Louisburg’s (from left) Cooper Wingfield, Caden Caplinger and Maddy Carpenter-Ross earned top honors during the Class 4A state meet Friday at Wichita State. Caplinger won his second state title, while Carpenter-Ross won the girls side. Wingfield finished right behind Caplinger in second.

WICHITA — Maddy Carpenter-Ross, Caden Caplinger and Cooper Wingfield had been considered as some of the top pole vaulters in Class 4A for most of the season.

All three had finished at, or toward the top of each of their meets this year, and all of them had high hopes going into state meet Friday at Wichita State.

Carpenter-Ross and Caplinger reached the highest summit Class 4A had to offer as both were crowned state champions following their respective events.

Caplinger became a two-time state champion first as he cleared 15 feet to win the 4A boys pole vault.

“It means a lot and I am just blessed to have the opportunity to be here and win the title, especially with Cooper right on my tail,” Caplinger said. 

Wingfield certainly made it interesting. The Louisburg sophomore was ahead in the competition after clearing 14-6 on his first attempt and Caplinger missed his first two.

It all came down to Caplinger’s third attempt. If he were to miss, he would be eliminated and Wingfield would take the lead in the competition with Andale’s Rylan White. However, it was hard for him to root against his teammate.

“I don’t think pole vaulters want each other to fail,” Wingfield said. “I mean there was a little bit in me that hoped he missed it, but we honestly do root for each other. We know how hard it is and we don’t want each other to fail.”

Caplinger went on to clear the attempt. Then after Wingfield and White missed all of their attempts at 15 feet, Wingfield still had the upper-hand on Caplinger, who had one more try at 15 feet, after missing his first two. If the two tied at 14-6, Wingfield would have won the tiebreaker based on number of misses at 14-6.

Just like on the previous height, the third time was the charm and Caplinger secured the state title. He did it on a day where he was feeling under the weather and he was able to battle through.

“It didn’t feel like a day where I could do very well and I didn’t feel well at all,” Caplinger said. “I just had to go out there and do the best I could. When I cleared 15 feet, I felt that it all just went away.

“We are one big supportive group. You want everyone to do the best that they can do throughout the entire competition. If you win, and other people are having off days, then I’m not sure it means as much because you are just kind of competing against yourself. It has been great going up against Cooper because he has been super consistent all year.”

Wingfield went on to finish as the state runner-up at 14-6, which was a long way from where he finished his season a year ago.

“It means a lot,” Wingfield said. “Honestly, I was just glad to make it to state after the year I had last year. My top height was 10-6 last year, but I just worked on my form and it paid off. Not sure I thought I would get second at state at the start of the year, but it feels good.”

Carpenter-Ross thrived under the pressure in the girls competition as she, not only looked for her second consecutive state medal, but her first state championship. 

The Louisburg junior captured her first state title after she cleared 11 feet, which tied a personal best. This coming off a season where she medaled fifth at state a year ago.

“I think it is fantastic,” Carpenter-Ross said. “Going to 11 feet, I was tied with the one girl and I was hoping that I would get it on my first try. Then when I did, it was just an amazing feeling. 

“It was just awesome for me, plus to see my family’s faces up in the stands was really cool too. Being a state champion is awesome and I plan to do it again.”

Carpenter-Ross vaulted strong from when she came in on her opening height at 9-6. She went on to clear four straight heights without a miss, which included getting 11 feet on her first attempt.

That put her in the driver’s seat after Andale’s JoJo Cutler missed on her first attempt at 11-0. 

“I had a lot of confidence in myself,” Carpenter-Ross said. “In practice, I was able to clear 11 feet on my first attempt. I knew I could do it here (state). I could do it anywhere. The competition was really tough. There were a lot of girls who were close to me, and I knew it could come down to a jumping game on who clears a height first. Luckily, I was able to do it.”

Members of the Louisburg boys track and field team hoist the regional championship trophy last Friday at Shawnee Mission North.

SHAWNEE MISSION — In what was a competitive regional, the Louisburg boys track and field team made it look easy at times.

During the Class 4A regional Friday at Shawnee Mission North, the Wildcats racked up 132.83 points and cruised to the regional title as they qualified for state in 13 events. The top four teams in each event qualified for state. 

Wamego earned regional runner-up honors with 113.33 points.

“Knowing this was a super tough meet, I just asked them to compete and focus on getting in the top four in each event,” Louisburg boys coach Andy Wright said. “They did a great job.”

Louisburg senior Mason Dobbins won two regional titles and qualified for state in four different events. Dobbins won the 110-meter hurdles in 14.91 seconds and later won the high jump after he cleared 6 feet, 4 inches.

Dobbins continued his success in the 200-meter dash as he finished third in 22.67 seconds.

“I was very happy about the outcome of the 110 hurdles and high jump,” Dobbins said. “The 200 competition was fast and it made for a great race.”

Dobbins continued his success with a few teammates as he, Caden Caplinger, Colyer Wingfield and Ashton Moore qualified in the 4×100-meter relay.

The fastest three 4×100 teams in the state were at this regional in Bishop Miege, Topeka-Hayden and Louisburg. The three teams were neck and neck, but the Wildcats were third in 43.19 seconds.

“We knew that this is basically a look at how the 4×100 is gonna be at state and we are going to practice and tweak the things that need to be fixed so we can improve at state,” Dobbins said.

Also on the track, sophomore Jerynce Brings Plenty had a big day in the distance races as he won the 1,600-meter run in 4:36. 

Brings Plenty later finished third in the 3,200-meter run and was less than a second from breaking the school record. He ran a 9:50.70 and the record is currently 9:50.60 set by Jason Rose in 2007.

“Regionals was a big field in the distance races,” Wright said. “Jerynce ran smart and did what he needed to do to be in the top 4. It (the 3,200) was probably one of the smartest races I saw him run all year.”

The Wildcats also qualified all three relays for state. Along with the 4×100, Brings Plenty, Hunter Heinrich, Colton Blue and Blaise Vohs ran a season-best time of 8:22 in the 4×800 relay and finished second.

To end the meet, the 4×400 relay of Heinrich, Colyer Wingfield, Vohs and Ethan Ptacek ran a season-best time of 3:27 and took fourth.

“With the competition, we knew that our relay teams had to be at their best,” Wright said. “The 4×8 started the meet with a big finish. 4×1 ran a solid race, just inches away from winning, and the 4×4 came in ranked sixth and knew they had to PR to get in.”

In the field events, junior Caden Caplinger and sophomore Cooper Wingfield have scored big points for the Wildcats all season in the pole vault and that continued Friday.

Both vaulters cleared 15-1, along with Eudora’s Kole Manley, but based on number of misses, Caplinger won the regional title and Wingfield was second. 

Originally, meet workers had Manley winning the event, but due to some confusion, meet officials went on to change the results late in the evening.

“It didn’t mean as much winning the regional title as me and Coop taking first and second to help win the meet,” Caplinger said. “But it was nice to win it after last year coming in second.

“I felt like after the first few heights I settled in and vaulted much better. Having Coop right behind me this season has been so fun. We’ve been taking over the meets, which is just so fun and making us both better vaulters.”

Louisburg senior Nathan Vincent qualified in all three throwing events as he was second in the javelin at 184-11. He found himself out of the top four going into his final two throws, when he shot his way up to second.

Vincent was third in the discus at 147-9 and took fourth in the shot put at 49-5. 

He will have some company at state in throwing department as senior J.R. Rooney qualified for state for the first time. Rooney finished second in the shot put with a personal best toss of 50 feet.

“Nathan has been solid all year,” Wright said. “I’m excited to see what he can do with all three events when they are spread out in two days instead of four hours. 

“JR has been working hard the last four years. It’s nice to see it pay off with throwing a PR and qualifying in shot for the first time.”

Senior Nathan Apple also ran strong in his two hurdles events as he qualified in both. Apple was second in the 110-meter hurdles in 15.15 seconds.

In the 300 hurdles, Apple was the regional runner-up in a time of 40.24 seconds.

After reaching the state podium as a team the last two years (first in 2021 and third in 2022), the Wildcats will try and get back there again this Friday and Saturday at the Kansas State Track and Field Championships.

Events begin Friday afternoon and will run through Saturday at Wichita State University. The top eight in each event earn a state medal.

“We qualified 13 events and have a chance to place in all 13,” Wright said. “I am excited to see what we can do.They have been focused all week and are ready to compete this weekend.” 

Other results are: 

100 dash: J’Lee Collins, 10th, 11.92

200 dash: Collins, 7th, 25.05

400 dash: Ethan Ptacek, 7th, 51.03

800 run: Blaise Vohs, 5th, 2:05; Leo Martin, 15th, 2:15

1600 run: Martin, 8th, 5:01

3200 run: Noah Cotter, 9th, 10:33

High Jump: Isaiah Whitley, 6th, 5-10

Long Jump: Colyer Wingfield, 6th, 19-9.75; Whitley, 7th, 19-9.25; Myles Vohs, 15th, 17-4.75

Triple Jump: Wingfield, 5th, 40-10.75; Trey Myers, 13th, 36-11.5

Pole Vault: Jacob Brown, 5th, 11-1

Discus: Ben O’Bryan, 9th, 128-11; J.R. Rooney, 13th, 123-1

Javelin: Tasen Ellison, 10th, 136-1; Brecon Klugman, 12th, 130-6

Shot Put: Jaymes Melton, 10th, 44-4.5

Louisburg’s Suzanna Dansel takes the handoff from Mackenzie Rooney in the 4×100-meter relay Friday during the Class 4A regional meet at Shawnee Mission North. The relay broke their own school record for the third straight week.

SHAWNEE MISSION — It may be small in numbers, but the Louisburg girls track and field team showed out in a big way Friday during the Class 4A regional meet.

The Lady Cats won five individual regional titles on their way to a regional runner-up finish with 90 points and qualified for state in 11 events. Eudora won the regional crown with 132 points at Shawnee Mission North.

“Not going to lie, I expected us to be runner-up as we were positioned to accomplish it, and I knew that we would perform well, as we have done that all year,” Louisburg girls coach John Reece said. “But, it is still an awesome thing to have our school called to receive the plaque at the end of the meet. Always get goosebumps.”

Senior Emma Lohse led the charge as she ran her way to three regional titles — including one in a relay that broke their own school record for the third straight week.

Lohse won the 100-meter dash in 12.48 seconds as she pulled away from the competition. She did the same in the 200 dash as she won in a season-best time of 26.16 seconds.

“Going into the 100 and 200, I knew it was going to be a very competitive race, but I was ready for it,” Lohse said. “Getting first in both events, was once again, something I had to put in the effort and work for to compete well.”

Lohse, along with Mackenzie Rooney, Suzanna Dansel and Kendall Crossley, made history for the third straight week. The quartet breezed to a regional title in a new school record time of 49.64 seconds, which was the third consecutive week they broke their own record.

“We have a very strong 4×1, and as the season has gone on, we have progressed almost every time,” Lohse said. “I’d have to say that our chemistry as a team is the main part in this race. Going into state this weekend we will have a good competition with Andale and McPherson and we are hoping to come back with a state title.”

The Louisburg senior qualified for state in her fourth event as the 4×400-meter relay of Lohse, Rooney, Emma Vohs and Crossley finished fourth in a new season-best time of 4 minutes and 14 seconds to take the last spot.

“I would not say the 4×4 snuck in as they ran a great race from number 1 runner to number 4,” Reece said. “I knew we had a good relay in place, it just took a bit for them to really run their race and they did. I am looking to see them improve more and get to the finals at state.”

The Lady Cats also won regional titles in a pair of individual events.

Louisburg senior Emma Prettyman won the regional discus crown and did so in dramatic fashion. Prettyman, who was sitting fifth in her final throw, needed a throw good enough to earn a top four spot to get to state.

Prettyman did more than that. She delivered a toss of 119 feet, 8 inches to win the competition and punched her ticket to state in the process.

The Lady Cats will have a state competitor in each of the throwing events as junior Katie Elpers qualified in the javelin as she took third at 115-7. Freshman Kenna Lohse followed suit in the shot put as she finished fourth with a toss of 35-9.75.

“Coach G (Gentges) and I have always said it only takes one, and for Emma P., it was her last throw of finals and it was a PR to boot,” Reece said. “Kenna really came into her own at the end of the season and made her way to state as a freshman. We expect great things out of her over the next three years and to experience state as a freshman will help her in the future. 

“Katie continues to perform well in the javelin and we look for her to go and place well again at state. This has been a great group of throwers to work with this year.”

In the pole vault, junior Maddy Carpenter-Ross picked a good time to earn a personal best herself. Carpenter-Ross cleared 11 feet in the pole vault to win the regional title and looks to earn her second consecutive state medal.

“Winning the regional title this year, it meant a lot to me,” Carpenter-Ross said. “I have been working really hard this season to get to 11 feet, which was the goal I set for myself this season, so when I achieved my goal, it felt great to have made my 1 foot progress from last year. The fact that it was achieved at the regional meet made it perfect timing again for the second season in a row.”

In the 300-meter hurdles, Rooney ran a personal-best to qualify for state in the event for the second year in a row. The Louisburg sophomore finished as the regional runner-up in 48.40 seconds.

“Mack ran a great race,” Reece said. “I was able to watch her run the curve and head down the home stretch. Her face was determined to say the least and finished great. I am really excited for her race at state. She is setting herself up for a great performance.”

Vohs also had a big day for the Lady Cats as she qualified for state in a pair of individual events — one sprint and one distance race.

In the 1,600-meter run, Vohs finished fourth in 5:48 and later ran a season best 1:02.78 in the 400-meter dash to take third overall.

“Emma Vohs is a jack of all trades,” Reece said. “She showed her versatility by qualifying in the 1600, 400, and the 4×4. She has run multiple races throughout the season and we look for her to do even more next year. It was an awesome performance at regionals and well deserved outcome for her hard work this year.”

Louisburg will now compete against the best beginning this Friday at the Kansas State Track and Field Championships held at Wichita State’s Cessna Stadium. Events will begin Friday afternoon and run through Saturday.

Other results are: 

200 dash: Suzanna Dansel, 7th, 27.59

400 dash: Kendall Crossley, 6th, 1:03

800 run: Erin Apple, 7th, 2:42

1,600 run: Nova Ptacek, 8th, 6:18; Delanie Tally, 11th, 6:35

3,200 run: Maddy Rhamy, 6th

100 hurdles: Mackenzie Rooney, 6th, 17.55; Kate Frederick, 7th, 17.58

300 hurdles: Frederick, 10th, 54.31

4×800 Relay: 5th, 10:34

Pole Vault: Stella Bohnenstiehl, 7th, 8-1

Discus: Kenna Lohse, 10th, 94-10

Javelin: Emma Prettyman, 6th, 109-10; Lohse, 14th, 84-3

Shot Put: Prettyman 5th, 35-4

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week nine of the spring sports season, sponsored by Dr. Laura’s Orthodontics.

JERYNCE BRINGS PLENTY, SOPHOMORE, TRACK AND FIELD

Louisburg sophomore Jerynce Brings Plenty will be plenty busy at this weekend’s state track and field meet, all thanks to the work he did last Friday at the Class 4A regional meet. Brings Plenty qualified for state in three events and won a regional title in the 1,600-meter run in 4 minutes and 36 seconds.

Brings Plenty nearly broke a school record in his other individual event — the 3,200-meter run. He took third in 9:50.70, which nearly surpassed the school record of 9:50.60. He also teamed up with Hunter Heinrich, Colton Blue and Blaise Vohs to qualify in the 4×800-meter relay with a season-best time of 8:22.

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

The Louisburg boys track and field team cruised to a league title with 152 points and won five individual events Thursday at the Frontier League meet at Baker University.

BALDWIN CITY — The last two seasons, the Louisburg boys track and field team has found itself on the state podium — which included a state championship in 2021. 

During that time, however, one thing has been missing from the Wildcats’ accomplishments — a Frontier League title.

The Wildcats got that on Thursday during the Frontier League meet at Baker University. Louisburg finished as league champions with 151 points, which was 52 points ahead of runner-up Eudora.

“It was my first time as head coach that the boys have won the league track meet, as we have been second the last two years,” Louisburg coach Andy Wright said. “So, it was great to get that done as a team. We had awesome weather, and we took advantage to put together a good outing, with great competition and some new PR’s.”

Some of those personal records came thanks to Mason Dobbins. He was a part of two school records and he earned three gold medals on the day.

Dobbins, who tied the school high jump record two weeks ago at Wellsville, got it all to himself at league. He cleared 6 feet, 7 inches to win the high jump and broke the previous record held by Dennis Sack (91) and Jason Burk (98).

After clearing 6-3 and securing the league crown, Dobbins asked the height be raised to 6-7 and he cleared it on the first attempt.

“I have been wanting to own the high jump record for years and for me to finally accomplish my goal feels surreal,” Dobbins said. “I feel like I have more in the tank, so higher heights are to come.”

Dobbins also joined Caden Caplinger, Colyer Wingfield and Ashton Moore in the 4×100-meter relay and the Wildcat team broke the school record for the second straight week. The Louisburg quartet won the league title in 43.06 seconds

“I think we have a group of fast and hardworking athletes that are willing to do anything to win,” Dobbins said. “We definitely can, and will, get faster.”

The Louisburg senior won his third event of the day in the 110-meter high hurdles in 14.86 seconds to complete a banner-day on the track.

Senior Nathan Vincent also had a successful day in the throws, especially the javelin. Vincent, who is a two-time state medalist in the event, recorded a personal-best throw of 194-1 to take the top spot in league.

Vincent also went on to finish runner-up in the discus with a season-best throw of 149-6, and in the shot put with a mark of 49-1.5.

“With Nathan injured at the beginning of the season, we didn’t know what he would be able to get back to,” Wright said. “He has put in the work and it’s paying off.”

In the pole vault, Caplinger won the league title after he cleared 14-6 and sophomore teammate Cooper Wingfield was right behind him. Wingfield also cleared 14-6, but was second on number of misses.

Senior Nathan Apple recorded two personal best times in the hurdle events and finished with a pair of runner-up finishes. He was second in the 110 hurdles in 15.05 seconds and second in the 300 in 39.58 seconds.

In the distance races, the 4×800-meter relay of Hunter Heinrich, Myles Vohs, Blaise Vohs and Jerynce Brings Plenty finished as a league runner-up in 8 minutes and 29.07 seconds.

Brings Plenty also went on to finished third in the 1,600-meter run in 4:34 and fourth in the 3,200 run in 10:17. Junior Noah Cotter took sixth in the 1,600 (4:55) and seventh in the 3,200 run (10:38).

Blaise Vohs went on to take fifth in the 800 run in 2:06, while Colton Blue was seventh in 2:10.

In the sprints, senior Ethan Ptacek was fourth in the 400 dash in 51.89 and Heinrich was fifth with season-best 52.74. Caplinger took fifth in the 100 dash in 11.34 seconds.

The 4×400 relay of Heinrich, Blaise Vohs, Colyer Wingfield and Ptacek took fourth in 3:33.

In the field events, senior Cade Gassman finished runner-up in the high jump after he cleared a season-best 6-1 and senior Isaiah Whitley was sixth at 5-11.

Colyer Wingfield took fifth in the long jump at 20-6.75, while Jacob Brown was fifth in the pole vault at 11-6.

Senior J.R. Rooney had a strong day in the shot put as he finished third with a toss of 48-2.75.

Louisburg will now focus on its most important meet of the year — the Class 4A regional. The Wildcats will compete at the regional meet Friday at Shawnee Mission North, where the top four finishers in each event will qualify for state next week in Wichita.

“We are excited to get to the second of the big three meets,” Wright said. “Our regional is going to be very competitive. They have been working for this all season, and we need to put it all together at the right time. I believe that we are up for the challenge.”

Other results are:

200 dash: Cade Gassman, 17th, 25.23

800 run: Leo Martin, 19th, 2:26

1,600 run: Martin, 8th, 4:59.30

Long Jump: Isaiah Whitley, 8th, 20-0.75; Myles Vohs, 15th, 17-10

Triple Jump: Colyer Wingfield, 9th, 38-6; Trey Myers, 10th, 36-8.25

Shot Put: Jaymes Melton, 9th, 42-0.25

Discus: J.R. Rooney, 8th, 120-11; Ben O’Bryan, 10th, 113-9

Javelin: Tasen Ellison, 10th, 129-0; Brecon Klugman, 16th, 124-8

Louisburg senior Emma Lohse won the 100 and 200-meter dashes Thursday during the Frontier League meet at Baker University. Lohse also helped the 4×100 relay to a new school record.

BALDWIN CITY — Emma Lohse blazed the Baker University track Thursday during the Frontier League Invitational.

Lohse came away with three league titles, including a record-breaking performance in a relay. The Louisburg senior won the 100-meter dash in 12.61 seconds and later captured the 200 dash crown in 26.18.

“Being a league champ in both the 100 and 200 was a feeling I won’t forget,” Lohse said. “Not only does getting first tell me that I was competing at my best during that time, but that I had to put in the work to earn my placings that day.”

Lohse, along with Mackenzie Rooney, Suzanna Dansel and Kendall Crossley, broke their own school record in the 4×100-meter relay for the second week in a row. They won the league title in 49.84 seconds.

“After I finished running my leg in the 4×1, I looked at the time and saw a 49 and I turned around to see Mackenzie running towards me with the biggest smile on her face as did I,” Lohse said. “It was the best feeling knowing that we competed so well. This group of girls is so special to me, even though they are all younger, they know how to compete with the people we run against.”

As a team, the Lady Cats also shined at the league meet as they finished third in the team standings, with 107 points and were just 2.5 points behind Spring Hill for second. Eudora won the league crown with 131.5 points.

“With the strength of our league, getting third as a team is an awesome accomplishment,” Louisburg coach John Reece said. “Our girls are learning to compete in the moment and not letting outside, uncontrollable factors keep them from performing at their best for that day.”

Dansel and Rooney also picked up a pair of league runner-up finishes to help lead the Lady Cats.

Dansel, a freshman, took second in the 100 dash in 12.76 seconds and later finished fifth in the 200 dash in 27.13.

Rooney, a sophomore, ran a personal best time of 48.70 seconds in the 300-meter hurdles and took second. She also ran a personal best in the 100 hurdles and took third in 17.08.

Junior Kate Frederick also scored points in the the hurdles as she finished fifth in the 100 (17.84) and 300 (53.51) with a season-best time in both.

Another junior, Emma Vohs recorded a pair of third places finishes — one in a sprint and another in a distance race. Vohs took third in the 400 dash in 1:03 and also finished third in the 1,600 run in 5:48.

Junior Maddy Rhamy also earned points for the Lady Cats as she was fifth in the 3,200 run in 13:57. Crossley finished sixth the 400 in 1:05.

Louisburg also scored in two other relays. The 4×400 team of Rooney, Crossley, Lohse and Vohs took fifth in 4:17, while Erin Apple, Rhamy, Vohs and Delanie Tally took sixth in 11:09.

In the field events, junior Maddy Carpenter-Ross had a strong performance in the pole vault. She took league runner-up honors after she cleared 10 feet, 6 inches.

Senior Emma Prettyman scored points in all three throws, including a third place performance in the discus with a throw of 118-5. Prettyman was also sixth in the javelin at 107-10, and seventh in the shot put at 34-6.

Junior Katie Elpers finished fourth in the javelin with a toss of 112-8. Freshman Kenna Lohse recorded a personal best in the shot put with a mark of 36-7 to take fifth overall.

The Lady Cats will now focus on the Class 4A regional meet that will be held Friday at Shawnee Mission North. The top four finishers in each event will qualify for state next week in Wichita.

“There is excitement, but also a sense of taking care of business attitude,” Reece said. “If we compete within ourselves, and not let outside uncontrollables bother us, we will do awesome. We have the opportunity to qualify in up to 13 events, which is exciting to think about. Regardless with our regional being so stacked, if the girls get out of our region to state, they will do well in Wichita.”

Other results are:

800 run: Nova Ptacek, 12th, 2:46; Delanie Tally, 13th, 2:48; Erin Apple, 14th, 2:49

1,600 run: Ptacek, 10th, 6:14; Ellie Davis, 14th, 6:33

Discus: Kenna Lohse, 15th, 86-6

Javelin: Lohse, 11th, 92-9

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week eight of the spring sports season, sponsored by Landmark National Bank.

EMMA LOHSE, SENIOR, TRACK AND FIELD

Louisburg senior Emma Lohse blazed the track at the Frontier League Invitational last Thursday at Baker University. Lohse won three league titles, including a record-setting relay performance, as the Lady Cats finished third in the team standings. Lohse won the 100-meter dash in 12.61 seconds and also won the 200 dash in 26.46 seconds.

Lohse then joined the 4×100-meter relay of Mackenzie Rooney, Suzanna Dansel and Kendall Crossley, who broke their own school record they set just a week prior. The Wildcat quartet won in a new school record time of 49.84 seconds.

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

The Louisburg 4×100-meter relay of (from left) Kendall Crossley, Mackenzie Rooney, Emma Lohse and Suzanna Dansel broke the school record in the event Friday at Wellsville with a time of 50.14.

WELLSVILLE — The Louisburg girls track and field team had, quite possibly, its best finish on the season Friday at the Red Bud Classic in Wellsville.

The Lady Cats made a little history to go along with it.

Louisburg finished runner-up at the 15-team meet with 97 points, just 10 points behind champion Spring Hill.

“It has been a while since we have placed top two at Wellsville,” Louisburg coach John Reece said. “It is a testament to how hard they have been working and preparing for the postseason.”

The Lady Cats also rewrote a little part of their track history. The 4×100-meter relay team of Mackenzie Rooney, Suzanna Dansel, Kendall Crossley and Emma Lohse, not only won the event, but broke the school record time with a time of 50.14 seconds.

They broke the old record of 50.59, that was set in 2019 by Jordan Leach, Carlee Gassman, Rain Pugh and Sydni Keagle.

“The 4×1 ran a great race, and not only broke the record, they blew it up,” Reece said. “They are setting themselves up to run very fast here at the end of the season.”

Lohse continued that dominance in her individual races as she took first in the 100-meter dash in 12.61 seconds and first in the 200 dash in 26.67 seconds.

“Emma is a fierce competitor,” Reece said. “She does not always show it in her expressions, but definitely in her performance. She has also been a great leader this year for the underclassmen with her work ethic and preparation at meets.”

Freshman Suzanna Dansel was second in the 100 dash in 12.84 and finished fourth in the 200 in 27.19 to help the Lady Cats. 

Also on the track, Rooney scored points in both hurdle events. She took third in the 300 hurdles in 49.47 seconds and seventh in the 100 in 17.40.

Junior Emma Vohs finished fourth in the 400 dash in 1:03.94, while Crossley was sixth at 1:04.58. In the distance races, junior Maddy Rhamy was seventh in the 3,200 run in 13:13.

The Lady Cats also scored points in the other two relay events as the 4×400 team of Rooney, Lohse, Vohs and Crossley finished third in 4:21. Vohs, Rhamy, Erin Apple and Delanie Tally took seventh in the 4×800 relay in 10:48.

In the field events, junior Katie Elpers finished runner-up in the javelin with a throw of 120 feet, 10 inches. Junior Maddy Carpenter-Ross also took second in the pole vault after she cleared 10 feet.

Senior Emma Prettyman scored points in all three throwing events. Prettyman finished fifth the discus (109-4), javelin (113-10) and shot put (35-0.5).

“As a whole team, the girls are competing well,” Reece said. “You can’t PR every meet, but you can step up to the competition and perform your best to put pressure on your competitors. Great things are in the future for this team.”

Louisburg is back in action today for the Frontier League meet at Baker University and Liston Stadium. Events begin at 2 p.m.

Other results are:

800 run: Nova Ptacek, 12th, 2:45; Erin Apple, 13th, 2:46

1,600 run: Ptacek, 15th, 6:11; Delanie Tally, 17th, 6:18

100 hurdles: Kate Frederick, 9th, 17.87

300 hurdles: Frederick, 10th, 53.77

Discus: Kenna Lohse, 17th, 92-7

Javelin: Lohse, 17th, 89-9

Shot Put: Lohse, 10th, 31-2.5

Louisburg senior Mason Dobbins tied the school record in the high jump Friday at Wellsville as he cleared 6-6 to win the event. The Wildcats won the Red Bud Classic, which was their fourth consecutive victory.

WELLSVILLE — Winning hasn’t been a problem for the Louisburg boys track and field team as of late, and it certainly wasn’t on Friday in Wellsville.

At the Red Bud Classic, the Wildcats won their fourth straight meet with 133.5 points and Eudora was second at the 15-team meet with 116. Louisburg scored points in all but two events as it cruised to the title.

“This group keeps improving every week,” Louisburg boys coach Andy Wright said. “There was a lot of good competition in multiple events, and the team as a whole stepped up. We just have to keep working to get better each week.”

Senior Mason Dobbins put together his best meet of the season and he has two school records to show for it.

Dobbins tied the high jump record after he cleared 6 feet, 6 inches to win the event. He equaled the mark set by Jason Burk (1998) and Dennis Seck (1991).

Dobbins also joined Caden Caplinger, Colyer Wingfield and Ashton Moore as they won the 4×100-meter relay in a school record time of 43.14 seconds.

The Louisburg senior also went on to win the 110-meter hurdles in 14.80 seconds and the 200 dash in 22.70 seconds.

“Mason had an absolutely amazing meet,” Wright said. “Mason has been clearing 6-2 for the last few meets and he was due for a big jump. I am super proud of how hard he has been working, and he is not done.”

The relay broke last season’s school record of mark of 43.33 seconds that was set by Dobbins, Caplinger, Tom Koontz and Ethan Ptacek.

“We have been running mid 43’s for the last three meets,” Wright said. “We were just waiting for the ideal weather to run in the lower 43’s. Not surprised at their time because this has been the same group all season and they have built up a good chemistry running together.”

The Wildcats almost saw a third record fall, this time in the pole vault. 

Caplinger, who had already cleared a personal best of 15-3, tried to surpass the school record of 15-6. His try at 15-7 came up just short, but finished first in the event.

Senior Nathan Apple also captured gold. Apple won the 300-meter hurdles and did it in a personal best time of 40.76 seconds.

Apple also medaled third in the 110 hurdles in 15.22 seconds. In the preliminaries, Apple also set a personal best time of 15.05.

Another senior, Nathan Vincent, scored points in all three throwing events and recorded a season-best mark in the javelin. Vincent had a throw of 180-6 to take third in the event.

Vincent also finished third in the shot put with a toss of 49-1 and was seventh in the discus at 143-1. Senior J.R. Rooney was seventh in the shot put at 47-4.75.

Also in the field events, senior Isaiah Whitley recorded a season-best mark in the high jump. Whitley cleared 6-0 and took third overall.

Back on the track, the Wildcats also scored several points in the sprints.

Senior Ethan Ptacek was third in the 400-meter dash in 51.80 seconds and teammate Hunter Heinrich was sixth at 53.16. Ptacek was also fifth in the 100 dash at 11.49.

Ashton Moore took sixth in the 200 dash in 23.36 and was eighth in the 100 dash in 11.74.

In the distance races, sophomore Jerynce Brings Plenty ran a season-best time in the 1,600-meter run in 4:34 to take third. Brings Plenty also finished fourth in the 3,200 in 10:12.

Freshman Blaise Vohs took fifth in the 800-meter run in 2:06.

Louisburg also scored points in the other two relays.

The 4×400 team of Heinrich, Wingfield, Ptacek and Vohs was second in a time of 3:30, while the 4×800 of Heinrich, Brings Plenty, Vohs and Colton Blue was third in 8:36.

Louisburg is back in action Thursday when the Wildcats travel to the Frontier League Invitational at Baker University in Baldwin City. Events begin at 2 p.m.

Other results are: 

100 dash: Caleb Feldkamp, 15th, 11.89

200 dash: Feldkamp, 17th, 24.80

400 dash: Colton Blue, 12th, 55.61

800 run: Myles Vohs, 12th, 2:11

1,600 run: Noah Cotter, 12th, 4:55; Leo Martin, 18th, 5:08

3,200 run: Cotter, 9th, 10:51

110 hurdles: Kyler Biermann, 12th, 19.61

300 hurdles: Biermann, 15th, 49.19

High Jump: Evan McKitrick, 12th, 5-6

Long Jump: Isaiah Whitley, 11th, 19-5; Colyer Wingfield, 17th, 18-8.5; Vohs, 19th, 18-6

Triple Jump: McKitrick, 14th, 36-11; Trey Myers, 15th, 36-9

Discus: J.R. Rooney, 18th, 114-4; Ben O’Bryan, 20th, 107-10

Javelin: Tasen Ellison, 12th, 138-5; Brecon Klugman, 14th, 134-4

Shot Put: Jaymes Melton, 12th, 41-2.5

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week seven of the spring sports season, sponsored by Louisburg Family Dental.

MASON DOBBINS, SENIOR, TRACK AND FIELD

Louisburg senior Mason Dobbins wrote himself into the Wildcat track and field history books Friday at the RedBud Classic in Wellsville. Dobbins, along with teammates Caden Caplinger, Colyer Wingfield and Ashton Moore, broke the 4×100-meter relay record in 43.14 seconds. They broke the old record of 43.33 from last season that was set by Dobbins, Caplinger, Tom Koontz and Ethan Ptacek.

Dobbins then went on to tie the school record in the high jump after he cleared 6-6. He equaled the mark that was set by Jason Burk (1998) and Dennis Seck (1991). In all, Dobbins took gold in four events Friday and helped the Wildcats to their fourth straight meet victory. He also won the 110-meter hurdles and 200-meter dash.

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