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