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.
Other results are:
100 dash: J’Lee Collins, 10th, 12.09
200 dash: Collins, 10th, 24.47
400 dash: Cade Gassman, 9th, 58.18
Long jump: Elias Pugh, 12th, 18-10
Javelin: Miles Meek, 11th, 123-1
Lohse leads Lady Cats to second place finish at Paola
Emma Lohse crosses the finish line of the 100-meter dash Thursday at the Paola Invitational. Lohse won the 100 and 200 dashes and also helped the 4×100 relay to a gold medal finish.
PAOLA — Emma Lohse blazed the track for the Louisburg girls track and field team Thursday at the Paola Invitational.
Lohse won three golds, including two individual events, as she led the Lady Cats to a second place team finish with 132 points. Spring Hill won the meet with 174.5 points.
“The girls team did awesome at Paola,” Louisburg coach John Reece said. “Finishing second as a team was a great accomplishment. Emma has had a great start to the season. She is competing well and is relentless in her races.”
Lohse took the 100-meter dash crown as she won it in 13.19 seconds. She later won the 200 dash in 27.09 seconds.
Freshman teammate Suzanna Dansel also scored points in the sprints for Louisburg as she was second in the 100 dash in 13.34 and fifth in the 200 in 28.22 seconds.
Lohse, Dansel, Mackenzie Rooney and Kendall Crossley put together a strong performance in the 4×100-meter relay. The Lady Cat quartet won it in 50.75 seconds.
“The 4×1 is sneaking in on a school record,” Reece said. “They are getting their exchanges figured out and will continue to improve. Individually, they want to win their leg of the race which creates a very strong relay. Much like the record holding teams in the past, once the baton is in the anchor legs hand one of two things will happen, try to catch me or you are going to be caught.”
Later on the in the 400 dash, Crossley scored points in her second event as she was fourth in the 400 dash in 1:09.
The Lady Cats also scored point in both hurdle events. Rooney was second in the 300 hurdles in 52.58 seconds and Kate Frederick was eighth in 54.99.
In the 100 hurdles, Rooney finished fifth in 18.25 seconds and Frederick was sixth in 18.44.
Louisburg junior Maddy Rhamy rounds the curve during the 1,600-meter run Thursday at Paola.
Also on the track, junior Emma Vohs earned a first place finish in the distance races. Vohs ran a season-best time 13 minutes and 25 seconds to win the 3,200-meter run, while junior teammate Maddy Rhamy was second in 13:33.
Rhamy also went on to run a season-best time in the 1,600 run in 6:08 and senior Delanie Tally was eighth in 6:12.
“Emma Vohs and Maddy are racing well in the distance events,” Reece said. “As they continue with their training, we expect their times to drop and to be challenging for wins.”
Vohs, Nova Ptacek, Tally and Erin Apple finished second in the 4×800 relay in 11:03. Apple was seventh in the 800 run in 2:48.
Senior Emma Prettyman continues to lead the Wildcat throwers as she scored points in all three events, including one victory. Prettyman won the javelin with a toss of 104 feet, 6 inches.
She later finished second in the discus with a season-best throw of 109-4 and was fourth in the shot put with another best of 35-1.
Louisburg junior Maddy Carpenter-Ross was second in the pole vault Thursday at Paola.
Freshman Kenna Lohse also scored points in a pair of throwing events. She was fifth in the shot put with a toss of 32-8 and eighth in the javelin with a throw of 85-1.
Junior Maddy Carpenter-Ross took second in the pole vault after she cleared 9-6.
Louisburg is back in action Thursday at the Anderson County Invitational, while some varsity members will be competing at the Kansas Relays in Lawrence this Friday and Saturday.
Other results are:
200 dash: Kendall Crossley, 9th, 28.80
1,600 run: Nova Ptacek, 12th, 6:35
Long jump: Crossley, 9th, 14-7
Discus: Kenna Lohse, 9th, 84-9
Wildcats win seven events at Leavenworth Invite to begin season
Louisburg’s Ashton Moore takes the handoff from Colyer Wingfield in the final leg of the 4×100-meter relay Friday at the Leavenworth Invitational.
LEAVENWORTH — On what was a blustery day that saw winds creep up to 40 miles an hour, the Louisburg track team found a way to put together a strong performance Friday during its season opener at the Leavenworth Invitational.
The Wildcat boys finished second in the team standings with 148 points, just three points behind champion Grain Valley. They also won six individual titles.
On the girls side, the Lady Cats finished fourth with 78 points as they won one event. Mill Valley won the team crown with 156 points in the eight-team meet.
Jerynce Brings Plenty had a big meet for the Louisburg boys as he won a pair of distance races to lead the way for the Wildcats.
The Louisburg sophomore won the 1,600-meter run in 4 minutes and 37 seconds. He also captured the 3,200-meter crown in 10:04 as both were personal best times.
Louisburg also dominated both hurdle races as seniors Mason Dobbins and Nathan Apple each brought home gold. Dobbins won the 110-meter hurdles in 15.19 seconds and Apple was second in 15.73.
Louisburg seniors Nathan Apple (left) and Mason Dobbins won the 300 and 110 hurdles, respectively, Friday at Leavenworth.
In the 300 hurdles, Apple came through again for Louisburg as he won the event in 42.19 seconds.
The Wildcat boys 4×100-meter relay of Caden Caplinger, Dobbins, Colyer Wingfield and Ashton Moore won the event in 44.25 seconds. Later on in the night, Caplinger won his second gold as he captured the pole vault title after clearing 14 feet.
Caplinger also scored points for the Wildcats in the 100-meter dash as he recorded a time of 11.42 seconds to finish third overall, while Dobbins was fourth in the 200 dash in 23.04 seconds.
Also on the track, the 4×800-meter relay of Owen Marsh, Noah Cotter, Leo Martin and Blaise Vohs took third overall in 9:20. Cotter also scored points in the 3,200 run as he took sixth in 10:45.
The 4×400 relay of Hunter Heinrich, Wingfield, Cade Gassman and Caleb Feldkamp took seventh in 3:42.
In the field events, Gassman and Dobbins scored points in the high jump as the two Wildcats seniors tied for second as each cleared 6-0.
Louisburg senior Nathan Vincent finished second in the shot put and discus Friday in Leavenworth.
Sophomore Cooper Wingfield finished third in the pole vault after he cleared 13-6 and junior Jacob Brown was eighth at 10-6.
Colyer Wingfield took fourth in the triple jump with a mark of 38-11 and junior Elias Pugh was eighth at 37-4. Senior Isaiah Whitley was seventh in the long jump at 19-8.5.
Senior Nathan Vincent had a good debut in both the shot put and discus as he finished second in both. Vincent had a toss of 50-2 in the shot, which was a personal best, and had a 140-6 mark in the discus.
Senior J.R. Rooney was third in the shot with a toss of 48-9 — a personal best — while Ben O’Bryan was fourth in the discus with a mark of 125-2. Rooney was sixth in the discus at 124-1.
Prettyman leads Lady Cat track
Louisburg senior Emma Prettyman racked up points in all three throwing events to lead the Lady Cat team, including a strong performance in the discus.
Prettyman won the discus with a toss of 101-10. She also went on to finish third in the shot put with a mark of 34-8 and was third in the javelin at 107-10.
Senior Emma Prettyman won the discus and took third in the shot put and javelin Friday in Leavenworth.
Also in the field events, junior Maddy Carpenter-Ross was fourth in the pole vault after a clearance of 10 feet. Freshman Kenna Lohse took fifth in the shot put with a mark of 32-5.
On the track, sophomore Mackenzie Rooney finished runner-up in the 300 hurdles with a time of 52.57. Junior Kate Frederick finished sixth in both the 100 (20.52) and 300 hurdles (57.16)
In the sprints, senior Emma Lohse finished third in the 200 dash in 26.81 seconds and was fifth the 100 dash in 12.89. Freshman Suzanna Dansel finished sixth in the 200 (27.80) and eighth in the 100 (13.12).
The 4×100 relay of Rooney, Dansel, Lohse and Kendall Crossley took third in 50.40 seconds.
Sophomore Mackenzie Rooney was second in the 300 hurdles Friday at Leavenworth.
In the distance races, juniors Emma Vohs (13:27) and Maddy Rhamy (13:33) took fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 3,200 run. Vohs also finished sixth (2:33) in the 800 run.
Senior Delanie Tally scored points in the 1,600 run as she finished eighth in 6:15.
Louisburg is back on the track Thursday as the Wildcats travel to the Paola Invitational. Events begin at 3:30 p.m.
Other results:
GIRLS
1,600 run: Maddy Rhamy, 10th, 6:24; Nova Ptacek, 11th, 6:27; Erin Apple, 16th, 6:47
Returning state medalists highlight Wildcat track for 2023 season
Louisburg senior Mason Dobbins is one of eight returning state medalists for the Wildcat boys track and field team this season.
A state championship and a third place finish — that is how the season ended the last two years for the Louisburg boys track and field team.
The Wildcats are hoping for the same type of finish again in 2023.
The boys and girls teams open their season today at the Leavenworth Invitational, and both teams are hoping for big years as they return several state medalists on each side.
“We are coming off an amazing season,” Louisburg boys coach Andy Wright said. “I would like to see us continue that high as we return eight state qualifiers. There will be some big shoes to fill in the sprints and distance events from last year’s seniors. I am confident that we have underclassmen that are up to the challenge. I am really looking forward to another great season, with some great athletes to work with.”
Louisburg returns eight state medalists from a season ago and it begins with junior pole vaulter Caden Caplinger, who won the state title in that event last year.
Caden Caplinger returns after winning the state title in the pole vault as a sophomore.
Caplinger has even higher goals for himself this year after he won the gold at 14-6 at last year’s state meet.
“Caden has already improved from last year’s personal record,” Wright said. “He has been working hard in the off season to reclaim his title in a class of tough competition.”
The Wildcats will feature plenty of other talent in the field events as well, one of those being Nathan Vincent. The Louisburg senior medaled at state in the javelin for the second straight year as he took third with a throw of more than 180 feet.
Vincent will also try and earn state bids in the discus and shot put as well as he will lead the Wildcat throwers.
“If Nathan stays healthy, he could be a force and place at the state level in all three throwing events,” Wright said.
Along with Vincent, senior Jackson Rooney will also be a regular point-getter in the throws for Louisburg, as will Cooper Wingfield in the pole vault.
Louisburg senior Nathan Vincent returns to lead the Wildcat throws this year after medaling third a
In the jumps, senior Colyer Wingfield returns in the long and triple jump, as he qualified for state in both events a year ago. Senior Isaiah Whitley, another past state qualifier, also returns in the jumps.
Senior Mason Dobbins will look to score points in both the track and field this season. He will compete in the high jump, after medaling in the event two years ago, and will be busy on the track.
Dobbins returns to lead the Wildcat hurdlers as he finished second in the 110 hurdles at state last season. He was also a state medalist in the 200 dash and on two relays.
The Wildcats also have another returning state medalist in the hurdles in Nathan Apple. The Louisburg senior was fourth at state in the 110s last season and will also look to medal in the 300 hurdles as well.
“I’m expecting big things from Mason and Nathan this season,” Wright said. “Both are ranked at the top of hurdlers in 4A. Nathan has been also improving in the 300 hurdles as well. These two should be in the top six at most of the meets.”
Nathan Apple medaled fourth in the 110 hurdles at the state meet last season with a personal best time of 15.11 seconds.
Another returning state medalist on the track is Ethan Ptacek. The Louisburg senior medaled in the 400 dash last season and will look to try and qualify in the 200 as well.
“Ethan will be our work horse this year,” Wright said. “He will anchor our 4×1 and 4×4 , plus run in the 200 and 400. He has been working on getting stronger and faster in the off season. Excited to see what he will do this season.”
The Wildcats will also bring back several key pieces to all three relay teams that medaled at state. In the 4×100, Dobbins, Caplinger and Ptacek all return, while junior Hunter Heinrich, Wingfield and Ptacek come back in the 4×400.
In the 4×800, Heinrich and sophomore Jerynce Brings Plenty will lead that group. Brings Plenty also returns to lead the distance runners.
“I still think we will be strong in the relays,” Wright said. “We will mix and match to begin the season and find the four that will run together later.”
On the girls side, senior Emma Lohse will lead the Lady Cats on the track as a returning state medalist. Lohse took fourth in the 100 dash last season and also qualified for state in the 200.
Lohse will lead a group of 25 girls out on the girls side as the Lady Cats are coming off a strong finish at state a year ago.
Louisburg senior Emma Lohse will help lead the Lady Cat track team as a returning state medalist.
“We have a good core of returners and some freshmen and first timers to boost the talent,” Louisburg girls coach John Reece said. “Emma should have a great season and I look forward to fielding a 4×1 relay that should be competitive.”
Joining Lohse in the sprints, will be freshmen Suzanna Dansel and Kendall Crossley. Sophomore Mackenzie Rooney will run the 300 hurdles after qualifying for state a year ago and was a part of the 4×400 relay.
In the distance races, junior Maddy Rhamy returns after she earned a state medal last season in the 3,200 run, while fellow junior Emma Vohs will do the same in the 1,600 run as she is also a returning state medalist.
“I feel Emma and Maddy will be very competitive all season and will and make their way back to being top performers at state,” Reece said.
In the field events, junior Maddy Carpenter-Ross will compete in the pole vault after medaling fifth at state a year ago.
Louisburg junior Maddy Carpenter-Ross returns after earning a state medal in the pole vault last season.
In the throws, junior Katie Elpers is back for another strong season in the javelin after earning a sixth place state medal in 2022.
Also in the throws, senior Emma Prettyman returns to score points in the throws, as will freshman Kenna Lohse.
“The field events will be solid this year and we will look to Maddy to score in the pole vault, and when Katie gets over a shoulder issue, we look for her to step up as well,” Reece said. “Emma and Kenna will be adding points in all three throws and hopefully make a bid for state.”
Top 10 Louisburg Sports Stories of 2022
It was a successful, and eventful, 2022 for Louisburg High School athletics and for those who are connected to the Wildcat program.
This past year created a lot of school history for LHS and a few programs brought back state hardware.
Below are the top stories from 2022, along with a brief explanation of each. Included in the writeup is the link to the actual story from the event.
When putting the list together, I took a lot of things into account – whether it was team vs. individual, popularity of the sport, historical achievements and the interest it drew on the web site.
This year was a blast to cover and I am looking forward to seeing what 2023 will bring. Thank you to everyone for their support and can’t wait for it all to begin again.
10. Louisburg golf qualifies for state
FORT SCOTT — As the scores were rolling in, the Louisburg golf team was a little worried.
The Wildcats were in jeopardy of not qualifying for state after a few of the golfers didn’t have the scores they were hoping for in the Class 4A regional tournament in Fort Scott.
Chanute and Independence had already assured themselves of a spot, but the third place team was up in the air as the top three teams automatically qualify for state.
As it turned out, the Wildcats had nothing to worry about as they edged Paola by four strokes to finish in third with a 357 to secure their third consecutive spot in the 4A state tournament.
Seniors A.J. Arriola, Sam Wheeler, Ian Kirkpatrick, Johnny Thompson, along with juniors Jackson Olson and Nick Lancaster, advanced to the state tournament.
Arriola carded a 78 and finished as a regional runner-up, as he was just two strokes behind regional champion Drayton Cleaver of Chanute.
As for Olson, the Louisburg junior set a personal record by six strokes to shoot an 81 and took fourth overall. Those personal bests were enough to get the Wildcats into that third place spot.
At state, Arriola and Wheeler finished as the team’s top two golfers. Arriola carded a 97 to take 59th overall, while Wheeler finished with a 98 and came in 66th.
9. Brueggen’s earns school’s first state swim medal
LENEXA — Even though she is just a freshman, Sabra Brueggen is already putting a stamp on her high school swim career at Louisburg High School.
It all came to a rousing end on May 21 as Brueggen earned her first state medal at the Class 5-1A Kansas State Swim and Diving Championships at the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center.
On the day before in the preliminaries, Brueggen also took fifth in a season-best time of 1:00.15.
“Medaling as freshman means the world to me, and it proves to me that all of my hard work for all of these years, has paid off,” Brueggen said. “I feel like I performed my absolute best at state, and I was very happy with the results. It gives me confidence that I will have a bright future representing OzPaLou at the state swim meets.”
She nearly had a second medal in the 50 freestyle. Brueggen put together a season-best time of 25.26 seconds, but finished ninth overall. It was the same finish she had the in the preliminaries.
The top eight in each event earn a state medal as she was just .06 away from earning another spot on the medal stand.
8. Harding takes over as Wildcat football coach
The Louisburg football program had a different leader on the sidelines this past season.
The USD 416 Board of Education approved the hire of LHS assistant coach Drew Harding to be the team’s new head coach in January after the district decided not to renew the contact of former coach Robert Ebenstein.
Harding spent the last five seasons as a Wildcat assistant coach, including time as a defensive coordinator. He is a 2010 Louisburg graduate and was a big part of the Wildcat program during his time as a student-athlete at Louisburg High School.
However, Harding didn’t see himself be a head coach of any sport coming out of college.
“It means a lot,” Harding said. “When I got out of school, I didn’t get into education right away and started somewhere else. I decided to get into education because of the impact my former coaches at Louisburg had on me. To come full circle and to be in the position that I am in now, is pretty surreal. I am really excited for the opportunity and hopefully I can have the same type of impact on student athletes as they come through the program.”
Ebenstein has the been the head coach the last five seasons and helped the Wildcats to a 30-18 record during that time, including a Frontier League and regional title in 2018. He had a winning record three of those five seasons.
He was also named the KFCA Coach of the Year during that season and was selected to be an assistant coach for the Kansas Shrine Bowl. He was an assistant coach for the Wildcat program for five years before earning the head coaching job.
7. Conley resigns a Louisburg head boys and girls soccer coach
He was recently hired to lead the boys and girls soccer programs at Blue Valley West, where he will serve as the head coach of both teams.
Conley, who also taught social studies at LHS, informed the players and parents of his decision on May 4. The Blue Valley Board of Education approved his hire on May 9.
“Making the decision to leave Louisburg was extremely difficult,” Conley said. “The players and parents, both past and present, made this decision tough. No parents or players caused this decision. I am very thankful to Mr. (Dave) Tappan and Mr. (Darin) Gagnebin for giving me this opportunity to coach and teach at Louisburg. The amount of support that my teams, my family and I received from Louisburg soccer parents and the community was incredible.”
Conley has the been head girls coach at Louisburg since its inception in 2016 and has led that program to four consecutive state final fours.
Twice, the Wildcats made the state championship game and finished runner-up on both occasions. He has guided the program to an 82-34-3 record.
Conley took over the boys program in 2016 and finished with a 77-32-3 record. He led the Wildcats to two state final fours during that span, including a third place finish in 2020.
“I am so proud of the things that our student athletes in the soccer programs have accomplished both on and off the soccer field,” Conley said. “I will always cherish the memories that we have made here with the Louisburg soccer programs.”
6. Girls cross country qualifies for state, Vohs earns state medal
WAMEGO — For the second consecutive season, Emma Vohs left the Class 4A state cross country meet with more than was she arrived with.
“I was so excited to win another state medal this season and couldn’t be happier that I reached my goal for that race, which was placing top 10,” Vohs said. “The race was a tougher course, as was the competition this year, but I am blessed to run with such talented girls that push me to do better each race.”
A week earlier at regionals, the team of Vohs, Maddy Rhamy, Lola Edwards, Nova Ptacek, Bree Gassman, Erin Apple and Madison Huggins finished third to punch their ticket to state
“It never gets old seeing the joy in the team’s eyes when they hear they qualified for state,” Louisburg coach John Reece said. “The girls work hard to accomplish this goal each year, and because of their dedication to their sport, they achieve great things even if they might not make it, but they did.
“The program has built itself and I’m just glad to be a part of it. Yes, we put together a training plan to accomplish great things at the end of the season, but the runners do the work to get there. It takes self discipline, motivation and guts to be there at the end of the season.”
5. Wildcat wrestling medals 3 at state
Louisburg wrestling has had its fair share of state medalists in its long history, but what the Wildcats accomplished in February at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center in Salina was something the program had never seen before.
Aiden Barker (195 pounds), Kaven Bartlett (126) and Elijah Eslinger (285) each finished in the top six in their respective weight classes and put together their best performances of the season. It was also the first time each of them earned a state medal.
“This season was the most state placers we’ve had in a single year in program history,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “Prior to 1992, KSHSAA only medaled the top 4 in each weight. In both 1988 and 1989, we had two top-4 placers and one top-6 placer, but this really shows how the program is progressing and developing. We nearly had four medalists, too.”
Barker, a senior, was a favorite for a medal heading into Salina and finished fifth overall with a 13-1 major decision over Ottawa’s Jared Ferguson in the fifth-place match.
Bartlett and Eslinger also left lasting impressions on the Wildcat program as each medaled sixth overall after both nearly turned their brackets upside down as they advanced to the semifinals on Friday. They both guaranteed themselves a medal on the first day.
4. Louisburg cheer earns state runner-up performance
TOPEKA — It has almost become commonplace to see the Louisburg High School cheer squad in the finals of the Class 4A Gameday Spirit Showcase.
However, that doesn’t mean the cheerleaders are any less excited about it.
For the second straight season, the Wildcats finished as the state runner-up in the Class 4A competition at the Stormont-Vail Events Center. They finished with a score of 79.45 and were one point behind champion Paola.
It is the fourth straight season that the Wildcats have finished in the top three, which included a state championship in 2019.
“I am so unbelievably and incredibly proud of this team,” Louisburg coach Marissa Morrow said. “This positivity and attitude that these girls have shown this year have been the key to our success. I had no doubt that the material and performances we brought on Saturday had the potential to do well, but it was the girls who made it possible to pull it together. They were all such competitors and left it all out on the mat, and I couldn’t ask for more. We also could not have done it without the support of our amazing cheer families.”
Members of the team are Sydney Dudzik, Bella Feikert, Zoe Cutshaw, Caroline Dugger, Elizabeth George, Addison Drake, Brooklyn Harmon, Adison Vargo, Maddy Carpenter-Ross, Sienna Finch, Alayna Stohs, Alaina Dudzik, Maddie O’Keefe, Liz Willming, Kayleigh Ramsey, Taryn Osborn, Anna Brizendine and Jocelyn Burk.
3. LHS football secures Frontier League title
With just over a minute left in regulation, Louisburg was staring at the possibility of their first league loss and was watching an outright Frontier League title slip away.
Spring Hill scored a touchdown and took a four-point lead with 1 minute and 12 seconds left. Things were looking bleak for the Wildcats.
As it turned out, 52 seconds was all the Wildcats needed to pull off one of the season’s most memorable moments. Louisburg quarterback Declan Battle found junior Caden Caplinger in the endzone on an 18-yard touchdown pass with 20 seconds remaining to give the Wildcats a 20-17 victory.
“There weren’t a lot of people who thought we could be league champions,” Louisburg coach Drew Harding said. “I don’t think it was anything that people expected out of us, and the Frontier League is really good. For this group to come to work, get better every day and to see success is pretty sweet.”
The win was extra special for 16 Louisburg seniors as they were also able to celebrate that league title on Senior Night.
Jackson Kush, Nathan Apple, Carson Wade, Isaiah Whitley, Riley Van Eaton, J.R. Rooney, Will Hutsell, Brayton Brueggen, Christian Golladay, Nathan Vincent, Jase Hovey, Mack Newell, Hunter Moore, Mason Dobbins, Corbin Hamman and Layne Ryals all got to end their final regular season home game with a win.
“The Frontier League title means so much to me and this team,” Rooney said. “As a team before the season, the seniors wrote down our goals, and league champs was on everyone’s list. To clinch it on senior night was amazing. Going undefeated at home, to win it on our field in front of our town — it was an indescribable feeling.”
2. Wildcat volleyball finishes fourth at state
HUTCHINSON — The state tournament ended the way it started for the Louisburg volleyball team — with a loss to Towanda-Circle.
Still, it was everything that happened in between that made for a lot of lasting memories for the Wildcat players.
Louisburg went 2-1 in pool play at the Hutchinson Sports Arena, which included a revenge win over Tonganoxie in the final match of the day. That gave the Lady Cats a spot in the state semifinals Saturday, where they finished fourth in Class 4A.
The Wildcats suffered a 2-0 loss to both Bishop Miege and Circle, but they still ended their season as one of the state’s top teams.
“I am extremely proud of this team,” Louisburg coach Leanna Willer said. “Looking at how we started this season, and our ups and downs along the way, it is a huge accomplishment for them to have come together as a team at the end of the season and play our best volleyball yet. It was apparent in the last couple of weeks that they really started playing for each other and capitalizing on the strong team bonds they built throughout the year.”
The Wildcats, the No. 9 seed, knocked off No. 1 seed Baldwin, 25-18 and 25-19, at Baldwin High School in the finals of the Class 4A sub-state tournament. That win puts Louisburg in the state tournament for the first time since 2019.
Members of the team are Emma Prettyman, Adyson Ross, Claire Brown, Allie Kennedy, Ashlyn Berck, Delaney Nelson, Izzy Moreland, Bronwynn Williams, Caileigh Kilgore, Megan Quinn, Hailey Sword and Madelyn Williams.
1. Wildcat boys take third at state track; Koontz, Caplinger win state titles; Lady Cats medal nine
WICHITA — For the second consecutive season, the Louisburg boys track and field team brought home hardware from the Class 4A state meet.
Andale won the state championship with 101 points and Chanute was the state runner-up with 71.
Louisburg got points from a lot of different areas as the Wildcats medaled in 10 events and had 12 medalists overall, including all three of their relays.
“I am not going to complain at all,” Koontz said. “I believe we came here with less people than we did last year and everyone did their best. Even though we didn’t get exactly what we wanted, third place is still a great achievement.”
What he couldn’t believe was he had just won his first state title in the 300 hurdles and Koontz did so by breaking a 14-year-old school record. Koontz ran a time of 38.98 seconds to break R.J. Saunders’ record of 39.16 set in 2008 to earn the gold.
It turned out to be his second state title of the day as he also earned the gold medal in the 110-meter high hurdles with a time of 14.61 seconds. Koontz won the state in that event last season as well.
Caplinger cleared a lot of his marks in the pole vault and did so in convincing fashion as he was able to win a state title in just his second year with the program.
Last season at state, Caplinger medaled eighth after he cleared 12-6. A year later, the Louisburg sophomore improved his mark by two feet and is a state champion.
It was an impressive showing from Caplinger as he didn’t miss an attempt until he tried for 15 feet at the end. He entered the competition at 12-6 and had five straight successful clearances.
“At first I was really nervous, but then it just kind of turned into a routine thing,” Caplinger said. “I started going over heights consistently and the rest just kind of fell into place. I cleared 14-6 earlier this week twice in a row, so I knew I could do it. I was still a little nervous though.”
As for the Lady Cats, Delaney Wright left the state meet with three medals. Wright, who has been coming back from a severe injury for most of the season, finished as the state runner-up in the 400-meter dash, third place in the 200 dash and fifth in the long jump.
A season ago, Wright was the state champion in all three events, but couldn’t get the repeat she was hoping for.
“Going into state I knew I still wasn’t where I want to be due to my injury a couple months ago,” Wright said. “But I wanted to attack it still and give it all I had. I am blessed I was there to compete and earn three medals cause in the beginning I didn’t even know if I was going to compete my senior year.”
In all, the Lady Cats put together a strong state performance as they medaled in nine events and finished with 40 team points and took sixth overall. They were just eight points away from the third place spot, and a plaque.
“Once again the state qualifiers did an amazing job,” Louisburg girls coach John Reece said. “They all performed well and most beyond expectations. To leave the meet finishing in sixth place was outstanding. We left with lots of medals and great memories.”
Lohse excited to join Washburn University track program
Louisburg senior Emma Lohse signed her letter of intent to join the Washburn University track and field team during a ceremony at LHS on Nov. 9.
At this time a year ago, Emma Lohse hadn’t stepped foot on the track for a competition since the seventh grade.
The idea of participating in the sport really hadn’t appealed to her. Fast forward to the present, and Lohse is signing on the dotted line to compete at the college level.
During a signing ceremony on Nov. 9, Lohse signed her letter of intent to join the Washburn University track and field team next season as a sprinter for the Ichabods.
“Signing with Washburn means everything to me,” Lohse said. “Ever since I started track last season, I knew I wanted go to Washburn to further my academic and athletic career.
“If you would have told me a year ago that I would be signing to run track in college, I wouldn’t have believed it, only because it was my first year. I didn’t know what to expect.”
That one season was a big one for Lohse. A year ago, she qualified for state in both the 100 and 200-meter dashes and medaled fourth in the 100.
Louisburg senior Emma Lohse signed her letter of intent to join the Washburn track program on Nov. 9. Seated next to Emma are her parents Sarah and John Lohse. Standing (from left) are basketball coaches Joel McGhee, Nick Chapman, Adrianne Lane and track coaches John Reece, Andy Wright and Leanna Willer.
Earlier last year, Lohse also broke the school record in the 100 dash and became a big point-getter for the Wildcat girls track team.
All of that almost didn’t happen, if it wouldn’t have been for a certain coach who nudged her into the sport.
“I tried track last year mainly because (coach Andy) Wright kept trying to convince me to do it and I was like why not,” Lohse said. “I knew I was fast and could definitely succeed at it. So I gave it a shot and it was the best decision I’ve made. I tried track in seventh grade and did not like it and quit until my junior year. I’m so glad I went through with this decision because it definitely paid off.”
Her one season of success brought out opportunities for Lohse in the college ranks and Washburn was right up there at the top. After a taking her visit, there wasn’t much of a doubt where she wanted to go.
“When I had my official visit at Washburn I immediately fell in love with the school and especially the indoor facility,” Lohse said. “Meeting the coaches and some of the girls made it feel like home.”
Lohse, who will also be running the 100 and 200 at Washburn is looking forward to what her final high school season has in store as she hopes to have an even better season this time around.
“I am really excited to see what the this track season brings,” she said. “I am hoping to break my 100 record and make it to state again, but this time medaling in all my events.”
Delaney Wright named 2022 Louisburg Sports Zone Female Athlete of the Year
Delaney Wright had a junior year to remember.
She won three state titles in track and was also a key member of the girls basketball team that had the school’s best finish in 2021.
Life couldn’t have been better.
In 2022, Wright was poised for bigger and better things and it got off on the right foot with a commitment to run track and Kansas State University.
It was still a memorable time for the Louisburg senior, but her final campaign as a Wildcat was one that was filled with obstacles. It all started with one outside of the athletic arena.
Wright came home to find her house filled with smoke. Fire had erupted on one side of the house, causing major damage.
Luckily, no one was home at the time, but it was a major upheaval for Delaney and her family.
“Coming home to a house fire in the first semester of senior year, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next,” Wright said. “I’m so thankful for our community and being so generous for helping us in many ways after it happened.”
If that wasn’t difficult enough, Delaney encountered one of the more bigger obstacles of her life.
During a shoot-around in January, Wright sustained a severe high-ankle sprain that forced her to miss half of her senior year of basketball.
Then came her track season, and despite a slower recovery than she would have hoped, Wright finished with three regional titles and three state medals, including a state runner-up finish in the 400-meter dash.
Her resiliency was one of the many reasons she was chosen as the 2022 Louisburg Sports Zone Female Athlete of the Year.
“I am honored and grateful to win this award,” she said. “Looking back on my last four years, senior year definitely was a character build for me.”
The head coaches from Louisburg High School voted Tom Koontz and Delaney Wright as the Louisburg Sports Zone Athletes of the Year.
It was a long road to recovery for Wright as she had ligament damage in her ankle that took a couple months to bounce back from.
Wright, who was known as the basketball team’s best defender, was forced to support her team from the bench and she became the team’s top cheerleader instead.
“Getting injured and sitting the bench my senior year was tough, I’m not going to lie,” Wright said. “But as I sat there and watched my teammates, I realized I can still be a team player and encourage them from the bench. I was grateful for the last three years of basketball and knew I never wasted a moment of it. I wouldn’t have kept a positive mindset without having God in my life.”
Then came track, where Wright was hoping to repeat as a state champion in all three of her events. Instead, hiccups came in her recovery and her timetable kept getting pushed back and she was running out of time.
Despite that, Wright still finished with the three regional titles and qualified for four events at state. She ended up with three state medals and finished with 10 for her career.
In turn, Wright became one of the more decorated female track athletes in Louisburg High School history.
“In the beginning of the track season I didn’t know if I was going to end up competing,” she said. “From swimming exercises to physical therapy and acupuncture, I was going to come back and at least compete.
“Being behind by a couple weeks and not having much strength though, didn’t stop me. By the time it was regionals I felt I was just starting. I was grateful I was able to compete one last time at state my senior year after everything that had happened.”
There are plenty of memories for Wright to look back on during her time at Louisburg and she definitely left her mark on a couple different programs. Now she is looking to create new ones as a member of the K-State track and field program.
“Being a 3-time state champion and going to state in basketball for the first time in 47 years sticks out the most to me, as well as all the other memories that came with,” Wright said. “I’m sad that I’m leaving it behind, but I’m looking forward to the future and excited to start my next chapter in track.”
