Lady Cats finish second at Wellsville as relay breaks school record
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.”
Emma Lohse (left) sprints to the finish in the 100-meter dash finals Friday in Wellsville.
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.
Junior Katie Elpers took second in the javelin Friday at Wellsville.
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
Dobbins with record-setting day as Wildcats win at Wellsville
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.
(From left) Ashton Moore, Colyer Wingfield, Mason Dobbins and Caden Caplinger broke the school record in the 4×100 relay Friday at Wellsville.
“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.
Louisburg senior J.R. Rooney finished seventh in the shot put Friday at Wellsville.
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.
Louisburg senior Ethan Ptacek took third Friday in the 400 meter dash at Wellsville.
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
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.
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.”
