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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other results are:

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

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

Discus: Kenna Lohse, 15th, 86-6

Javelin: Lohse, 11th, 92-9

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

EMMA LOHSE, SENIOR, TRACK AND FIELD

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

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

The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the spring season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.

Previous winners:

Week 1: Rowan Yows

Week 2: Sabra Brueggen

Week 3: Danny Napier

Week 4: Corbin Hamman

Week 5: Megan Quinn

Week 6: Lexi Hampton

Week 7: Mason Dobbins

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other results are:

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

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

100 hurdles: Kate Frederick, 9th, 17.87

300 hurdles: Frederick, 10th, 53.77

Discus: Kenna Lohse, 17th, 92-7

Javelin: Lohse, 17th, 89-9

Shot Put: Lohse, 10th, 31-2.5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Louisburg also scored points in the other two relays.

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

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

Other results are: 

100 dash: Caleb Feldkamp, 15th, 11.89

200 dash: Feldkamp, 17th, 24.80

400 dash: Colton Blue, 12th, 55.61

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

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

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

110 hurdles: Kyler Biermann, 12th, 19.61

300 hurdles: Biermann, 15th, 49.19

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MASON DOBBINS, SENIOR, TRACK AND FIELD

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

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

The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the spring season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.

Previous winners:

Week 1: Rowan Yows

Week 2: Sabra Brueggen

Week 3: Danny Napier

Week 4: Corbin Hamman

Week 5: Megan Quinn

Week 6: Lexi Hampton

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.

“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.”

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.”

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 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.

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

100 hurdles: Kate Frederick, 10th, 19.60

300 hurdles: Frederick, 12th, 56.67

Long jump: Crossley, 13th, 14-0.5

Javelin: Kenna Lohse, 13th, 92-10

Shot put: Lohse, 9th, 32-8

BOYS

100 dash: Caden Caplinger, 9th, 11.79; Ashton Moore, 14th, 11.98; Ethan Ptacek, 16th, 12.01

200 dash: Moore, 9th, 24.05

800 run: Colton Blue, 15th, 2:16; Leo Martin, 17th, 2:17

1,600 run: Martin, 11th, 5:04; Noah Cotter, 13th, 5:09

Long jump: Colyer Wingfield, 10th, 19-11.75; Isaiah Whitley, 11th, 19-11.5

Triple jump: Trey Myers, 9th, 36-9.5

Discus: Ben O’Bryan, 14th, 107-6

Javelin: Brecon Klugman, 20th, 101-3; Brayden Yoder, 24th, 98-0

Shot Put: Jaymes Melton, 9th, 40-4

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.”

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.”

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 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.

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

300 hurdles: Kate Frederick, 6th, 55.12

Discus: Kenna Lohse, 9th, 86-8

Javelin: Lohse, 6th, 97-2

BOYS

100 dash: J’Lee Collins, 7th, 12.43; Caleb Feldkamp, 8th, 12.47; Russell Wiseman, 14th, 12.82; Myles Vohs, 17th, 12.89

200 dash: Collins, 9th, 24.83; Emmett White, 10th, 24.98; Cade Gassman, 12th, 25.16; Feldkamp, 15th, 25.34; Wiseman, 19th, 25.96; Colton Cook, 24th, 28.08

400 dash: Feldkamp, 6th, 57.44; Cook, 10th, 1:00

1,600 run: Noah Cotter, 6th, 5:04; Leo Martin, 7th, 5:11

110 hurdles: Kyler Biermann, 6th, 20.16

300 hurdles: Biermann, 7th, 50.65

Long Jump: Jase Hovey, 6th, 19-0.5; Vohs, 9th, 17-8.25

Discus: Jaymes Melton, 7th, 103-0; Miles Meek, 11th, 95-0; Connor Lee, 14th, 92-2; Nathan Capuro, 15th, 92-1; Brayton Brueggen, 20th, 84-3

Javelin: Brueggen, 6th, 121-2; Brayden Yoder, 10th, 111-8; Miles Meek, 11th, 110-6; Ben O’Bryan, 14th, 98-10

Shot Put: Melton, 6th, 41-0.25; O’Bryan, 7th, 39-9; Lee, 10th, 38-5; Brueggen, 11th, 36-5.5; Capuro, 15th, 34-3.5