It was the middle of December, with the temperature near freezing, and Tom Koontz was at the track.

Yes, the outdoor track at Wildcat Stadium. As you might expect, there weren’t many people around on that frigid day.

Almost six months earlier, Koontz won a state title in the 110-meter high hurdles as a junior, but it was the 300 hurdle race that haunted him. He just couldn’t get over finishing as a state runner-up.

“All I could think about was winning state and winning the 300s this time around,” Koontz said. “It drove me so much, so winning that race, when it came down to the inches, was basically the definition of achieving a dream.”

The hard work, and practicing his craft, all paid off as he got his revenge and won state in the 300 hurdles along with defending with 110 hurdle title in Wichita back in May.

It was Koontz’s drive that helped him become one of the pillars of a team that finished as the state champion in 2021 and also one that took third at state this past May.

It was also one of the reasons why Koontz was chosen as the Louisburg Sports Zone Male Athlete of the Year.

“To win this is a huge honor because it adds me to a list of former Louisburg athletes like Blue Caplinger and Weston Guetterman, both people I looked up to for a long time,” Koontz said. “Now it feels like I can be one of those people to be looked up at, and it’s an amazing feeling.”

There weren’t a lot of people necessarily looking up at Koontz on the track — a lot of them were trying to catch him from behind.

Koontz dominated both hurdle races all season long and only lost on a few different occasions. It is a sport, and event, that is a passion of his and it started as freshman.

He came out of nowhere and qualified for state in the 300 hurdles and that lit the spark for what he was to become.

“Track started simply as another sport, but as I started to get better and impress myself with what I was capable of, I felt the need to devote more and more time to it,” Koontz said. “I changed so much for it, like my diet and sleep habits, where I went and who I hung out with, what I did after practice, etc… It was the most important thing to me for a long time.”

Still, as much as he wanted to win a state title in the 300 hurdles, he wasn’t exactly loving it. 

“Since I started running the race freshman year, I never really liked it,” Koontz said. “In fact, I despised it and only liked it for the feeling of finishing it. But coach (Leanna) Willer knew I had potential to be great at it. 

“It was the only event I qualified in freshman year, and I was the only freshman on the list for it. So to come back my junior and just barely lose, stuck with me and it was my focus to win this year.”

Not only does Koontz have three state titles under his belt, he has eight career state medals, including four as a member of the 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams. He was a member of the 4×100 that broke the school record at the Frontier League meet last month.

As much love as he has for track, football is right up there for Koontz.

He found himself as one of the Wildcat starting cornerbacks this past season. Koontz finished the year with 46 tackles, four deflections and a forced fumble.

“Football was a sport for me to be a part of a team, that really made me feel like a part of something,” he said. “So finally getting to play the field the whole season was exhilarating, and I wish I could do it again. Having to say goodbye to it was difficult, just ask any of them who saw me after the St. James (playoff) game.

“Playing a sport that creates such powerful emotions like football and track and anything else helped me grow as a person and an athlete, and each one sharpened my ability in and out of the classroom. It’s hard work, but the work is rewarding.”

After four years of competing at the high school level, Koontz doesn’t really have a favorite moment. It is the overall experience that he will remember most.

“It’s hard for me to pick just one thing that sticks out about high school,” Koontz said. “I couldn’t just pick one day. What does stick with me is the idea that one day, I’m not sure when, I went from someone admiring those who could do amazing things, to being the person doing those things. Being able to win homecoming king or be a state champion. It’s unreal that it happened.

“So I would say if anything sticks out the most, it’s the surrealness of it all, and how I was able to make a name for myself, in high school at least. But I’m also glad I could make such good friends and have such great coaches and teachers to support me.”

Previous winners:

2018: Austin Moore

2019: Blue Caplinger

2020: Garrett Rolofson

2021: Weston Guetterman

For the past six years, Louisburg Sports Zone has given out Athlete of the Week awards during each of the three sports seasons. I do it to recognize special athletic achievements and to highlight the athletes.

For the fifth consecutive year, Louisburg Sports Zone will be handing out an Athlete of the Year honor to a male and female athlete at Louisburg High School. I wanted the opportunity to recognize those who exemplify what it means to be an “athlete.”

Although I am giving out the award, I wanted the process to be subjective, so I asked the head coaches at LHS to help me out. I asked each coach to send me nominations of who they thought exemplified the Athlete of the Year honor. They will then vote for their top 3 male and female athletes and then I will tabulate the results and determine the winner. The winner will be announced in the coming days.

Below are the nominees for the Male Athlete of the Year award in alphabetical order by last name. Congrats to all those who were nominated and best of luck!

Aiden Barker, Senior, Football and Wrestling

Aiden Barker played big roles on both the Louisburg football and wrestling teams this past season. Barker was a starting lineman for the Wildcat football program and wrestled at 195 pounds for the wrestling team.

Barker was a key fixture on both sides of the ball for the Wildcat football team, but his biggest impact came on the defensive side. He was a first team All-Frontier League selection on the defensive line, where he finished with 58 tackles on the season to go along with 11 tackles for a loss and 5.5 sacks.

On the wrestling mat, Barker finished his season with a 31-8 record and earned a fifth place medal at the Class 4A state tournament in Salina. He was named the Wildcats’ wrestler of the year and is a two-time first team KWCA Academic all-state winner. He finished with titles at the December Duals, Tonganoxie and Louisburg Invitationals. He finished his career with a program record of career reversals with 74. He will continue his athletic and academic career as a member of the MidAmerica Nazarene University football program this fall.

Brandon Doles, Senior, Football, Wrestling and Baseball

Brandon was a starter on three Wildcat programs during the 2021-22 school year. Doles was the starting linebacker on the football team, he was a varsity captain and 182-pound wrestler on the wrestling team and played the outfield and pitched for the Louisburg baseball program.

In football, Doles was a key part of the Wildcat defense as he earned first team all-league honors from the linebacker spot. He finished the season with 90 tackles and averaged 11 stops per contest. He also forced two fumbles and had 11 tackles for a loss during the Wildcats’ 4-5 season.

Injuries hampered most of Doles’ wrestling season, but he was able to make a comeback late in the season and made his way to his third state tournament. At 182 pounds, Doles was win one short of a medal and finished the year with a 9-5 record. Doles ended his career as a two-time team captain and first team KWCA Academic All-State recipient.

On the baseball diamond, Doles was one of the Wildcats’ top hitters during the 2022 season that saw them end with an 8-14 record and a spot in the regional championship game. Doles, who started in left field, finished with a .338 average and a .969 OPS. He also had 24 hits, seven doubles and two home runs to go along with 17 RBIs and 22 runs scored. Doles also earned second team All-Frontier League honors.

Kolby Kattau, Senior, Football and Baseball

Kolby was a senior starter for both the Louisburg football and baseball teams this past season. Kattau was the starting first baseman and pitcher for the baseball program that reached the regional championship. He was a two-way starter on the football team at running back and safety.

On the baseball diamond, Kattau thrived for the 2022 season as he was named as a first-team All-Frontier and all-state selection for his play at first base. Kattau had a team-high .471 average in 82 plate appearances. He had an OPS of 1.294 and had 33 hits on the season with seven doubles, five triples and a home run. He also scored 24 runs and had 13 RBIs from the leadoff spot. He started five games for the Wildcats and earned three wins with 25 strikeouts. Kattau was also selected to participate in the KABC all-star game.

On the football field, Kattau was one of the team’s starting running backs and recorded two touchdowns with more than 200 yards of total offense. He also started at safety for much of the season as well, and finished with 27 tackles and three deflections.

Tom Koontz, Senior, Football and Track and Field

Tom was a starting defensive back for the Wildcat football team that finished with a 4-5 record, along with being a hurdler and sprinter on the Louisburg track team.

On the track, Koontz helped the Wildcats to a third place team finish at the Class 4A state meet as he earned a pair of state titles in the hurdles and two more medals on relays. Koontz won the 300-meter hurdles with a school record time of 38.98 seconds and also won the state title in the 110 hurdles for the second straight year in 14.61 seconds.

He also helped the 4×400 relay to a fourth place state finish and the 4×100 relay to a sixth place medal. Koontz was also a part of the 4×100 team that broke the school record earlier in the year. He ends his Wildcat career as a 3-time state champion in the hurdles and garnered eight state medals. He was also a member of the 2021 state championship team.

Koontz also made his presence known on the football field as he was a starting cornerback for the Wildcats. He finished the year with 46 tackles, four deflections and a forced fumble.

Maverick Rockers, Senior, Basketball and Baseball

Maverick played key roles for the Wildcat basketball and baseball teams this season. Rockers was the starting point guard in basketball and made an impact on the baseball team as the starting shortstop.

On the baseball diamond, Rockers helped the Wildcats to their second straight regional championship game and had a big year at the plate. Rockers finished with a .406 batting average with a 1.111 OPS. He recorded 28 hits, seven doubles and two home runs to go along with 22 runs scored and 16 RBIs. He also had just six errors from his shortstop position. Following the season, he was named as a second team All-Frontier League player.

Rockers also had a big year on the basketball court as the team’s starting point guard. He averaged 11 points a game to go along with three rebounds, two assists and 1.5 steals a game.

Michael Seuferling, Senior, Soccer and Basketball

Michael had big seasons for the Louisburg soccer and basketball teams in 2021-22. Seuferling was a starting defender for the Wildcat soccer team that made it to the regional championship game and was a starting guard for the Wildcat basketball program.

On the soccer field, Seuferling was one of the best outside backs in the Frontier League and was a first team all-league performer for Louisburg. He was also a first-team all-state player as he helped the Wildcats to a No. 1 seed in the Class 4-1A state playoffs.

Seuferling was also one of the top basketball players in the Frontier League as earned honorable mention honors after leading the Wildcats in scoring. He averaged 13.3 points per contest to go along with 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.

Braden Yows, Senior, Soccer

Braden had a big season for the Louisburg boys soccer team as he helped lead the Wildcats to the No. 1 seed in the Class 4-1A state playoffs and a spot in the regional championship game.

Yows was named as a first-team All-Frontier League and all-state player from his midfield spot and was named team captain. He ended his season with a 17 goals and 11 assists. He will continue his soccer career this fall at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

For the past six years, Louisburg Sports Zone has given out Athlete of the Week awards during each of the three sports seasons. I do it to recognize special athletic achievements and to highlight the athletes.

For the fifth consecutive year, Louisburg Sports Zone will be handing out an Athlete of the Year honor to a male and female athlete at Louisburg High School. I wanted the opportunity to recognize those who exemplify what it means to be an “athlete.”

Although I am giving out the award, I wanted the process to be subjective, so I asked the head coaches at LHS to help me out. I asked each coach to send me nominations of who they thought exemplified the Athlete of the Year honor. They will then vote for their top 3 male and female athletes and then I will tabulate the results and determine the winner. The winner will be announced in the coming days.

Below are the nominees for the Female Athlete of the Year award in alphabetical order by last name. Congrats to all those who were nominated and best of luck!

Davis Guetterman, Senior, Volleyball and Track and Field

Davis made an impact on a pair of Louisburg athletic programs this past season. The Louisburg senior was a starting setter for the Lady Cats and she was also a thrower on the Wildcat track team.

On the volleyball court, Guetterman finished her year with a 138 kills, 436 assists, 184 digs and 58 aces as she helped the Lady Cats to the sub-state championship this season. In her four year career, she tallied 199 kills, 1,603 assists, 564 digs and 184 aces as she helped the Lady Cats to two state tournament appearances. She also earned honorable mention all-league honors this season as a setter and earned the AVCA Best and Brightest First Team Award and was chosen as the recipient of the 2021 Lady Cat Volleyball award.

In the spring, Guetterman was one of the top throwers on the team in the javelin and earned a state bid in 2021. She will continue her career in both volleyball and track and field at the University of Sioux Falls in the upcoming year.

Reese Johnson, Senior, Cross Country and Soccer

Reese played at a high level for two different Louisburg teams this past season. The Louisburg senior was one of the top runners on the Louisburg cross country team and a starter for the Wildcat soccer program.

In cross country, Johnson helped the Lady Cat team to the Class 4A state meet for the fifth consecutive time. The team finished fifth overall at state and Johnson earned her third state medal of her career as she finished 19^th overall in 21:08 at Wamego Country Club. She was also an honorable mention all-league selection as she finished 16^th at the league meet.

Johnson also played a vital role for the Wildcat soccer team that finished the season in the regional championship and a 13-5 record. She finished with nine goals and eight assists on the season and was a first-team all-league selection from her midfield spot.

Corinna McMullen, Senior, Volleyball and Track and Field

Corinna was a big part of two Wildcat programs this past season as she was a member of the volleyball and track and field programs. She was the starting setter for the volleyball team and threw the discus on the track squad.

In volleyball, not only was McMullen one of the team’s starting setters, she was also the team’s top hitter. McMullen led the Lady Cats to the regional championship and helped the program to two state tournament appearances. This season, she led Louisburg with 284 assists and 224 kills to go along with 194 digs and 35 aces. She was a first-team all-league selection as a hitter and an honorable mention selection as a setter. McMullen also earned all-state honors and was selected to play in the GKCVCA MO-KAN All-Star match. She was named as the team MVP for Louisburg and was given the AVCA Best and Brightest First Team Award.

On the track team, McMullen was the squad’s top discus thrower and earned her second consecutive state medal this past May. McMullen placed third at the Class 4A meet with a throw of 117-4. She threw a personal best of 127-3 to win a Frontier League title. She will be continuing her athletic career at Washburn University as a member of the volleyball team.

Delaney Wright, Senior, Basketball and Track and Field

Delaney was a part of the girls basketball program and track and field team for Louisburg High School this past season. She was a starting guard on the basketball team and competed in four events on the track team.

As a member of the Wildcat track program, Wright competed in the long jump, 200-meter dash, 400-meter dash and the 4×400 relay. She qualified for state in all four events and won three regional titles. At the Class 4A state meet she brought home three medals. Wright finished as the state runner-up in the 400 dash, took in the 200 dash and medaled fifth in the long jump. She ended her Wildcat career with 10 state medals, three state championships and holds school records in three events.

Wright was also a member of the Lady Cat basketball team and was a returning letter-winner off of last season’s third place finish at state. She was a starting guard on the Lady Cat team and was considered the team’s best defender, before an injury ended her season halfway through.  That injury also cost Wright part of her track season, as well. She will continue her track career at Kansas State University next season.

Members of the Louisburg boys track and field team are (front row, from left) coaches John Reece and Andy Wright, Ethan Ptacek, Caden Caplinger, Jerynce Brings Plenty, Hunter Heinrich, Jaden Vohs, Tom Koontz, Hayden Ross, assistant coaches Shelby Suther and Alex Gentges; (back row) Mason Dobbins, Colyer Wingfield, Nathan Vincent, Cooper Hipp, Nathan Apple and assistant coach Rich Lane.

WICHITA — For the second consecutive season, the Louisburg boys track and field team brought home hardware from the Class 4A state meet.

After winning the state championship in 2021, the Wildcats once again found their way to the podium in Wichita as they finished third overall with 67 points.

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.

Louisburg senior Tom Koontz won a pair of state titles in the hurdles, while sophomore Caden Caplinger captured the gold medal in the pole vault.

“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.”

The Wildcats had several impressive showings throughout the two-day meet at Wichita State University, but none came close to matching the 110-meter high hurdles.

Koontz finished first with at time of 14.61 seconds to win his second straight state title, but it was juniors Mason Dobbins and Nathan Apple that brought it full circle.

Dobbins finished as the state runner-up in a personal best time of 15 seconds and it was one of three medals he earned Saturday.

“I was really excited to finish runner up in the 110 hurdles,” Dobbins said. “I felt that it is my best race and I was happy to see the results of my hard work. It meant a lot to see Tom and Nathan accomplish what they wanted to accomplish. We all pushed each other to be better every day.”

Apple found the state podium for the first time as he picked the perfect opportunity to run his personal best. He finished fourth overall in 15.11 seconds.

“It was amazing to make it to state again and earn a medal this year,” Apple said. “Getting to that point honestly felt like redemption as I missed my shot at medaling last year because I came out of my blocks wrong. The competition between the three of us only pushes us to do better. 

“Tom and Mason have always been a little bit faster than me, and because of this I’ve always had the goal of catching them. In the end, it was incredible to see what we had accomplished as a group for our team and ourselves.”

Between the three hurdlers, the Wildcats accumulated 24 points and was big to getting that state plaque. It was an event that the three Louisburg hurdlers have been dominating all season long.

“It’s kinda insane that three of the eight hurdlers that made finals at state were all from the same place and only at most a year apart,” Apple said. “I wouldn’t have gotten this far without the other two and I’m grateful that I had the chance to run with Tom and that I have one more year with Mason.”

Junior Nathan Vincent had his best outing as a Wildcat in the javelin, and this was after earning a medal at state a season ago.

In his first throw of the competition, Vincent recorded a personal best toss of 183 feet, 5 inches, and also had a throw of 182-2 in his final attempt in the finals.

Andale’s Riley Marx won the competition at 206-5, while his teammate Jonah Meyer was second at 186-4.

“It was an awesome feeling medaling for the second year in a row, especially rising up another place,” Vincent said. “I’m always really amped up for that first throw especially at state, but for me the pressure was always there. I knew the Andale kids were going to bring it and put a few good marks out there so I was always trying to get a farther mark and push for another PR.”

In their relays, the Wildcats saved their best finish for last as the 4×400-meter relay team of Koontz, Hunter Heinrich, Colyer Wingfield and Ethan Ptacek ended the meet with a fourth place finish in 3:30.

The Wildcats held on to third place in the team standings by staying with the Topeka-Hayden team that finished third in the relay. Hayden took fourth in the team standings with 64 points and the race was critical in allowing the Wildcats to get another state plaque.

Koontz, Dobbins, Caden Caplinger and Ptacek helped the 4×100 relay to a fifth place finish in 44.05 seconds. Ptacek would also go on to take eighth in the 400 dash in 51.54 and finished the meet with three medals.

Dobbins picked up his third state medal in the 200-meter dash as he finished fifth in 23.78 seconds after setting a personal record of time of 22.80 in the prelims Friday.

The Louisburg junior just missed out on getting his fourth medal as he took ninth in the high jump with a 5-10 clearance. 

In the 4×800-meter relay, the team of Heinrich, Hayden Ross, Jerynce Brings Plenty and Jaden Vohs ran a time of 8:32 to medal seventh overall.

Vohs, a senior, earned his second state medal in the 1,600-meter run as he was sixth in 4:36.

“Leaving with two state medals was an experience I will not forget,” Vohs said. “Those were the last high school medals I will ever get. But now it’s time to start a new chapter of running at the college level.

“With the weather not being the best on Saturday, I didn’t run as fast as I wanted to. But this year, 4A got a lot more competitive, and with all these factors, I’m proud that I was able to place.”

Also in the distance races, Brings Plenty, a freshman, recorded a new personal best time of 10:11 and took 11th overall.

Wingfield just missed out on a medal in the long jump Saturday as he took ninth overall with a mark of 20-8.75. He went on to take 14th in the triple jump Friday with a leap of 39-10.

Senior Cooper Hipp finished 16th in the 200 dash in his first state appearance with a time of 23.88.

Tom Koontz was all smiles after he finished first in the 300-meter hurdles Saturday at the Class 4A state meet at Wichita State University. Koontz also won a state title in the 110 hurdles.

WICHITA — The look on Tom Koontz’s face said it all.

Shock. Excitement. Relief. And everything in between.

When Koontz crossed the finish line following the finals of the 300-meter hurdles Saturday at the Class 4A state meet in Wichita, he was speechless.

After the shock quickly wore off, Koontz fell to his knees on the track. He was spent. The Louisburg senior couldn’t even remember part of the race he ran just seconds earlier.

“I crossed the finish line and just snapped back into reality — I just couldn’t believe it,” Koontz said.

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.

However, those weren’t the only state titles captured by Louisburg over the weekend. Sophomore Caden Caplinger took first in the pole vault after he cleared 14 feet, 6 inches, a new personal best, and helped the Wildcats to a third place team finish.

As for Koontz, his title in the 300 hurdles meant a lot to him. He finished second a year ago to Topeka-Hayden’s Jake Muller, and did the same this year at the regional meet.

“I woke up knowing it wasn’t going to be easy,” Koontz said of his Saturday events. “I have been thinking of these races since last year, especially the 300. I wanted to win it last year, but couldn’t quite get it. That is what I have been training for, and I was really nervous coming into it, but did what I needed to do. It was just a great day and I am exhausted.”

It was a busy day for Koontz that left him with four state medals around his neck, including two on a pair of relays — the second year in a row he accumulated four.

Still, it was his performance in the 300 that left a lasting impression on him. Koontz had wanted to unseat Muller since the end of last season’s state race and had been working hard to do so.

Koontz was trailing Muller heading into the final 100 meters, but the Louisburg senior was able to turn it on and pull away down the stretch.

“You could see it in my face, it was almost shock,” Koontz said of the finish. “It was a little bit of relief, amazement, just a lot of different emotions. I don’t even remember about a third of the race, I just remember needing to get faster. I worked on the final stretch all week because I knew that would be the most important part.”

HIs race in the 110s was also a memorable one as he got to share it with a pair of teammates. Louisburg dominated the race as juniors Mason Dobbins and Nathan Apple finished second and fourth, respectively, and both set personal records.

“I couldn’t be more thankful,” Koontz said of his teammates. “They have pushed me just as much as I have pushed them. To finish 1, 2 and 4 like we did was just amazing. I have developed a lot of friends over these few years and I consider them some of the best.”

Winning three state titles in the last three years is something Koontz will always remember, but he does leave Louisburg with a little bit of a regret.

“I really wanted Garrett Griffin’s record (110 hurdles), but beggars can’t be choosers,” Koontz said. “I am just happy to get one of them and leave my mark.”

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.

The final vault came down between Caplinger and Eudora’s Kole Manley, and after Caplinger cleared 14-6 on his first attempt, Manley wasn’t able to get it on his three tries.

“I was really shocked, actually,” Caplinger said. “Kole is a really consistent vaulter and I thought he was going to make it for sure. Then when he didn’t, I just couldn’t believe it.”

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.”

Those three state titles were worth 30 points to the Wildcats and accumulated for nearly half of the team’s points that led them to their second consecutive state plaque. 

Louisburg won the state championship a year ago and recorded 67 points this year to finish third.

“It is very exciting,” Caplinger said. “I just love this group. The group above us (juniors), and below us (freshmen), are going to make another good team next year. I hope that we get to do this again.”

Louisburg senior Delaney Wright captured three state medals last weekend in Wichita, including a state runner-up finish in the 400-meter dash.

WICHITA — Just like a year ago, Delaney Wright left Wichita with three medals following the Class 4A state meet Saturday.

It just wasn’t the ones she wanted.

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.”

The Lady Cats had seven athletes that found their way to medal stand as Wright made three trips and nearly won her fourth state championship.

Wright finished just behind Andale’s Maddie Schrandt in the 400 dash as she took second in 59.52. Later on Saturday, Wright fell to Schrandt and Andale’s Betsy Reichenberger in 26.61 seconds to finish third.

On Friday, Wright competed in the long jump and medaled fifth with a mark of 16 feet, 2.75 inches.

In all, Wright ended her Wildcat career with 10 state medals and three state championships as she moves on to join the Kansas State University track team next season.

“The last four years of track has been a journey, but I’m going to miss every part of it,” Wright said. “My teammates and coaches were the best and I couldn’t be where I am without them.”

Senior Corinna McMullen put together a memorable ending to her track career as she finished third in the discus for her second consecutive state medal. McMullen recorded a throw of 117-4 and finished behind Andale’s McKenzie Fairchild and Emery May, threw 130-1 and 121-1, respectively.

Last season, McMullen took fourth at state and was happy to see some improvement this time around. 

“Leaving state track with a third place medal felt so accomplishing and ended a great high school career,” McMullen said. “Going into state, I knew I wouldn’t be a state champ due to my size. But I told myself I would place higher than I did last year. I didn’t throw my best, but I also didn’t throw terrible. With throwing, small technique changes can cause big results — good or bad. 

“Overall I’m so happy with my performance even though I wanted to throw just a little farther. I’m so happy I had all my friends and family with my for my last high school event.”

On the track, junior Emma Lohse earned a state medal in her first year of competing on the track. After not qualifying for the finals of the 200 dash, Lohse more than made up for it in the 100.

Lohse qualified for the finals in the 100 dash Saturday and came away with a fourth place medal with time of 12.49 seconds. Lohse, along with Maya Pattison from Eudora and Reichenberger, finished just thousandths of a second apart from second to fourth place.

“It felt good to come home with a medal in the 100,” Lohse said. “Overall I thought I ran well, especially in the 100. Medaling this year was such a good feeling and I’m so excited for next year and will have higher expectations for state.”

In the pole vault, sophomore Maddy Carpenter-Ross continued her memorable season as she found the state podium for the first time. Carpenter-Ross finished in a four-way tie for second after she cleared 10 feet, but took the fifth place medal based on number of misses.

Carpenter-Ross had improved throughout the season as she started out at 8 feet, but eventually progressed to a personal best 10-6 she achieved at regionals.

“It was awesome and felt rewarding to medal at state because my personal records have gone up 2 feet throughout this season to enable me to be up on the podium,” Carpenter-Ross said.

The Lady Cats recorded a personal best in the javelin on a couple of good throws from Katie Elpers. The Louisburg sophomore had a PR in her first throw of the event with a toss of 115-3.

Elpers qualified for the finals and opened with another personal best throw of 122-1 to medal sixth overall.

“I was very surprised with how far I threw,” Elpers said. “It felt awesome being able to leave with a medal and i can’t wait to try to earn another one next year.”

The Lady Cats earned two more medals on the track as sophomore Maddy Rhamy opened the meet strong on Friday morning. Rhamy earned her first state medal with a time of 12:28.98 in the 3,200 meter run and finished seventh.

To get that medal, she broke her own school record that she set just the week before at regionals.

“Maddy earning her first state medal and breaking her own school record in the last meet shows how strong she is,” coach Reece said. “She just ran her race and the field came back to her and finishing seventh was great.”

Also in the distance races, sophomore Emma Vohs found the state podium in the 1,600-meter run. Vohs finished seventh in 5:42 after winning a regional title the week prior.

“I felt very proud to leave Wichita with a state medal,” Vohs said. “I knew this race was going to be the hardest I’ve seen all season with the best runners in 4A, so I knew I had to show up and run my race. 

“Overall, I feel like I could’ve ran better, I did not PR but coach told me my strategy for the race was what he was looking for me to do. I can’t wait to be back next year.”

Vohs, Lohse, Wright and Mackenzie Rooney just missed out on the finals in the 4×400-meter relay as it took 10th in 4:17.

Rooney, also competed in the 300 hurdles, she she finished 15th in 53.77 seconds. Lohse missed the finals of the 200 dash by one spot as she took ninth in 26.65 seconds.

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week 10 of the spring sports season, sponsored by Edward Jones-Craig Holtzen.

TOM KOONTZ, SENIOR, TRACK AND FIELD

Louisburg senior Tom Koontz made Wildcat track and field history Saturday at the Class 4A state meet in Wichita. Koontz came home with four state medals, but more importantly, won titles in both hurdle races as he helped the Wildcats to a third place state finish.

His more impressive performance came in the 300-meter hurdles as he broke the school record in 38.98 seconds to win gold and knock off Hayden’s Jake Muller, who defeated Koontz at state a year ago. Earlier in the day, Koontz flew to a title in the 110 hurdles as he won gold in 14.61 seconds. In the same race, teammates Mason Dobbins and Nathan Apple medaled second and fourth, respectively.

Koontz was a part of the 4×400 relay team of Hunter Heinrich, Colyer Wingfield and Ethan Ptacek that medaled fourth overall. Koontz, Dobbins, Caden Caplinger and Ptacek also teamed up to medal in the 4×100 as they finished sixth.

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: Lexi Hampton

Week 2: Sabra Brueggen

Week 3: Emma Lohse

Week 4: Nathan Vincent

Week 5: Mia Wilson

Week 6: Reese Johnson

Week 7: Kolby Kattau

Week 8: A.J. Arriola

Week 9: Delaney Wright

The Louisburg boys track and field team finished as the Class 4A regional runner-up Friday at Eudora High School. The Wildcats also qualified for state in 14 events.

EUDORA — Defending a state championship isn’t easy and the Louisburg boys track and field team has found that out first hand at different times this season.

One of those times came Friday at the Class 4A regional meet in Eudora. The Wildcats were on the verge of their second straight regional title, only to have another team take it away in the final event.

Topeka-Hayden won the regional title with 131 points and the Wildcats finished as the regional runner-up with 128. Hayden won the 4×400-meter relay in the final race of the day to to take championship.

As tough as that was, there were still plenty of positives for Louisburg to take away, from what was a successful outing for the Wildcats.

Louisburg qualified for state in 14 events and had several athletes qualify in multiple events as they gear up for another state run this weekend in Wichita.

“The guys were definitely disappointed, but they were still happy with a runner up as tough as our regionals was, and the number of athletes there that will be on the podium at state,” Louisburg boys coach Andy Wright said. “For the most part they did what was expected, and in some circumstances, even more.”

It was all led by Louisburg senior Tom Koontz as he qualified for four events, including two hurdle races and two relays.

Koontz was a regional champion in the 110-meter high hurdles in 14.8 seconds and was the regional runner-up in the 300 hurdles in 39.93 seconds. Koontz, who is the defending state champion in the 110s, lost to Hayden’s Jake Muller in the 300s, the same opponent he finished behind last year a state.

“Well, winning the 110s felt great, but my ultimate goal is state,” Koontz said. “It’s what I’ve been working for since December, since last year even. I knew it would be incredibly difficult to live up to those expectations, so winning regionals feels like a great step closer, but the 300s are a different story.

“Jake Muller is going to be my first real challenge this year. I only wish I could’ve gone against him more. I’ve spent all of the week leading up to state preparing mentally for the race against him. We are very equally matched, so it’s gonna come down to who runs their best race.”

Koontz was also a part of a regional championship relay as the 4×100 team of Koontz, Mason Dobbins, Caden Caplinger and Ethan Ptacek took gold in 43.64 seconds.

The Wildcat 4×400 relay will also make an appearance at state as Koontz, Ptacek, Colyer Wingfield and Hunter Heinrich finished third in 3 minutes and 28 seconds.

Dobbins also qualified for four events at the state meet. Along with his role in the 4×100, Dobbins won the regional championship in the high jump after clearing 6 feet.

The Louisburg junior will join Koontz in the 110 hurdles after he finished second in 15.15 seconds. He also qualified third in the 200 dash in a personal best time of 22.84 seconds.

“It meant a lot to win a regional title in high jump and qualify for state in four events,” Dobbins said. “It reassured me that all my hard work pays off. I expect to go to state and perform to the best of my abilities. I want to place in every event this weekend.”

Louisburg also earned a regional title in the field events as junior Nathan Vincent continues to improve in the javelin. Vincent recorded a personal-best throw of 178 feet, 4 inches, to win by almost four feet.

“It was a super cool experience going out there and competing against some great throwers,” Vincent said. “The conditions were pretty good which made for a good javelin day, and it just flew well for me and I came out on top, which was awesome. 

“I’m comfortable with my form right now, but the distances can always go up. I’m looking to pop out a big throw. It’s going to be tough with the Andale throwers but, as everyone says, it only takes one.”

The Wildcats also earned several more sprint spots at the state meet. 

Ptacek ran a personal-best time of 51.51 seconds in the 400 dash and finished as the regional runner-up and will compete in this race at state, along with the two relays.

Senior Cooper Hipp ran a personal best time of 22.99 seconds in the 200 dash and qualified fourth, while junior Nathan Apple was third Wildcat hurdler to qualify as he finished fourth in the 110s in 15.44.

“Ethan is coming along in the 400,” Wright said. “He is really working hard on his running form and race strategy. Mason and Cooper had good starts in the finals and I am so happy for Cooper Hipp. Very deserving and rewarding to see a guy that has worked for four years to accomplish a goal. To run in his very first regionals and PR by a second and half, and qualify for his first state track meet, is great to see.”

Louisburg also qualified in three distance races and it started with a difficult 1,600-meter run.

Senior Jaden Vohs finished third in 4:33 to qualify for state, while Jerynce Brings Plenty did the same in the 3,200-meter run as he finished fourth in 10:27.

Vohs and Brings Plenty also joined Heinrich and senior Hayden Ross to finish third in the 4×800 relay in 8:30 to qualify all three relays.

“The relays finished strong, while not our personal best, they ran smart and did what they needed to do to qualify,” Wright said. “Our 4×1 is still running low 43’s, 4×8 all ran a solid race and 4×4 just came short of winning regionals. The most exciting part is that all of the relays have a shot at a medal next week at state.”

In the field events, Wingfield qualified in a pair of jumps to go along with the 4×400 relay.

The Louisburg junior finished second in the long jump with a personal best mark of 21-5.25 and later took third in the triple jump at 39-2.75.

“Coming off an injury, Colyer was just trying to qualify so that we would have another week to get better,” Wright said. “He performed very well with a PR in the long jump, had 3-4 good jumps. Triple jump we wanted to jump as little as possible to qualify, and he took care of business.”

Caplinger qualified in his second event after he finished as the regional runner-up in the pole vault after he cleared 14 feet. 

The Wildcats will try for back-to-back state titles this weekend when they compete at the Class 4A state meet at Wichita State University. The meet is set to begin at 7:45 a.m. on Friday and run through Saturday evening.

“Most of the state qualifiers are returning from last year’s team, so the experience will help,” Wright said. “State is its own beast. You never know what is going to happen out there.”

The top eight in each event will earn a state medal.

Other results are: 

100 dash: Ashton Moore, 7th, 11.64

200 dash: Ethan Ptacek, 6th, 23.06

400 dash: Hunter Heinrich, 6th, 53.25

800 run: Jaden Vohs, 6th, 2:04; Andrew Brown, 11th, 2:14; Hayden Ross, 13th, 2:15

1,600 run: Jerynce Brings Plenty, 8th, 4:48; Leo Martin, 16th, 5:10

3,200 run: Noah Cotter, 7th, 10:58

300 hurdles: Nathan Apple, 5th, 41.69

High jump: Isaiah Whitley, 7th, 5-8

Long jump: Hayden Feikert, 11th, 19-10.5; Jase Hovey, 18-2, 16th

Triple jump: Trey Myers, 10th, 35-10.25

Shot put: J.R. Rooney, 5th, 46-8; Connor Lee, 11th, 41-5; Jaymes Melton, 16th, 39-6.5

Discus: Chase Pritchard, 8th, 114-4; Nathan Vincent, 10th, 109-4; Layne Ryals, 16th, 98-8

Javelin: Brecon Klugman, 8th, 135-11; Carson Wade, 10th, 132-6

The Louisburg girls track and field team finished as the Class 4A regional runner-up Friday at Eudora High School after they finished with 99 points. The Lady Cats also qualified for state in 11 events and broke three school records.

EUDORA — It had been more than a decade since the Louisburg girls track and field team came home with a plaque from regional competition. 

The Lady Cats took advantage of that opportunity Friday at the Class 4A regional meet at Eudora High School. For the first time in 11 years, Louisburg finished in the top two of the regional standings as it took runner-up with 99 points.

In all, the Lady Cats qualified for state in 11 events, won five of them and three runners broke school records in the process.

“Regionals is about qualifying for state,” Louisburg girls coach John Reece said. “But being state runner-up was a huge bonus.”

Senior Delaney Wright ended her final regional meet with a bang as she won three regional titles and qualified for state in four events.

Wright opened her day with a victory in the long jump with a mark of 17 feet, 9.5 inches and then moved over to the track. She would next win the 400-meter dash in 1:00.21 and then the 200 in 26.11 seconds.

She ended her day as she joined Mackenzie Rooney, Emma Vohs and Emma Lohse to take third in the 4×400-meter relay in 4:19.

It was the perfect way for the defending state champion in those individual events to enter the state meet, after spending most of the season recovering from an injury.

“Last Friday definitely was a confidence boost for me that I needed to get in before state,” Wright said. “It has been a rough couple weeks, but I feel like I’m getting close to being back where I want to be.

“Qualifying for four events like I did my freshman year gives me hope and excitement for this upcoming weekend. I’m also extremely excited about our girls team getting a plaque and I think as a team we’ll make a dent at state.”

Lohse also had a big day for the Lady Cats as she qualified in three events, but none stood out more than the 100-meter dash. 

The Louisburg junior broke the school record with a time of 12.38 seconds to win the regional title. She broke the old record of 12.66, set by Jordan Leach in 2019.

On top of that and the 4×400 relay, Lohse also finished fourth in the 200 dash in 26.58.

“Winning the 100 meant everything to me,” Lohse said. “I went into the race knowing that I was running against one of my biggest competitors from this season, and I wanted this one so bad. After I passed the finish line I looked up at the scoreboard and saw 12.3, seeing that time, I knew I beat the record. 

“All season I’ve wanted to beat it so bad and worked so hard this season to accomplish that. Qualifying for state this year in all my events, and it also being my first year of track, was very exciting.”

Vohs also rewrote the Louisburg record book, but this time it came in the 1,600-meter run.

The Louisburg sophomore won the event in what was almost a photo finish as she broke the school record with a time of 5:35.17 as she edged out Eudora’s Hanna Keltner at the finish. She broke the 13-year-old record of 5:39 set by Shayla McElyea in 2009.

Along with the 4×400, Vohs is heading to state in two events.

“I knew I was running with one of the top runners in 4A and decided to stay with her during this run in order to qualify for state,” Vohs said. “On the last lap, she was ahead of me by about 50 meters and I knew I needed to make my move right at the end. 

“As we came near the finish line, I was right behind her and finished strong. I had no idea I broke the school record until coach Reece came over and asked me how I thought I ran.”

Sophomore Maddy Carpenter-Ross was responsible for the other regional title and qualified for state for the second straight year in the pole vault.

Carpenter-Ross cleared a personal best 10 feet to win the event as she edged out Eudora’s Alyssa Chapman.

“It felt good to PR again because I haven’t matched my 9’6 PR the previous two meets before regionals,” Carpenter-Ross said. “I’m glad that I was able to peak at the right time and not only match my old PR, but beat it in order to win regionals.”

Sophomore Maddy Rhamy became the third Lady Cat to break a record as she qualified for state in the 3,200 in 12:44 and finished fourth overall. She broke Andie Buffington’s old time of 12:51 set back in 2012.

“The two Emma’s and Maddy deserve to hold their respective records,” Reece said. “They are hard workers and they were rewarded for their efforts.”

Rooney qualified for two events at state — the 4×400 relay and also in the 300 hurdles. The Louisburg freshman eclipsed her previous personal best to finish runner-up in 49.98 seconds.

In the field events, the Lady Cats got two more state qualifiers.

Senior Corinna McMullen finished as the regional runner-up in the discus with a throw of 111-8.

Sophomore Katie Elpers punched her ticket in the javelin as she recorded a throw of 111-10 to take fourth overall.

The Class 4A state competition at Wichita State University begins Friday morning as the two-day event begins at 7:45 a.m. and will run through Saturday evenings. The top eight finishers in each event will earn a state medal.

Other results are: 

800 run: Emma Vohs, 5th, 2:29

1,600 run: Maddy Rhamy, 8th, 5:59

3,200 run: Nova Ptacek, 7th, 13:52; Erin Apple, 12th, 15:26

4×800 relay: Ptacek, Apple, Aubryn Berck, Ashley Branine, 5th, 11:45

100 hurdles: Kate Frederick, 11th, 18.31; Mackenzie Rooney, 13th, 18.93

300 hurdles: Frederick, 12th, 55.57

Discus: Emma Prettyman, 11th, 89-11

Shot put: Prettyman, 6th, 34-7

Javelin: Davis Guetterman, 7th, 109-9; Prettyman, 10th, 103-6

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week nine of the spring sports season, sponsored by Edward Jones-Craig Holtzen.

DELANEY WRIGHT, SENIOR, TRACK AND FIELD

Louisburg senior Delaney Wright, who has been recovering from an injury most of the season, put it all together Friday during the Class 4A regional meet at Eudora High School. Wright qualified for state in four events and won three regional titles in the process.

Wright won the long jump with a mark of 17 feet, 9.5 inches. She later won the 400-meter dash in 1:00 and the 200 dash in 26.11 seconds. To end the meet, she joined Mackenzie Rooney, Emma Lohse and Emma Vohs to take third in the 4×400-meter relay. When it was all complete, Wright helped the Lady Cats to their first regional plaque in more than a decade as they finished second overall.

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: Lexi Hampton

Week 2: Sabra Brueggen

Week 3: Emma Lohse

Week 4: Nathan Vincent

Week 5: Mia Wilson

Week 6: Reese Johnson

Week 7: Kolby Kattau

Week 8: A.J. Arriola