Even in sweeping the Class 1A shot put and discus titles at the 2021 State Outdoors Track and Field Championships, Madison's Casey Helm left Wichita State's Cessna Stadium wanting more.

"I definitely didn't bring my A game," Helm said. "I didn't have my best day."

Fueled by that feeling and a season that saw him become the state's all-time leader in the discus, Helm made sure he didn't experience those same feelings when he left Cessna Stadium this year. Even though he didn't quite reach his season-best marks in either the shot put or discus, Helm was more than satisfied with how he completed his high school career at the 2022 State Outdoors.

Helm not only easily defended his state titles in both events, but left his mark in an emphatic way. The Bulldog senior set state records in each event, establishing himself as the best thrower in Class 1A history.

"It's been awesome," Helm said of his senior season. "All the hours I put in in the weight room and out in the circle working on technique and throwing. I've had a great year. Getting the state record in the discus overall and the 1A meet record in the discus and then adding the 1A record in the shot, it's been a great year."
 

After joining the prestigious 200-foot club in the discus in mid-April, Helm cemented his legendary status in late April when he unleashed a throw of 214 feet, 1 inch at the Bulldogs' home meet -- a mark that broke the all-time state record of 213-6 set by Shawnee Mission South's Clint Johnson back in 1980.

His accomplishments throughout the season made him a must-see attraction in Wichita on Friday and just before he entered the ring for his first attempt of the Class 1A competition, the event announcer read off his lengthy resume to stoke the crowd's interest.

The brief delay could have affected Helm, adding to the pressure of wanting to perform at his highest peak. Instead, he simply stayed patient and then went out and took care of business.

"When I get in the circle, I'm in discus mode or shot mode," he said. "I tune everything else out. Even though I had to wait awhile, I really wasn't listening, I was just thinking about what I had to do in the circle."

Helm opened with a modest throw of 174 feet -- one that still would have won him the competition by nearly 23 feet -- but then gave the large crowd what they had come to see. On his second throw, he uncorked a heave of 195 feet that broke the 1A state meet record of 186-4 set by Atwood's Jeff Horinek in 2004.

Immediately after the record throw was announced, Helm turned to his throws coach, Fred McClain, and told him, "I've got a lot left."

On this day, he didn't Helm never got off a throw better than his 195. But he had three of his final four attempts travel 188-8 or farther with both of his final two throws sailing 190-11 or better.

"I thought (getting 200 or better) was possible and I was really going to get it," he said. "But I didn't quite get lined up and get that perfect throw. But 195 is not too bad. Three throws over 190 and a 188, I'm not mad about that at all."
 

The second-ranked shot put thrower in the state this season behind Shawnee Mission East's Trace Huston with an outdoors best of 60-5.5 (he threw 61-8 at an indoor meet), Helm rode the momentum of his record performance in the discus into the shot put competition.

His first throw went 59 feet, 4.75 inches, giving Helm his second 1A state meet record -- the old mark a 58-4.25 set by Burrton's Kyle Johnson in 1998. Helm only marked on two of his last five attempts -- scratching his final one -- and though he didn't get to the 60-foot plateau he desired, he still got the record and won by nearly 11 feet.

"I just wanted to come out and perform well -- I wasn't really thinking about the records," Helm said. "I knew that  that was the ultimate goal, to get those records, but I didn't want to put too much pressure on myself and just focus on them. If I just performed to the level I was capable of, the records were going to come and they did."

A four-time state champion who helped lead Madison to back-to-back runner-up finishes as a team in Class 1A, Helm is already looking forward to the next step. He has signed with Princeton out of the Ivy League.

"It's going to be a big change going to the east coast from Kansas, but there's great throwers there, a great coach and I'm very excited," he said. "My track career's not over and I don't want to reminisce on it too much right now. I'm just looking toward the future and I just have to keep working, get back in the weight room and the circle and keep getting better."
 

ANDOVER CENTRAL'S BARKDULL VAULTS INTO RECORD BOOKS

Just before heading to the Class 5A pole vault competition on Friday morning, Andover Central's Ashton Barkdull ran into a somewhat familiar face in the Cessna Stadium stands.

It was former Bishop Carroll standout Nick Meyer. The same Nick Meyer who owned the Class 5A state meet record in the pole vault that Barkdull had designs on making his own.

And Meyer had a message for Barkdull.

"When I saw him up in the stands at the beginning, he said, 'You better get that record!'" Barkdull said of Meyer. "I said, 'Yeah, it's going down today.'"

Bardkull then went out and made good on his intentions. With Meyer working his way down to the coach's pit by the vaulting pit to root Barkdull on, the Jaguar senior first locked up his second straight state title and then locked down the new 5A meet record, clearing 16 feet, 7.25 inches to beat Meyer's old record by .25 inches.

"It was awesome; he was so supportive," Barkdull said. "He wanted me to get it. I was mentally there today and I was feeling it. We had great conditions. I couldn't have asked for anything better."

Barkdull had entered with a season-best mark of 16 feet, making him the top vaulter in the state. On Friday, he was doing his best just to keep bragging rights as the top vaulter in his own family.

Younger brother Bryce, a sophomore, also took advantage of the ideal conditions to enjoy his best vaulting day of his career as well. Coming into the state meet with a season-best of 14-8, Bryce cleared his first four heights with ease and on his second attempt at 15-0, he cleared it as well.

At that point, the Barkdulls were tied with Ashton also missing his first attempt at 15-0 before getting over on the second. So was he concerned about being upstaged?

"It definitely pushed me," Ashton said. "I wouldn't really say I was nervous. But there was a point where I was kind of in between poles and I didn't know which one I should stay on. Should I stay on my short run or go to my long run? But I'm just thrilled for him. He jumped 15 feet, and that's amazing for a sophomore. It couldn't have been any better for us going 1-2. That was the plan from the beginning of the season and it worked out."
 

Bryce missed all three attempts at 15-6 while Ashton got over that height on his second try. With the title in hand, he took the bar to 16-1, cleared it on his second attempt and then moved the bar to the 16-7.25 to break Meyer's record.

Fueled by a crowd squarely behind him, Barkdull elicited a huge roar when he got over the record height on his first attempt, prompting him to pump his fists and then do a back flip on the vaulting pad.

With the record his, Barkdull moved the bar to 17-0.75 in hopes of posting the all-time best mark at the state meet, topping 4A record-holder Jeff Buckingham of Gardner, who went 17-0.5. And on his first attempt, he had it -- until his sternum grazed the bar on his descent and it fell to the mat.

He jumped off the mat and immediately said, 'I'm getting this."

He didn't come close on his final two attempts, but was anything but disappointed.

"To be honest, once you make your goal it can be harder to go up because all of a sudden the weight is just lifted off of you," he said. "You feel amazing and great and it can be hard to focus. The first jump, I was really tuned in and thought I was going to get it. Then after that, it started to set in what I had accomplished and I lost focus."

In just missing out on becoming only the fourth vaulter in state history to clear 17 foot or higher, Barkdull knew he also missed out on setting the bar high enough to keep his state record.

"I'd be very surprised if (Bryce) doesn't go and break my record I just set," he said. "I'll enjoy it for the next two years. I think he'll get close to it next year but I fully expect by the time he's a senior he'll be a 17-footer. I'll enjoy it while I can."

Barkdull also hoped to contend for titles in the 5A 100 and 200. He would up third in the 200 behind Highland Park's Tre Richardson and Maize's Bryce Cohoon and slipped out of the starting blocks in the 100 and failed to reach the finals.

But he was hardly disappointed.

"This is what I came here for," he said after breaking the pole vault record. "Whatever happens after this, amazing. If I can win the 100, 200. Great. If not, it's probably because I'm still celebrating this."
 

HAYS' DALE OUT-DUELS MILL VALLEY'S JONES IN THRILLING 5A HIGH JUMP

Jordan Dale knew winning the 5A state high jump title wasn't going to be easy.

The class leader in the event with a season-best 6 feet, 10.25 inches, Dale was only .25 inches better than chief rival Kendrick Jones of Mill Valley, who had a season best of 6-10.

Not much separated the two going into the competition and arguably even less separated them throughout.

Dale and Jones matched each other jump-for-jump, forcing the title to be decided on a jump off. And even that was a chore as they continued to match misses and makes before Dale finally survived.

"Man, I was not expecting that," an exhausted Dale said after clearing 6-10 for the second time in the competition for the victory. "Every time he was jumping after me, I was freaking out, hoping for a miss. And he finally missed at the end, thankfully."

Dale and Jones quickly left the field behind with only Blue Valley Southwest's Kaleb Tesmer joining them with a clearance at 6-4. When he bowed out at 6-6, it became a two-man show. And what a show it was.

Dale and Jones each cleared 6-8 on their first attempts, pushing the bar to 6-10. After each missed their first two attempts, Dale got over at 6-10. Jones answered with a clearance on his third attempt.
 

Each came close to becoming the first jumpers in the state to go over 7 feet this year, but after both missed on all three attempts, the title went to a jump-off. Each missed at 6-11. Each missed at 6-10. Both made at 6-9.

Dale then got over again at 6-10 and when Jones missed, the title was his.

"I've never done that before," Dale said of the extended jump-off. "The adrenaline was pumping pretty hard. I was tired, but I knew I could do it."

The tight nature of the event lived up to Dale's expectations even if the winning height wasn't quite what he anticipated.

"I really though it was going to take 7 foot to win it today -- either by me or him," Dale said. "I definitely thought I had it in me, but I wasn't getting my arm back and my knee was lagging a little bit. I just wasn't getting up high enough. But I'm pretty proud of my performance, I thought I did pretty well.

"I wouldn't say I wanted the 7 foot as much as I wanted the championship. That's what we've been pushing for all year."
 

SANTA FE TRAIL'S SCHWARTZ COMPLETES CAREER 3A DISCUS SWEEP IN RECORD STYLE

Even as he was trying to contend for a title in the Class 3A boys' javelin throw, Santa Fe Trail's Brett Schwartz couldn't help but spend part of his time as an eager spectator to the adjoining discus throwing area.

Like many of the hundreds of fans gathered just on the outside of Cessna Stadium, his attention was on Madison's Casey Helm -- the nation's top discus thrower this spring.

"I was keeping an eye on him," said Schwartz, who had a somewhat vested interest in Helm's performance.

When Helm unleashed a throw of 195 feet to break the 1A state meet record, Schwartz got the extra dose of motivation he needed when he stepped into the discus ring the next morning for the Class 3A competition.

All season long, Helm and Schwartz have taken turns trying to outdo each other in the discus in the progression as two of the best the state has ever seen.

They both became the newest members of the exclusive 200-foot club on the same day in mid-April. When Helm became the state's all-time leader in the event in in late April with a throw of 214-1, Schwartz nearly matched him a week later with a throw of 210-7 that ranks No. 4 all-time and No. 2 in the nation this season.

So when Helm popped his record throw on Friday, Schwartz knew he had to follow suit on Saturday.

"I saw him throw that 195 and it gave me the drive," Schwartz said.

Two throws into his Saturday morning competition, Schwartz nearly had an identical throw, his sailing 194-8. On his next throw, however, he not only passed Helm's mark, but also the Class 3A record. Schwartz's throw of 200 feet, 4 inches not only broke the state meet record of 199-7 set by TMP-Marian's Eric Thomas in 2005 but also gave the Charger senior the career sweep of the 3A discus with his third title.

"It just felt good today," Schwartz said. "I had my 182 my first throw so I knew it was going to be a good day for me. (Getting the record) was a big goal all year. I knew I had it in me and I just kept improving.

"My release was feeling pretty good today and it just felt good coming off my hand. I came out the back good and the whole front of the throw felt good. It was just all in place today and I just went after it."

Schwartz was a rare freshman winner in the discus as a freshman in 2019, throwing 171-0 for the state title. After missing out on his sophomore season when COVID canceled it, he came back last year and defended his title, throwing 176-6 for his second crown.

But he took his third championship to another level, claiming the state record to cap his undefeated career at state in the event.

"Not a lot of people get to win a state championship three times in the same event," said Schwartz, who will throw collegiately at Nebraska. "I would have liked four, but COVID. But I'm happy with three."

Schwartz also finished third in the 3A shot put competition and sixth in the javelin.
 

PAOLA'S RAMEY COMES THROUGH LATE FOR ROUSING 4A SHOT PUT TITLE

The energy in the shot put pit was simply electric.

So it was only a matter of time before Paola's Caden Rhamy tapped into it.

"It was cool seeing the competition and seeing everyone get hyped up around me," Rhamy said. "I definitely fed off that energy."

The full transfusion didn't come until the finals, but once it hit, Rhamy rode it to a state championship. Entering finals sitting third behind the Andale duo of Jackson Kraus and Beau Kerschen, Rhamy overtook both in the finals and won by 2.5 inches over Kraus with a best of 57 feet, .5 inches.

The buzz around the ring began during the last throws of preliminaries with the Andale tandem providing most of it. With Rhamy leading with a modest 51-8.5, Kerschen struck the first blow with a heave of 55-6.75 -- a personal-best by three feet.

Kraus, who had topped 60 feet earlier this year, followed with a 55-9.75 to take the event lead with Rhamy slipping to third.

"You have to walk into that competition expecting PRs," Rhamy said. "Once you get the nerves knocked out of the way, you capitalize on the energy. I knew I just had to do what I do, stay focused and lock in. You have to get angry at yourself, find something to be mad at and use that eneergy. That's what I did."

Rhamy closed the gap with a 55-2.25 on his first throw of the finals and then grabbed the even led by one-half inch with a throw of 55-10.25 on his second finals attempt. On his final attempt, Rhamy unleashed his 57-0.5, which matched his season best, and then watched as Kraus came oh so close to topping it on the final throw of the competition, falling just short.

"When your technique and form hits just right with all the power you have built up, you can just feel it," Rhamy said of his winning throw. "It almost feels like you didn't put any effort into it, even though you did. If felt good right after it left my hand."

Rhamy fell just short in his bid for a second title, taking second in the discus on Saturday. He held the lead after his second attempt went 157-5 and kept it until the second-to-last throw of the competition when Andale's Riley Marx went 162-1 to jump into first.

On his final attempt, Rhamy thought he had maybe claimed the title, but he finished just short with a season-best 160-0 and settled for second.
 

HANOVER'S JUENEMAN, PAWNEE HEIGHTS' CARLSON SURVIVE LOADED FIELDS FOR 1A JUMP TITLES

Not once, but twice did Hanover's Emmitt Jueneman think he had done exactly what he needed to do to win Friday's Class 1A triple jump title.

On his last attempt of his prelim round, Jueneman did something he'd never done before. He topped the 45-foot  mark, by a lot, sailing 45-8.5 to take the event lead.

It lasted all of one jump. The very next jumper, Pawnee Heights' Alec Carlson topped him by an inch with a 45-9.5.

Undeterred, Jueneman shook off a foul to start finals and went 44-2.75 on his second attempt before coming up with yet again the best jump of his career. This time, he soared 46 feet.

"I've suffered some ankle injuries this year and at the beginning of the season if you had told me I'd be going over 45, I'd thought you were crazy," Jueneman said. "And then to get 46, that was just amazing."

But the thrill of blowing away his school record again lasted just one jump. Once again, Carlson was up to the challenge and on the final attempt of the competition, the Tiger junior popped a 46-5 to snatch the title away.

"It was a little bit devastating at first," Jueneman said. "Obivously 46 feet is nothing to be disappointed about. But the same thing happened to me last year. I got second and got beat out on the last jump (by Hamilton's Kelton Buettner)."
 

Carlson said Jueneman's performance was a huge factor in his as well, topping his previous best by a foot and a half.

"If he wouldn't have gone 46, there's no way I would have gone 46-5," Carlson said. "I knew I only had one jump left. My heart dropped all of a sudden when I saw his jump. I was like, 'Man, my PR coming in was a 45 and now I have to jump 46-plus if I want to win.' I knew I had it in me because I had jumped a 46-plus but scratched right before that. My teammate (fellow finalist Braden Colglazier) told me I had it in me. I just found the fire and hauled off and got it."

Carlson said as soon as he landed, he knew he'd come up with the winning jump. It was just a matter of seeing the mark posted on the board.

When it was, he jumped again, this time straight up in the air in celebration.

"I got a clean solid jump into the pit and I knew I had a good one," Carlson said. "I was thinking, 'That's a top-five jump in Kansas. I'm going to be a gold medalist.'"

Whatever disappointment Jueneman had with the final outcome of the triple jump, they were mostly erased only a few hours later. Once again battling Carlson and 1A leader Bryson Turner of Madison for the title in the long jump, Jueneman got his revenge.

Jueneman posted a jump of 22-1 on his second attempt and watched it hold up to deliver him his first state title in track.

"I wanted to get a little bit of revenge," he said. "I've never won anything here. I've always gotten second or third. I just wanted to give it all in my last event."

It didn't come without an anxious moment, though. On his final attempt of the event, Carlson put a jump out there that had Jueneman more than nervous he'd done it to him again. But the measurement came in at 22-0.7, giving Jueneman the title by .25 inches.

Both Jueneman and Carlson relished the competition, one that was so tight that 1A leader Turner of Madison wound up third in each.

"I feel like 1A was a little under the radar in the triple jump," Jueneman said. "I think we had four or five of the top marks in the state in 1A this year, regardless of class. 1A was kind of crazy. Those guys are very good as well."

Carlson agreed.

"It was stacked," he said. "With how little our schools are -- we have something like 39 kids in our high school and two of us were here -- it was just loaded. It was crazy. To have a field where a bunch of kids have top-20 marks in Kansas and you have to jump better than them, it helps push you."

Carlson also faced a loaded 1A high jump field that eight jumpers who had cleared 6-4 or better this year with Carlson second going into state at 6-6.25 behind Burlingame's Matthew Heckman (6-10). Carlson finished fifth, only going 6-2, but still was pumped about the final results as teammate Colglazier won the title.

"I had to run a 400 in the middle of it and that really took my legs down," Carlson said. "I really wanted to win it, that's what I came here to do. But jumping triple then high jump and running the 400 in the middle and still having the long jump later, my legs held up just enough that I was happy with how I did."
 

ANDALE'S MARX FALLS SHORT OF COVETED RECORD, LEADS INDIANS TO 4A TITLE

The No. 1 high school javelin thrower not only in Kansas but in the nation after throwing 209 feet, 9 inches earlier this year, Riley Marx had the Class 4A state meet record square in his sights going into Friday's competition in Wichita.

The mark was still a big one to get, Chanute's Austin Braman throwing 208-7 in 2007 to set the record. But it was one Marx felt was attainable in ideal throwing conditions. And when he busted a 206-5 on his first throw of the competition, well, it seemed to be only a matter of what throw he might get it on.

"I was thinking about it all week for sure," said Marx, who threw 204-9 at regionals. "We've had some nice days the last few weeks of the year and I've consistently been throwing over 200s, so I felt it was there. The idea behind was to go out and get a good throw and then see what happens."

Unfortunately for Marx, the desired mark never came. Each of his six attempts in the competition sailed 195 feet or farther, but Marx only got back over 200 feet once, a 201-6 on his fifth attempt, and the record eluded him.

"It was a little frustrating," said Marx, who won his second straight 4A javelin title. "I'm happy but I'm not satisfied. I really wish I would have gotten that record. But I got 10 points for my team and with Jonah (Meyer) taking second place so getting 10 points and 8 from Jonah was just big for the team."

Marx added a second state title on Saturday, taking the 4A discus crown with a throw of 162-1, edging Paola's Caden Rhamy by 2 feet, 1 inches. He led a big Andale showing in that event as well with Jackson Kraus third (155-9) and Beau Kerschen fifth (148-7).
 

Kraus and Kerschen also came up with big points in the shot put, each getting PRs in a 2-3 finish behind Paola's Rhamy. The 52 points the Indian throwers racked up help spur Andale to its second boys' team title in three years.

Andale finished with 101 points to top Chanute by 30 points for the title. In addition to the big points from its throwers, Andale racked up 20 more in field events as John Spexarth and Rylan White went 3-4 in the pole vault (11 points), Easton Landers was third in the high jump (6 points), Kolby Eck was seventh in the triple jump (2 points) and Nathan Seck was eighth in the long jump (1 point).