ross later earned first team All-Frontier League honors and was also named second team all-state.

Rowan Yows – Sophomore – Soccer

Lady Cat sophomore Rowan Yows was a key part of the Louisburg girls soccer team this past season that saw the Lady Cats reach the sub-state championship game.

Yows, who played in the midfield, was the team’s leading scorer with 19 goals on the season and led the team with 50 shots on goal. She also tallied 11 assists on the season.

For the sixth consecutive year, Louisburg Sports Zone will be handing out an Athlete of the Year honor to a male and female athlete at Louisburg High School. I wanted the opportunity to recognize those who exemplify what it means to be an “athlete.”

Although I am giving out the award, I wanted the process to be subjective, so I asked the head coaches at LHS to help me out. I asked each coach to send me nominations of who they thought exemplified the Athlete of the Year honor. They will then vote for their top 3 male and female athletes and then I will tabulate the results and determine the winner. The winner will be announced in the coming days.

Below are the nominees for the Male Athlete of the Year award in alphabetical order by last name. Congrats to all those who were nominated and best of luck!

Kaven Bartlett – Senior – Wrestling and Soccer

Kaven Bartlett competed on the Louisburg wrestling and boys soccer team, but Bartlett was a fixture on the mat for the Wildcat wrestling program.

Bartlett qualified for state at 138 pounds and became a 3-time state qualifier for Louisburg and was a state medalist in 2022. He finished with a 119-45 career record and was a two-time team captain and four-year letter winner. Those 119 wins are fifth in program history and he has 158 career takedowns and 726.5 career points, which is both third in team history. He was named the 2023 LHS Wrestler of the Year.

Bartlett was also a defender on the Wildcat soccer team his past season. The Wildcats advanced to the regional championship game.

Declan Battle – Junior – Football and Baseball

Declan Battle had big seasons for both the Wildcat football and baseball programs.

Under the lights on the football field, Battle was the Wildcat starting quarterback as he led his team to an undefeated Frontier League championship. The dual-threat quarterback scored 23 total touchdowns and totaled more than 1,700 yards. That performance led him to a first-team All-Frontier League, along with all-state honors.

On the diamond, Battle was the Wildcats’ starting centerfielder and leadoff hitter. He scored 32 runs on the year, which is a Wildcat program record. Battle also recorded a .429 average to go along with five doubles and three triples. He also stole 17 bases. His performance also earned him second team All-Frontier League and all-state honors.

Mason Dobbins – Senior – Football, Basketball and Track and Field

Louisburg senior Mason Dobbins was a fixture for three Wildcat programs this past season. Dobbins was the starting wide receiver on the football field, starting forward on the basketball team and a state medalist for the track program.

Dobbins stood out the most in the track and field arena. He qualified for state in four events and medaled in all four as he helped the Wildcats to a state runner-up finish this past May. 

Dobbins won the state championship in the high jump, and earlier in the year, broke the school record with a jump of 6 feet, 7 inches. He was a state runner-up in the 110-meter hurdles and also took third in the 200-meter dash. He was also a part of the 4×100-meter relay that also medaled third and set a new school record earlier in the year. In all, Dobbins has won nine state medals in his Wildcat career.

On the football field, Dobbins earned first team All-Frontier League honors at wide receiver with 25 catches, 382 yards and four touchdowns. He also earned honorable mention all-state honors. 

On the basketball court, Dobbins was named to the All-Frontier League defensive team. He led the Wildcats with 7.6 rebounds a game to go along with 1.5 steals and 1 block per contest.

Cade Gassman – Senior – Soccer, Basketball and Track and Field

Cade Gassman was a starter, or key contributor, for three Wildcat programs during 2022-23 school year. Gassman was the starting midfielder and captain for the soccer team, starting guard on the basketball court and a jumper for the track and field program.

Gassman made his biggest impact on the pitch for Louisburg. As a midfielder, Gassman drew a lot of attention from the opposition as he finished with five goals and four assists on the season to lead the Wildcats to the regional title match. In his career, he is one of the more prolific scorers in school history.

The Louisburg senior finished with 47 career goals, which is second in program history and was third in school history with 26 career assists. His 120 career points is also second in Wildcat history. He is a four-time all-state and all-Frontier League first team selection.

On the hardwood, Gassman was the starting guard for the Wildcats and he recorded 39 rebounds and had 22 assists to go along with 14 steals. On the track, Gassman was a state qualifier in the high jump for Louisburg and finished 11th overall at state.

Nathan Vincent, Senior, Football and Track and Field

Louisburg senior Nathan Vincent played big roles for both the Wildcat football team and track and field program. Vincent was a starting lineman for the Wildcat football team and a state medalist in track.

On the football field, Vincent started on both sides of the ball as he earned all-state and all league honors. He finished with 80 tackles as a defensive end to go along with 6.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for a loss. Vincent was a key member of the offensive line as he helped the Wildcats to more than 33 points per game. He earned first team all-league offensive league honors and second team-defense. He also recorded first team all-state honors and was selected to play in the Kansas Shrine Bowl.

Vincent was the Wildcats’ top thrower for the track and field program. Vincent recorded three state medals as he helped Louisburg to a state runner-up team finish. At state, Vincent medaled third in the shot put, fifth in the discus and sixth in the javelin. In all, Vincent has won five career state medals, with three coming in the javelin.

Colyer Wingfield, Senior, Basketball, Track and Field

Louisburg senior Colyer Wingfield had a big season for both the Wildcat basketball team and track program. Wingfield was the leading scorer for the Wildcat basketball program, and was a part of two state relays in track.

Wingfield earned a lot of success on the hardwood as he was named to the All-Frontier League second team. He led the Wildcats in scoring at 17.4 points per game and pulled down nearly six rebounds a contest.

On the track, Wingfield helped the 4×100 relay and 4×400 relay to state medals as both finished third at the state meet last month. The 4×100 relay set a new school record in the process. He also did the long and triple jumps for the Wildcats.

Members of the Louisburg boys Class 4A state runner-up track and field team are (front row, from left) Cooper Wingfield, Ethan Ptacek, J.R. Rooney, Blaise Vohs, Myles Vohs, Colton Blue, Hunter Heinrich, Cade Gassman; (back row) head coach Andy Wright, coach Alex Gentges, Caden Caplinger, Nathan Vincent, Mason Dobbins, Nathan Apple, Colyer Wingfield, Jerynce Brings Plenty and coaches John Reece and Shelby Suther.

WICHITA — The Louisburg boys track and field team had the resume of a state champion. 

The Wildcats racked up 87 points during last weekend’s Class 4A Kansas State Track and Field Championships at Wichita State. 

Louisburg medaled in all 13 events it competed and the Wildcats finished the meet with two individual state champions. The ending was supposed to feature the Wildcats holding up a state championship plaque.

“If you would have told me at the beginning of the year we would score 87 points at state and not win a championship, I would have just ignored you and said ‘Whatever,’” Louisburg coach Andy Wright said. “No way that would happen.”

As it turned out, the Wildcats found themselves on the outside looking in for a team state title. Andale finished first with 87.5 points. Louisburg had 87.

It was an emotional letdown for the Wildcats as they were so close to that team goal.

“To beat Andale, we had to score 88 and that is just a testament to how good they are,” Wright said. “They have really good athletes, especially in the throws. At the same time, I couldn’t be more proud of my guys and how they competed. It was just so much fun to watch them lay it all out there. They really did have a great season.”

As much success as Louisburg had throughout the state meet, the Wildcats always found themselves trying to rein in Andale and couldn’t quite overtake the Indians.

Andale scored 48 of its points in the throws to get the Indians off to a good start. Louisburg opened the state meet with 18 points in the pole vault with Caden Caplinger and Cooper Wingfield’s top two finish and another 10 in the high jump on Mason Dobbins’ state title.

Senior Nathan Vincent was able to help keep the Wildcats within striking distance as he scored points in all three throwing events, while Dobbins and Nathan Apple scored key points in the hurdles.

Sophomore Jerynce Brings Plenty medaled in two individual distance events, while the 4×100 and 4×800 relays also earned the Wildcats big points.

Louisburg also had to overcome an injury bug as Ashton Moore, the 4×100 anchor, suffered an injury in the prelims and Ethan Ptacek had to fill his spot. Ptacek came through as the Wildcats were still able to get third in the relay.

Despite all that success, the Wildcats were on the brink of elimination from the state race going into the 200-meter dash — the second-to-last event. Louisburg was down 11.5 points to Andale. 

It was all up to Dobbins. After the prelims on Friday, Dobbins had the seventh fastest time in the event and he had to finish at least fifth to keep the Wildcats mathematically alive.

He did more than that. In his final race as a Wildcat, Dobbins came through as he took third in 23.07 seconds and scored six points for Louisburg. Dobbins, who was running in lane 1, was just .02 seconds behind the runner-up finisher.

“I got to see him grow up the last three years,” Wright said of Dobbins. “Mason ran an unbelievable race and he did it in a really difficult lane to run in. He knew what he had to do to keep his team in it and he really came through big time. His mental toughness was what stuck out to me and what impressed me the most about him at state.”

With seemingly new life, the Wildcats were now just 5.5 points back of Andale and the Louisburg 4×400 relay of junior Hunter Heinrich, freshman Blaise Vohs, senior Colyer Wingfield and senior Ethan Ptacek needed to get third place for the Wildcats to hoist the state championship plaque.

“Once Mason took third, then I could see those 4×400 guys really start to warm up and get serious,” Wright said. “They knew what was on the line.”

All the relay team did was a run 3-second personal best and was .25 seconds off the school record. They put together a state championship-level performance.

Unfortunately, it still wasn’t enough. Bishop Miege edged Louisburg for third place and the Wildcats finished as the state runner-up.

“I knew they would be competitive,” Wright said of the relay. “I had different people running it at the beginning of the year. Found the four I wanted and getting Ethan healthy again was huge. He was the main guy for that relay to be successful, but Colyer ran amazing legs as well. It was great to see the other guys in Blaise, who is freshman, run strong and Hunter is a good first leg and he always keeps us in the running.

“However, the race they put together was unbelievable. To cut three seconds off their time and almost get a school record, that was something I don’t know that I saw coming. They competed so hard. They wanted it for their teammates.”

It was an emotional scene afterward as the Andale team celebrated, while Wildcats had the feeling of a game-winning shot in a state basketball game, just rimming out. They were THAT close to their second state title in three years.

The run Louisburg track has been on the last three seasons has been a memorable one. The Wildcats won a state title in 2021, took third in 2022 and now second this season. 

Even in 2020, the Wildcats were also primed to reach the state podium as a team, but the season was cancelled due to COVID.

“We have been pretty fortunate to have a lot of great athletes come through the program these last few years,” Wright said. “It has been a lot of fun watching all of them compete and grow over time.

“We had so many kids do great things. We can be upset for finishing second at state, but we cannot be upset about the effort. The kids gave everything they had. I’m so proud of all of them for what they accomplished this year.”

Louisburg senior Emma Lohse earned three state medals Saturday at the Class 4A Kansas State Track and Field Championships at Wichita State.

WICHITA — Emma Lohse has blazed the track for the Louisburg girls track and field team all season, and Saturday at the Class 4A Kansas State Track and Field Championships was no different.

Lohse picked up three medals and helped the 4×100-meter relay to another school record Saturday at Wichita State’s Cessna Stadium. In all, the Lady Cats medaled in five events and finished sixth in the team standings with 29 points.

“Coming back from Wichita with three state medals was something I had to work for and was happy about the outcome,” Lohse said. “Leaving Cessna Stadium one last time, I was very proud of the way I competed and proud of what I came home with.”

Lohse was just inches away from winning a state championship in the 100-meter dash. At the finish line, the Louisburg senior was step-for-step with Rose Hill’s Kate Dare.

As the two leaned for the finish line, Dare edged Lohse for first as Lohse ran a time of 12.46 seconds. Dare ran a 12.44.

“Going into the 100, I knew the competition I was about to go against and both of us were very close to each other time wise,” Lohse said. “Going against Kate was probably the best competition I had this year and it just came down to the wire at the end of the race.”

Later in the 200-meter dash, Lohse earned another state medal as she took seventh in 26.77 seconds.

Sandwiched in between those two races, Lohse helped the 4×100-meter relay of Mackenzie Rooney, Suzanna Dansel and Kendall Crossley to a medal of their own.

The Lady Cat relay finished third overall with a time of 49.70 seconds. Andale won in 49.24 and McPherson was second at 49.67.

However, in the preliminaries on Friday, the team broke their own school record for the fourth consecutive time in 49.26 seconds and had the fastest time going into the finals.

‘Breaking the school record for the fourth time this year in the 4×100 was unbelievable, especially with it being at state,” Lohse said. “Even thought the finals definitely didn’t go the way we wanted it to, I still feel like we ran the best we could and were still very competitive to the other teams.”

Along with Lohse’s big outing, the Louisburg girls also had a state champion. Junior Maddy Carpenter-Ross won the pole vault with a clearance of 11 feet. (More on her story can be found here).

The final Lady Cat to find the medal stand was Emma Prettyman. The Louisburg senior put together a strong showing in the discus.

Prettyman earned her first state medal as she finished sixth in the event with a throw of 115 feet, 9 inches.

“I was really glad to get to compete at state this year, especially since it was my first and last time going,” Prettyman said. “I wish I could have gotten a new PR, but in the end I am happy with how I did.”

Several other Lady Cats also competed at the state meet.

Junior Emma Vohs ran in both the 400-meter dash and 1,600-meter run. Vohs finished 13th in the 1,600 in 5 minutes and 55 seconds and 15th in the 400 dash in 1:04.38.

Rooney competed in the 300-meter hurdles and took 12th in 50.73 seconds. Vohs, Rooney, Lohse and Crossley also took part in the 4×400-meter relay and finished 12th overall in 4:17.

Junior Katie Elpers threw the javelin and took 13th at 101-9, while freshman Kenna Lohse was 16th in the shot put with a toss of 31-4.5.

Louisburg senior Mason Dobbins clears a height during the high jump competition Saturday at the Class 4A State Track and Field Championships at Wichita State. Dobbins recorded four state medals on the day, including a state title in the high jump.

WICHITA — Mason Dobbins reached new heights Saturday at the Class 4A Kansas State Track and Field Championship.

Ok, well maybe not literally.

Dobbins who broke a school record in the high jump earlier this year, didn’t reach that height at the state meet — but he didn’t need to. The Louisburg senior cleared 6 feet, 6 inches to win the Class 4A high jump title.

It was the first of four state medals that Dobbins would win on the day as he helped lead the Wildcats to the Class 4A state runner-up plaque.

Louisburg fell just short of its second state title in three years as the Wildcats lost to Andale by just a half-a-point, 87.5-87. The Wildcats scored points in all 13 events they competed.

“It meant everything to be a state champion and to be able to medal in all of my events this year since I didn’t last year,” Dobbins said. “Our team trains so hard, and to be able to be runner up by .5 points, is incredible.”

Dobbins had a battle on his hands in the high jump, as he didn’t miss one attempt all the way through 6-4. However, Augusta’s Isaiah Blackwell didn’t either.

Neither of the jumpers were able to clear 6-6 in their three attempts, so the competition went to a jump-off. Dobbins was able to get 6-6 on his fourth try and Blackwell missed.

“I have always wanted to be a state champion and to be able to accomplish it feels great,” Dobbins said. “I wasn’t nervous for the jump off since I had cleared 6’6 before.”

Dobbins nearly earned his second state title in the 110-meter hurdles as he found himself in a battle with Rose Hill’s Teagan Cobb. The two were stride-for-stride going into he final hurdle, but Cobb nipped Dobbins at the finish line.

Dobbins finished as the state runner-up for the second consecutive year as he ran a time of 14.70. Cobb won in 14.67.

“Teagan Cobb from Rose Hill is a great hurdler and was great competition for me,” Dobbins said. “The race honestly could’ve gone either way.”

Later on, he joined Caden Caplinger, Colyer Wingfield and Ethan Ptacek in the 4×100-meter relay and the team medaled third in 43.38 seconds. Ptacek had to run for Ashton Moore, who was injured during the preliminaries on Friday.

Then toward the end of the meet, Dobbins, who was sitting seventh in the 200-meter dash after the preliminaries, battled to keep his team in the state championship race and medaled third in 23.07.

Caplinger joined Dobbins on top of the state podium as he and teammate Cooper Wingfield finished 1-2 in the pole vault to score 18 points in the event. (More on that story can be found here.)

Louisburg senior Nathan Vincent got his team a lot of points in the throwing events as he medaled in the javelin, discus and shot put — with the latter being his best event of the weekend.

Vincent, who just started doing shot put this year, put together his best performance of the season. He recorded a personal best throw of 51-8 in the finals Saturday to take third overall.

“I certainly didn’t expect that event to be my highest finish of the three,” Vincent said. ‘”In the throws, it only takes one and any given day you can be on or off. I felt that one coming for awhile. After falling out of the 50s for the last three or four meets, I felt like I had a big one coming and no better place to do it than state. I was certainly happy when that one happened.”

Then came another personal best in the discus in his first event Friday. Vincent, recorded a throw of 149-8 in his final throw of the competition, to move him up from seventh to fifth.

“Even if it is only by two inches, a PR is a PR,” Vincent said. “I was happy with the outcome, and anyway we can get points to get on top of those Andale boys, I was happy about.”

Then came the javelin with Class 4A producing the best throwers of the state. The top six throwers threw more than 185 feet, which could have won many of the other classifications.

Also, with the events running behind, the competition finished after sundown, which made it difficult on some of the throwers. 

Still, Vincent recorded a throw of 185-5 to finish in sixth overall. Andale’s Riley Marx won the competition on his final throw with a mark of 206-11.

“It was certainly a strange one,” Vincent said. “It was dark, and everyone had to throw in it, so there is no excuse. It is hard when you can’t see your marks on the ground very well. It felt like it was coming out great, but it just wasn’t going through the air like I thought. I know I had more in me, and for me it was a disappointing outcome, but I competed and I did my best.

“I am glad it ended the way it did and that I ended on a positive note with shot put. I would have liked to finish higher in javelin, but I am happy with how I performed.”

Sophomore Jerynce Brings Plenty also came away with three state medals in the distance events, but none was more precious to him than the 3,200-meter run.

Brings Plenty broke the school record in the event Friday as he medaled third in 9 minutes and 49.41 seconds. He surpassed the old mark of 9:50.60 that was set by Jason Rose in 2007.

“I have worked all offseason and during the season to get to this point,” Brings Plenty said. “I came here last year and got 11th, so I wanted to obviously do better. Coming in I was a little nervous, but the main thing I wanted was that record after just missing it by a tenth-of-second at regionals. I honestly didn’t care about what place I got necessarily, I just wanted that record. But third place is pretty awesome too.

“I have kind of idolized Jason Rose for awhile. He set the record back in 2007, and that was the year I was born. I just thought how cool would it be if I was able to get it this year.”

Brings Plenty continued his medal streak for the Wildcats as he joined Hunter Heinrich, Blaise Vohs and Colton Blue to medal seventh Saturday in the 4×800-meter relay.

Later in the day, Brings Plenty competed in the 1,600 run and took sixth in 4:34.42.

Louisburg senior Nathan Apple left his final state meet with a pair of medals in both hurdle events. Apple finished fourth in the 110-meter hurdles in 15.29 seconds on Saturday.

Apple also went on to take fourth in the 300 hurdles in 40.55 seconds as he ended his Wildcat track career on a positive note.

“I’m very happy to return from state with medals,” Apple said. “It showed me that the hard work and training that coach (Andy) Wright put us through paid off in the end, and I’m very glad that I had the opportunity to run for him. 

“In both of my races, the competition was incredibly fierce. I’m glad I got to run with Mason again in the 110s and I look forward to competing against him someday. I personally felt like I ran poorly in my races, but I am still proud of the placements that I received and the points that I was able to contribute to the team.”

The Wildcats ended the state meet with the 4×400-meter relay as the team of Heinrich, Vohs, Colyer Wingfield and Ptacek needed a third place finish or better to win the state title. Unfortunately, the Wildcats came up just short as they took fourth in 3:23.98.

Louisburg set a new personal record by three seconds and was .25 seconds away from tying the school record. The Wildcats also scored points in all three relay events.

“It is nice to have other kids get success who maybe aren’t able to qualify individually,” Louisburg coach Andy Wright said. “It is awesome to have someone in the race. It is great to see all the relays medal and the 4×8 will be back next year. The 4×1 has two back and 4×4 has two back. I’m excited to see what we can do next year, but I am so proud of the group this year. 

“This team did so many great things throughout the season and really competed, especially at the end of the year. They were just a lot of fun to watch.”

Louisburg had a pair of athletes that finished just outside medal contention.

Senior J.R. Rooney was one spot out of a medal as he took ninth in the shot put with a toss of 47-6.5. Senior Cade Gassman took 11th in the high jump after clearing 6 feet.

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athletes of the Week for week 10 of the spring sports season, sponsored by IronHorse Family and Cosmetic Dentistry.

MADDY CARPENTER-ROSS, JUNIOR, TRACK AND FIELD

Louisburg junior Maddy Carpenter-Ross made school history Friday during the Class 4A Kansas State Track and Field Championships in Wichita. Carpenter-Ross flew past the competition as she cleared 11 feet to win the 4A state crown. She didn’t miss an attempt until she tried for 11-6. Her clearance of 11 feet tied a personal best that she set a week prior to win a regional title.

CADEN CAPLINGER, JUNIOR, TRACK AND FIELD

Louisburg junior Caden Caplinger found himself in a battle with teammate Cooper Wingfield in the pole vault competition Friday as the Class 4A Kansas State Track and Field Championships in Wichita. Caplinger won his second consecutive state pole vault title after he cleared 15 feet. Wingfield finished second right behind him at 14-6.

Caplinger earned a second state medal in the 4×100-meter relay as he, along with Mason Dobbins, Colyer Wingfield and Ethan Ptacek medaled third at state to help give the Wildcats some big team points. As a team, the Louisburg boys finished as the state runner-up.

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: Rowan Yows

Week 2: Sabra Brueggen

Week 3: Danny Napier

Week 4: Corbin Hamman

Week 5: Megan Quinn

Week 6: Lexi Hampton

Week 7: Mason Dobbins

Week 8: Emma Lohse

Week 9: Jerynce Brings Plenty