Prettyman ready to take the next step with Columbia College track
Louisburg senior Emma Prettyman, one of the top throwers on the Lady Cat track and field team, will join the Columbia College squad next season.
Emma Prettyman’s growth on the Louisburg track and field team has been a steady progression — starting as a junior varsity thrower to becoming one of the leaders as a senior.
Track has become a big part of Prettyman’s life and it has showed. She has been a consistent point-scorer in all three throwing events for the Lady Cats this season and she is not ready to give up the sport just yet.
During a signing ceremony earlier this year, Prettyman made it official. She signed her letter of intent to compete for the Columbia College track and field program next season.
“I have wanted to compete at the college level if faced with the opportunity,” Prettyman said. “Now that I have been given this chance, I am really excited to see where it takes me.”
Columbia College is an NAIA school based in Columbia, Mo., and Prettyman saw this as her best fit to compete at the college level. The Cougars also have one of the better teams in the American Midwest Conference.
The Cougars recently finished second in the team standings in their conference meet and have a well-rounded program. It was one of the things that attracted Prettyman to the school.
Louisburg senior Emma Prettyman signed her letter of intent with Columbia College earlier this year. Seated next to Emma are her parents Greg Prettyman and Corrine Prettyman. Standing (from left) is Louisburg basketball coach Adrianne Lane, head girls track coach John Reece and head volleyball coach Leanna Willer.
“I looked into Columbia because it was a small school with a good teacher to student ratio,” Prettyman said. “I also liked that it wasn’t too far from home and because of the track teams. The coaches and athletes were really great as well.”
Prettyman has had a strong senior campaign for the Lady Cats so far this season, along with being a starter on the Louisburg volleyball and girls basketball team. She has scored points in all three throwing events for much of the year.
The Louisburg senior is now ready for one final run at competing in her first state meet.
“My senior track season has been my best season,” Prettyman said. “From not getting my freshman season (COVID-19), to where I am now, I have improved a lot. My goals for the remainder of the season are to make it to regionals and hopefully qualify for state.”
Prettyman is also looking forward to her time after high school and with her new team.
“I am not sure what events I will do at Columbia, though I believe I will have the chance to tryout hammer throw,” she said. “My goals are to keep improving and hopefully learn a new event as well as potentially break some records.”
Rooney ready to make mark with Central Missouri track
Louisburg senior J.R. Rooney signed to join the University of Central Missouri track and field team next season.
Louisburg senior J.R. Rooney had a big decision to make.
While deciding what school he wanted to attend was always the No. 1 decision, figuring out which sport was a close second.
After mulling over options to play college football after earning all-league and all-state honors, Rooney was given another option — track.
“In all honesty it took a while for me to realize track was even an option for me in college,” Rooney said. “My parents and I had a lot of talks about me playing at the next level in either sport. I’ve always known I wanted to play sports in college, no matter what the collegiate level. Over the summer I took a lot of visits to colleges for football, and for a while I thought I was going to college for football.
As much as he loved football, Rooney decided to go with the best fit — track and his favorite school.
Rooney recently signed his letter of intent to join the University of Central Missouri track and field program next season as a thrower for the Division II Mules.
“As the end of the football season drew closer, I received some interest for track and field from numerous colleges, and this helped open my eyes to see that I could compete at the next level,” Rooney said. “I was presented with the opportunity to take a visit to UCM and from the moment I stepped on campus, I loved it.”
It was tough for Rooney to leave football in the rearview mirror, but it has allowed him to focus more on track — specifically the shot put.
“It was very tough decision for me and my family,” Rooney said. “I remember talking with almost all of my coaches, from both football and track, asking for advice. The decision wasn’t easy, but UCM gives me the best opportunity to get a very good education, and compete in the sport that I love at the next level. I do not regret my decision, and I think it will pay off for me in the long run.”
Louisburg senior J.R. Rooney signed his letter of intent to join the University of Central Missouri track and field team. Sitting next to J.R. are his parents Nancy and Kendall, along with his sister Mackenzie. Standing (from left) is Louisburg track coaches John Reece and Andy Wright.
Rooney, who was the Wildcats’ top shot putter a year ago, missed the state meet by just inches. That only added more fuel to the track fire.
He has spent all offseason working on his craft and hopes to not only qualify for state, but leave with a state medal in his final season with the Wildcat program.
“I have set my goals very high for this track season,” Rooney said. “I hope to win regionals in shot put, and get on the podium at state. I am also hoping to break the school shot put record. I’ve put in a ton of work in the offseason, and I hope it pays off.”
Once that is all done, Rooney is ready to focus on his time at Central Missouri. Not only to improve in the shot put, but some other new events as well. He will also join a former Louisburg alum on the team in Michael Waldron, who throws the javelin for the Mules.
“UCM has had a very successful track and field program,” Rooney said. “Their throws program has seen success the past few years, and I hope that I am able to add to that. I was able to see a couple of their indoor track meets and I had the opportunity to talk with some of their athletes.
“A big thing that I looked for on all my visits was team culture. Every athlete I talked with at UCM spoke about the culture and how close all the athletes are to one another. This really gave UCM the upper hand on other schools. I will be competing in the heavy throws at UCM, shot put, hammer throw, and weight throw. I am very excited to learn and compete in these events.”
Throw in the fact that he is able to attend a school that fits for his future, is icing on the cake.
“UCM was the first college I truly loved,” Rooney said. “I remember telling my mom halfway through the campus tour that I loved it, and I could see myself attending UCM even if I didn’t play sports.”
Louisburg boys win De Soto Invite for third straight victory
Louisburg senior Isaiah Whitley finished fourth in the high jump Friday at De Soto. The Wildcats won the De Soto Invitational with 142 points.
DE SOTO — On a cool, rainy day for the De Soto Invitational, the Louisburg boys track and field team still found a way to keep its winning streak going.
The Wildcats won their third consecutive meet as Louisburg captured the De Soto Invitational title with 142 points Friday at De Soto High School. The Wildcats defeated runner-up Eudora by 25 points.
“I just asked them to compete,” Louisburg boys coach Andy Wright said. “This was the first meet this year, that it wasn’t ideal weather for some events, but everyone had to compete in the same conditions. This meet was all about learning mental toughness and competing in spite of the elements.”
The Louisburg girls also had several bright moments as they won a pair of events and took sixth out of 13 teams with 75 points. Piper won the meet with 117 points.
On the boys side, seniors Mason Dobbins and Nathan Vincent led the way with a pair of individual victories.
Vincent won the shot put with a toss of 46 feet, 9 inches and also won the discus at 139-5. He then proceeded to throw a season-best in the javelin to take second at 168-10.
As for Dobbins, he captured the title in the 110-meter high hurdles in 15.32 seconds and he also won the 200-meter dash in 22.97 seconds.
Dobbins was also a member of the 4×100 relay with Caden Caplinger, Colyer Wingfield and Ashton Moore, who finished first in 43.82 seconds.
“Mason is really competing in his events and doing a great job,” Wright said. “Nathan is starting to be a triple threat in throws. He has had solid throws all year in the shot and discus. With his second meet throwing javelin, he keeps improving every week, and will be peaking at the right time.”
Senior Nathan Apple had his best performance of the year in the 300 hurdles. Apple recorded a personal-best time of 40.88 seconds to win the event. He also took third in the 110 hurdles in 15.65.
“Nathan is running more aggressively in the first part of his race and that improvement is showing in his times,” Wright said. “That is how he was able to PR.”
On the girls side, junior Maddy Carpenter-Ross continued to find success in the pole vault as she won the event after clearing 10 feet.
The Lady Cat 4×100-meter relay was also able to track down gold as Mackenzie Rooney, Suzanna Dansel, Kendall Crossley and Emma Lohse won in 50.79 seconds. Lohse raced down the Piper anchor leg in the final stretch to nip the Pirates at the finish line.
“De Soto didn’t have the best conditions to have a track meet, but the girls did a good job,” Louisburg girls coach John Reece said. “All the relays have been improving steadily. It does not always show in time, but in effort.”
The Lady Cats also had their other relays earn points as well. The 4×800 relay of Delanie Tally, Erin Apple, Maddy Rhamy and Emma Vohs took fourth in 10:50, while the 4×400 of Rooney, Lohse, Vohs and Crossley was sixth in 4:25.
Louisburg junior Katie Elpers was third in the javelin Friday at De Soto.
Lohse and Dansel also scored points in the 100 and 200 dashes for Louisburg. Dansel took third in the 100 in 13.19 and Lohse was fifth in 13.26. In the 200, Lohse was fourth at 27.38 and Dansel took fifth in 27.82.
Also on the track, Vohs was seventh in the 800 run in 2:32, while Rhamy was 8th in the 3200 run in 13:20. Rooney took fourth in the 300 hurdles in 51.01.
In the throws, Emma Prettyman scored in all three events. Prettyman took fifth in the javelin (113-10) and sixth in the shot put (34-3) and discus (97-10).
Junior Katie Elpers took third in the javelin with a throw of 120-6, while freshman Kenna Lohse finished fifth in the discus with a season-best throw of 98-11.
On the boys side, sophomore Jerynce Brings Plenty put together a strong performance the 3,200-meter run. Brings Plenty recorded a personal-best time of 9:56 to finish runner-up. Junior Noah Cotter also scored points as he was sixth in 11:00.
“Breaking 10 minutes was a goal for Jerynce,” Wright said. “He is working hard every week to make sure he meets those goals.”
Senior Ethan Ptacek also had a solid meet after coming back from an injury. Ptacek took fourth in the 400 dash in 51.56 seconds, while junior Hunter Heinrich was fourth at 53.27.
Ptacek also joined Heinrich, Blaise Vohs and Wingfield to take third in the 4×400 relay in a season-best time of 3:29.79.
“It was nice to see Ethan on the track, with his second meet back he ran three solid races in the 100 ,400, and 4×4,” Wright said. “He is still a little out of shape, but I am looking forward to seeing where he will be in a few weeks at regionals.”
The 4×800 relay of Brings Plenty, Colton Blue, Heinrich and Vohs also went on to finish third in 8:41. In the 800 run, Vohs also took fourth in 2:06.
In the field events, Dobbins finished third in the high jump after he cleared 6-2 and teammate Isaiah Whitley was fourth at 5-10.
Sophomore Cooper Wingfield was second in the pole vault after he cleared 12-6, while Colyer Wingfield was sixth in the triple jump at 39-8.5.
Senior J.R. Rooney also earned points in a pair of throwing events, Rooney was fifth in the shot put at 44-5 and eight in the discus at 118-8.
The Wildcats are back in action this Friday when they travel to Wellsville for the RedBud Relays. Events begin at 3:30 p.m.
Other results are:
GIRLS
400 dash: Kendall Crossley, 11th, 1:06
800 run: Erin Apple, 13th, 2:51
1,600 run: Delanie Tally, 15th, 6:16; Nova Ptacek, 17th, 6:22
Dobbins ready for new challenge with Northwest Missouri track
Louisburg senior Mason Dobbins recently signed his letter of intent to join the Northwest Missouri State track and field program next year.
Two years ago, the trajectory of Mason Dobbins’ life changed.
Dobbins and the Wildcat track team won the state championship — just the second in school history — and he played a big role in it. He earned a state medal in the 110-meter hurdles and the high jump.
“I knew after state sophomore year that track was something that I wanted to continue to do after high school,” Dobbins said. “The experience and feeling of winning that state championship with all of those guys was something that I hadn’t felt in any other sport. Also standing on that podium feels great and that is what I work towards every year.”
That season led to more state medals for Dobbins and another top three finish for Louisburg at the state meet the following year.
All that success pushed Dobbins to the next hurdle in life — college track and field.
Recently, Dobbins signed his letter of intent to join the Northwest Missouri State University track and field program next season. Competing at the college level was something Dobbins has been working toward and Northwest was the best fit for him.
“The first thing that stood out to me about Northwest was the atmosphere,” Dobbins said. “It gives you a good feeling when you are on that campus. Their track facilities are also another stand out to me and their indoor track is one of the nicest in the MIAA. They have a great program.”
Mason Dobbins signed his letter of intent to join the Northwest Missouri State track and field program. Seated next to Mason are his parents Amanda and Daniel Green, along with his sister Ava Green. Standing is (from left) Louisburg coach Leanna Willer and head coach Andy Wright.
One event Dobbins will definitely be competing at Northwest is the hurdles and for good reason. He is a two-time state medalist in the 110-meter high hurdles and has the top time in Class 4A this season.
He caught the hurdle bug early in high school and it was an event that got the Wildcats a lot of state points a year ago. Dobbins finished second, while Tom Koontz won the state title for the second year in a row, and teammate Nathan Apple was fourth.
The Wildcat trio dominated meets throughout the season and the state level was no exception. That competition helped Dobbins become one of the best hurdlers in the state.
“Hurdles is such an interesting event that takes a lot of hard work and technique,” Dobbins said. “I think that is why I love it so much. Having three guys do so well at state the last couple years is so crazy and amazing to see happen.”
Dobbins is ready to push himself when he gets to college as he looks to give the decathlon and heptathlon a try.
As for now, he is focused on his final season at Louisburg as he tries for his first individual state title and is ready to help his team reach the podium once again.
“My goals for this year is to run under 15 in the 110 hurdles and jump 6’6 in high jump,” Dobbins said. “However, winning state is the end goal and with the guys on the team this year, there is a good chance at it.”
Wildcat boys win Spring Hill Invitational
Louisburg junior Hunter Heinrich rounds the curve in the 4×800-meter relay last Monday at the Spring Hill Invitational.
SPRING HILL — The Louisburg boys track and field team continued to show its dominance last Monday as the Wildcats won their second straight meet — this time at the Spring Hill Invitational.
The Wildcats captured the Spring Hill title with 118 points and ran away with the six-team meet. Spring Hill was second with 53 points.
Mason Dobbins came home with three first place finishes to lead the Wildcats. Dobbins won the 110-meter hurdles in 15.26 seconds and also won the high jump crown after clearing 6 feet, 2 inches.
Dobbins, Caden Caplinger, Colyer Wingfield and Ashton Moore finished first in the 4×100-meter relay in 43.65 seconds.
The Wildcats also brought home top honors in the other two relays.
In the 4×400 relay, Colyer Wingfield, Cade Gassman, Hunter Heinrich and Ethan Ptacek set a season-best time of 3:33 to get the win. Ptacek also went on to win the 400 dash for the first time this season in 52.57.
In the 4×800, Heinrich, Colton Blue, Blaise Vohs and Jerynce Brings Plenty won the going away with a time of 8:44. Brings Plenty also won the 3,200 run in 10:01, while Vohs won the 800 in 2:07.
Senior Nathan Apple fared well in the hurdles. Apple won the 300 hurdles in 41.02 seconds and was second in the 110’s in 15.77.
In the field events, senior Nathan Vincent set a season-best in the discus as he won the event with a throw of 146-11. He also took second in the shot put at 49-5.
Along with his win in the 4×100 relay, Caplinger also found success in the pole vault, as did teammate Cooper Wingfield. Caplinger and Wingfield both cleared 14-6, but Caplinger won the event based on number of misses and Wingfield took runner-up.
Senior Isaiah Whitley finished third in the long jump and fifth in the high jump.
Senior Colyer Wingfield found success in the jumps as he won the long jump after clearing 19-10.
Also in the field events, senior J.R Rooney scored points in the shot put (47-0) and discus (115-5) and took fourth and fifth, respectively. Junior Ben O’Bryan was fourth in the discus at 125-9. In the javelin, senior Brecon Klugman was fourth at 126-1.
In the jumps, senior Cade Gassman was second in the high jump after clearing 6-0 and senior Isaiah Whitley was fifth at 5-8. Whitley also finished third in the long jump at 19-7, while senior Trey Myers was third in the triple at 37-10.
On the track, Caplinger finished runner-up in the 100 dash in 11.67 seconds and Moore was third at 11.83. Heinrich was fourth in the 200 dash in 24.24, while sophomore Emmett White took fourth in the 400 in 54.95.
Junior Noah Cotter placed third in the 3,200 run in 10:53, while Blue was fourth in the 800 in 2:14 to round out the Wildcat point-getters.
Lady Cats took third at Spring Hill
The Louisburg girls track and field squad also fared well at Spring Hill as the Lady Cats finished third in the team standings with 56 points. Spring Hill won the meet with 120 points.
The 4×100 relay of Mackenzie Rooney, Suzanna Dansel, Emma Vohs and Emma Lohse cruised to a victory in 50.71 seconds.
Louisburg also picked up a pair of wins in the field events. Junior Katie Elpers won the javelin with a toss of 110-9 and junior Maddy Carpenter-Ross won the pole vault after clearing 10-6.
Junior Kate Frederick finished third in the 100-meter hurdles Monday at Spring Hill.
Senior Emma Prettyman scored points in the three throwing events for Louisburg. Prettyman was second in the discus with a toss of 108-5, third in the shot put at 34-3 and fifth in the javelin at 97-4.
Freshman Kenna Lohse also scored points in the shot put as she took fourth at 32-3.5.
On the track, Emma Lohse was second in the 100-meter dash in 13.13 seconds, while Dansel took runner-up in the 200 dash in 27.65. Freshman Kendall Crossley was runner up in the 400 dash in 1:04.
In the distance races, Vohs was third in the 800 run in 2:33, while senior Delanie Tally was fifth at 2:45. Senior Maddy Rhamy was third in the 1,600 run in 6:20.
Junior Kate Frederick was third in the 100 meter hurdles in 18.40, while Rooney was fourth in the 300 hurdles in 54.24.
Louisburg also put together a 4×400 relay and finished second in 4:23.
Other results are:
GIRLS
200 dash: Kendall Crossley, 6th, 29.06
800 run: Erin Apple, 6th, 2:46; Nova Ptacek, 8th, 2:51
Wildcat boys win home invitational, Lady Cats finish second
Senior Colyer Wingfield lands in the pit last Thursday during an attempt in the long jump. Wingfield won the triple jump, was second in the long jump and were both season-bests.
The Louisburg track and field teams got a chance to show off in front of its fans Thursday during the Louisburg Invitational and they didn’t disappoint.
For the second time this season, the Wildcat boys took first place in the team standings as they cruised to the title with 250 points and Wellsville was second with 139.
“Our home meet gives us a chance to showcase our talent.,” Louisburg boys coach Andy Wright said. “We had multiple PR’s and a couple of new faces getting back from injuries competing for the first time this year.”
As for the Lady Cats, they had a strong showing of their own. They finished second in the team race with 137 points and Spring Hill won the 6-team meet with 188.5 points.
“It was an excellent team effort and we were able to get the whole team involved in their home meet,” Louisburg girls coach John Reece said. “Finishing runner-up to Spring Hill is bittersweet as they are a 5A school, but the girls had a great home meet.”
Senior Mason Dobbins put a stamp on his home track career as he won four events and racked up 40 points for the Wildcats.
Dobbins won the 110-meter hurdles with a new personal best time of 14.69 seconds and later won the 200 dash in 22.67 seconds. He also cleared a season-best 6 feet, 2 inches to win the high jump.
He later joined Caden Caplinger, Colyer Wingfield and Ashton Moore to win the 4×100-meter relay in 43.89 seconds.
Senior Nathan Vincent also had a big day in the throws for the Wildcats, including his first appearance in the javelin after coming back from injury. A two-time state medalist in the event, Vincent won the javelin with a throw of 157-4.
Vincent took the shot put crown with a new personal best of 50-6.75. He also won the discus with a mark of 134-2.
“It was nice to see Nathan throw the javelin for the first time this year,” Wright said. “I know it is not the mark he wants, but it is start. It was also good to see him PR in the shot put.”
The pole vault also provided a pair of season bests for both Caplinger and Cooper Wingfield. Caplinger won the event after clearing 15 feet and Wingfield was second at 14-6. Jacob Brown tied a season-best of 11-6 to take fourth.
Wingfield put together a pair of top two finishes in the jump. The Louisburg senior won the triple jump with a best of 41-2 and was second in the long jump at 20-8.5.
Also in the jumps, senior Isaiah Whitley was third in the long jump at 19-11 and took fourth in the high jump at 5-8. Senior Cade Gassman was third in the high jump after clearing 6-0, while senior Trey Myers was third in the triple jump at 37-7.5. Senior Jase Hovey was sixth in the long jump at 19-2.
In the throws, senior J.R. Rooney was second in the shot put with a toss of 48-0.5 and Connor Lee was sixth at 39-9. Ben O’Bryan was sixth in the discus at 116-3, while Brecon Klugman was fifth in the javelin at 128-1.
Louisburg sophomore Jerynce Brings Plenty leads a group of runners last Thursday during the 1,600 run.
On the track, senior Nathan Apple won the 300 hurdles with a time of 42.05 seconds and was also second in the 100 hurdles at 15.27. Junior Kyler Biermann was fifth in the 300 hurdles in 50.46 and sixth the 110 hurdles at 19.78.
In the 100 dash, the Wildcats had three score points in the event. Caplinger was second to lead the way with a time of 11.43.
Senior Ethan Ptacek, in his first meet back from injury, was third in the 100 in 11.46 and Moore was fourth at 11.61. Gassman scored points in the 200 dash as he was sixth at 24.81.
Junior Hunter Heinrich won the 400-meter dash in 53.49 seconds, while freshman Blaise Vohs (54.73) and sophomore Emmett White (56.01) took second and fifth, respectively.
Sophomore Jerynce Brings Plenty captured the 800-meter title in 2:06 and also took second in the 1,600 run in 4:47. Junior Noah Cotter (5:04) and senior Leo Martin (5:14) took fourth and sixth, respectively, in the 1,600, while sophomore Colton Blue (2:17) was fifth the 800.
The Wildcats also swept the relays. Along with winning the 4×100, the team of Heinrich, Wingfield, Gassman and Vohs won the 4×400 in 3:35.
The 4×800 team of Brings Plenty, Vohs, Blue and Heinrich also took the gold in 8:31 and knocked 20 seconds off their previous best time.
Louisburg junior Emma Vohs rounds the turn in the 400-meter dash last Thursday.
On the girls side, senior Emma Lohse provided the Lady Cats with a lot of points herself. Lohse won the 100-meter dash in 12.52 seconds and later took the 200 in 26.35 seconds.
Lohse, along with Suzanna Dansel, Kendall Crossley and Mackenzie Rooney, won the 4×100 relay in 50.67 seconds.
Rooney also went on to take gold in the 300 hurdles in a personal best time of 49.75 seconds and was fifth in the 100 hurdles in 17.54. Dansel took third the 100 dash in 13.03 and was fourth in the 200 at 27.43.
Junior Emma Vohs went on to win the 400-meter dash in a time of 1:02.92. Vohs, along with Maddy Rhamy, Erin Apple and Nova Ptacek took third in the 4×800 relay in 11:09.
In the throws, junior Katie Elpers won the javelin with a toss of 110-1, while senior Emma Prettyman scored points in all three throws.
Freshman Kenna Lohse winds up for a throw in the discus Thursday.
Prettyman was second in the javelin at 108-7, second in the discus at 108-10 and third in the shot put at 33-10.5. Freshman Kenna Lohse also scored points in a pair of throwing events as she took fifth in the shot put at 32-5 and fifth in the javelin with a season-best throw of 103-2.
Junior Maddy Carpenter-Ross took second in the pole vault after she cleared 10 feet.
In the distance events, senior Delanie Tally had a strong effort in the 1,600 run and took second in 6:20, while fellow senior Ellie Davis was fourth at 6:32.
Rhamy was fourth in the 3,200 run at 13:41 and Erin Apple was fifth in the 800 at 2:51.
Pfannenstiel named new LHS AD; resigns boys basketball post
Louisburg boys basketball coach Ty Pfannenstiel will take over the school’s activities director role next school year. He also resigned his basketball position after coaching the Wildcats for the last six years.
Beginning next school year, Louisburg High School activities will have a little different look to it — especially at the top.
Ty Pfannenstiel will serve as the school’s new activities director and will take over for current AD, Michael Pickman, who will focus on his assistant principal duties and curriculum.
Pfannenstiel, who has been the boys basketball coach for the last six years, resigned his post to take on the activities director position. He also stepped down as an assistant football coach.
Currently the weight room instructor, Pfannenstiel will spend half his day teaching and the other half in the AD role.
All of the moves were approved during Monday’s meeting of the USD 416 Board of Education.
“This is very exciting for me,” Pfannenstiel said. “It’s definitely going to be a change. I have been a teacher and a coach for 18 years. I still get to be a teacher half-time, and now I get to step into a new role as an administrator. It is going to be all sports and activities and I am looking forward to the new direction.”
As for Pickman, he gets the opportunity to focus more on the academic side as a full-time assistant principal. He was hired as an assistant principal/ activities director in April of 2020.
“I am very excited to commit more fully to the assistant principal role as education and curriculum have always been my true passion,” Pickman said. “Being able to support the teachers, students, and administrative staff by providing data, feedback, and assessing teaching and learning goals and initiatives in the building and district aligns with that passion and the opportunity arose to allow for that. I hope to enable and promote continued growth in the various curriculums and initiatives and structures that make Louisburg a fantastic district in a supportive community.
“Ty has experience and is passionate about athletics and activities. As it is where his passion is, I have every confidence he will do a fantastic job in his new role and look forward to witnessing where he takes our programs moving forward.”
Pickman took over LHS activities at a difficult time as the school was coming back from COVID-19 and the all challenges it presented. As tough as that situation was, he appreciated the relationships he built.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my role as activities director and was presented a fantastic growth opportunity and am grateful for being given it,” Pickman said. “I had a goal of being present for athletes and coaches and for the patrons, so I hope people saw that presence. I was blessed to have great leadership in place in our coaches and sponsors, and tried to support them best by advocating for their needs and supporting them to do their job of being great role models and passing on their passion and knowledge to students.
“Ultimately, I am most proud of our student athletes and activity participants and being part of their journey. I believe that sports are an extension of the classroom and I wanted to help ensure that character and sportsmanship were just as important and success, and I am overjoyed to have a wealth of memories where our fans, students, participants, and coaches and sponsors proved that to be true of LHS.”
While taking on the challenge of being a new administrator is one he is looking forward to, leaving his coaching roots behind was a difficult decision for Pfannenstiel.
In 2021, Pfannenstiel led the Wildcat boys basketball team to the Class 4A state championship game and finished as the state runner-up.
“That was definitely the biggest thing that was holding me back,” Pfannenstiel said. “I love basketball and the kids that I have worked with. There is a group coming up that I really enjoy coaching, and leaving that behind was one of the biggest challenges for me. Whoever takes over the program, I think it will be good transition for them because they will have a great group of kids to work with.
“Originally, I was going to be allowed to coach a sport and they didn’t want to take coaching away from me. The more I thought about it, if I want to do a good job at this, I need to focus on being the AD and that will be something that will benefit me and all the other activities.”
Pfannenstiel believes the move is a good one for the school in general as it will allow Pickman and principal Amy VanRheen to focus more on the academic side of things.
“This is something that is definitely needed,” Pfannenstiel said. “Our administrators are so busy with all the stuff they do during the school day, but they are also going to all the activities as well. Hopefully this will be a big help for Mrs. VanRheen and Mr. Pickman.”
Although he won’t official start his new position till next school year, Pfannenstiel is already starting to transition into his new role — one that is looking forward to.
“My job in the weight room and coaching has all been about sports,” he said. “That is what entices me about this job is that I am still going to be all about sports and activities. I just want to be a support for our coaches and our athletes and be advocate for our students.”
Caplinger medals at Kansas Relays to lead Wildcats
Louisburg junior Caden Caplinger earned a medal Friday at the Kansas Relays with a seventh place finish in the pole vault.
LAWRENCE — Going up against the best competition they will see all season, several Louisburg track and and field athletes put their best foot forward last Friday and Saturday at the 100th running of the Kansas Relays.
The Wildcats even put one the medal stand.
Junior Caden Caplinger earned a Kansas Relays medal Friday as he finished seventh in the pole vault after he cleared 14 feet, 5.25 inches. Sophomore Cooper Wingfield just missed the podium by one spot as he was 10th at 13-11.25.
Caplinger, who is the defending Class 4A state champion in the event, nearly eclipsed his top mark from a year ago.
“KU Relays was the toughest competition that we will see all year,” Louisburg boys coach Andy Wright said. “KU is always a great experience. It gives the athletes a chance to compete at a state-like atmosphere.”
Louisburg junior Mason Dobbins ran a personal best time in the 110 hurdles at the Kansas Relays.
Senior hurdler Mason Dobbins also found some individual success. Although he didn’t make the finals in the 110-meter high hurdles, he ran a personal best time of 14.82 seconds and took 13th overall.
Fellow hurdler, Nathan Apple, also posted strong times in both races. He was 23rd in the 110 hurdles in 15.22 seconds. In the 300 hurdles, Apple won his heat in 42.26 seconds and also finished 23rd there as well.
The Wildcats put together a 4×100 relay and the team of Caplinger, Dobbins, Colyer Wingfield and Ashton Moore ran a time of 44.11 seconds. The quartet took 35th out of 81 teams.
Louisburg junior Katie Elpers recorded a throw of 117 feet in the javelin Friday at the Kansas Relays.
On the girls side, in her first competition back from injury, Katie Elpers had a strong first showing in the javelin. The Louisburg junior recorded a throw of 117-2 to take 18th overall.
Senior Emma Lohse competed in the 100-meter dash and was 26th in 12.56 seconds.
Lohse, along with Emma Vohs, Mackenzie Rooney and Suzanna Dansel, also competed in the sprint medley relay on Saturday. They finished 19th in 4:37.45. The same group also ran a 4×100 on Friday, but were disqualified on a lane violation.
Suzanna Dansel takes a handoff from Mackenzie Rooney Friday at the Kansas Relays.
“Kansas Relays was a learning experience,” Louisburg girls coach John Reece said. “We had to adjust our relays and unfortunately were disqualified in the 4×1, but posted a good time all things considered. The sprint medley relay did an awesome job. Lohse, Dansel, Rooney, Vohs had a great time and enjoyed the experience. They also got a new school record by default.”
Wildcat boys second, Lady Cats fourth at Anderson County Invite
Louisburg junior Elias Pugh finished third in the triple jump and fourth in the long jump Thursday at the Anderson County Invitational.
GARNETT — With a good chunk of its varsity roster competing at the Kansas Relays, that didn’t stop the Louisburg track and field teams from finding success Thursday at the Anderson County Invitational.
The Wildcat boys won two events and finished second in the team standings with 119 points, just two points behind first place Ottawa.
Senior Isaiah Whitley won the long jump for Louisburg with a mark of 19 feet, 6.5 inches, while sophomore Jerynce Brings Plenty won the 3,200-meter run in 10 minutes and 25 seconds.
“This was a chance for some of our underclassmen to run at the varsity level,” Louisburg coach Andy Wright said. “I was excited to see how everyone competed. With new runners in the relays, we had all three place in the top three. Jumps and throws were solid with upperclassmen. I was just proud of the effort and the way everyone pulled together as a team by placing second.”
As for the Lady Cats, they finished fourth in the team standings with 61 points and Spring Hill won the meet with 124 points. The Louisburg girls also won three events.
Senior Emma Prettyman captured the discus title with a throw of 119-5, which was a new personal best by 10 feet. Also in the field events, junior Maddy Carpenter-Ross won the pole vault at 10 feet.
On the track, junior Maddy Rhamy won the 3,200-meter run for Louisburg in 13:25.
“We had a great meet at Anderson County with a reduced squad,” Louisburg girls coach John Reece said. “Emma placed in all three throws and Maddy Rhamy won the 3200 with no one to push her. She raced well and it was a successful evening overall.”
Senior Leo Martin takes the handoff from junior Noah Cotter in the 4×800 relay during a meet earlier this season.
The Wildcat boys racked up points all over the track, including top three finishes in all the relays.
J’Lee Collins, Caleb Feldkamp, Myles Vohs and Emmett White took second in the 4×100-meter relay in 46.69 seconds. The 4×800 relay of Colton Blue, Noah Cotter, Owen Marsh and Leo Martin also finished second in 9:17.
The 4×400 relay of Evan McKitrick, Martin Alecia Soto, Feldkamp and White took third in in 3:46.
In the sprints, Collins took fourth in the 100 dash in 12.21 seconds, while Feldkamp (25.02) and Alecia Soto (25.06) were fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 200 dash.
Along with his win in the 3,200, Brings Plenty finished third in the 1,600 run in 4:48. Cotter placed third in the 3,200 run in 10:45.
In the field events, senior Jase Hovey finished right behind Whitley in the long jump in second with a mark of 19-2.
Junior Elias Pugh finished third in the triple jump in 38-11 and took fourth in the long jump at 18-11. In the pole vault, Jacob Brown was runner-up after he cleared 11-6.
Senior Nova Ptacek runs a leg of the 4×800 relay during a meet earlier this season. The relay took second at Anderson County.
Senior Nathan Vincent had a pair of runner-up finishes in the shot put and discus. He recorded a season-best attempt in the discus with a throw of 142 feet and had a mark of 48-2 in the shot put.
Junior Ben O’Bryan also scored points in the discus as he took fourth with a throw of 119-5.
Rhamy, who won the 3,200 meters for the girls, also had a runner-up finish in the 1,600 run in 6:07 and teammate Nova Ptacek was sixth at 6:27.
Ptacek, along with Erin Apple, Ellie Davis and Delanie Tally also took runner-up in the 4×800 relay in 11:31. Junior Kate Frederick was sixth in both the 100 (18.96) and 300 hurdles (57.39).
Senior Delanie Tally rounds the curve during the 1,600-meter run earlier this season.
In the field events, Prettyman scored points in all three throwing events. Along with her win in the discus, she finished third in the javelin with a mark of 106-0.
Prettyman went on to take fourth in the shot put with a toss of 34-3.5. Freshman Kenna Lohse also scored points in the shot and had a personal best attempt of 33-7 to finish fifth.
Louisburg is back in action Thursday when the Wildcats host the Louisburg Invitational. Events begin at 4 p.m.
Dobbins wins three events, leads Wildcats to team title at Paola
Louisburg seniors Mason Dobbins (right) and Nathan Apple finished 1-2 in the 110-meter hurdles last Thursday in Paola. Dobbins won three events as the Wildcats took the team title.
PAOLA — The Louisburg boys track and field team left a mark in every event Thursday during the Paola Invitational.
The Wildcats scored at least a point in every event as Louisburg cruised to the team title in the 8-team meet with 182 points. Spring Hill finished runner-up with 138.
“I am extremely pleased with how the team is progressing,” Louisburg coach Andy Wright said. “Our marks are not where we want to be, but they are coming together. They continue to put in the work every day at practice, and are seeing the results at meets. We just need to continue to improve each week.”
Senior Mason Dobbins led the charge for the Wildcats as he earned three golds on the day to go along with one runner-up finish.
Dobbins won the 100-meter hurdles in 15.46 seconds and also captured the high jump crown after clearing 6 feet. He later took second in the 200-meter dash in 23.20 seconds.
Caden Caplinger, Colyer Wingfield and Ashton Moore teamed up with Dobbins in the 4×100-meter relay and the Wildcats took first in 44.02 seconds.
Louisburg junior Caden Caplinger finished second in the 100-meter dash last Thursday in Paola.
The Wildcats scored several points in the hurdles thanks in part to Nathan Apple. The Louisburg senior won the 300 hurdles in a season-best time of 41.29 seconds and was second in the 110 hurdles in 15.69.
“Both Mason and Nathan have worked super hard all season,” Wright said. “Their times are not where they want to be, but they will keep working hard and will see results as we get into the season. The hurdlers have all been putting in the effort at practice, and I am excited about the results they are going to have.”
Louisburg also racked up a lot of points in the pole vault as the Wildcats had the top three finishers — and all three recorded a season best.
Caplinger won the pole vault after he cleared 14 feet, 6 inches. Sophomore Cooper Wingfield was right behind him at 14 feet and junior Jacob Brown was third at 11-6.
Caplinger also went on to finish second in the 100-meter dash in 11.38 seconds to medal in his third event of the day.
Sophomore Cooper Wingfield took second in the pole vault after clearing a personal best 14 feet.
“With the competition we have in our league and regionals, Caden and Cooper don’t have a choice but to get better,” Wright said. “They will see tough competition every week for the next 4 to 5 weeks. Both have been up to the challenge and have been improving every week. Cooper has improved by 3 or more feet this year already.”
Also in the sprints, junior Hunter Heinrich finished fourth in the 400 dash in 53.88 seconds, while Moore was sixth in the 100 in 11.88. Freshman Caleb Feldkamp was seventh in the 200 in 24.71 and eighth in the 400 in 57.90.
The Wildcat 4×400 relay of Blaise Vohs, Feldkamp, Colyer Wingfield and Heinrich were second overall in 3:40.
In the distance races, Vohs put together a top three finish in the 800 run in a season-best 2:11 and Colton Blue was seventh in 2:16.
Noah Cotter finished fifth in both the 1,600 (5:06) and 3,200 run (10:56) and senior Leo Martin was eighth in the 1,600 in 5:16. Martin, Vohs, Carter and Blue were fourth in the 4×800 relay in 8:59.
Seniors Nathan Vincent and J.R. Rooney led the throwers as they scored points in two events.
Senior J.R. Rooney was second in the shot put Thursday in Paola.
Rooney was second in the shot put with a toss of 47-9 and was fifth in the discus at 115-2. Vincent took second in the discus with a throw of 125-8 and was third in the shot at 46-7.5.
Ben O’Bryan was sixth in the discus at 114-11 and junior Jaymes Melton was seventh in the shot put at 41-5.5. Senior Brecon Klugman was sixth in the javelin at 127-11 and sophomore Brayden Yoder was eighth at 126-10.
Cade Gassman took second in the high jump at 5-10. Elias Pugh (39-5.5) and Trey Myers (38-1.50) were sixth and eighth, respectively, in the triple jump, while Colyer Wingfield was seventh in the long jump at 19-6.75.
Louisburg is back in action Thursday when it travels to the Anderson County Invitational, while some varsity members will be traveling to the Kansas Relays in Lawrence beginning Friday.
