10 CLASS 3A GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES TO WATCH IN 2024
 

BREE ALLEN, PRAIRIE VIEW

Allen is on the fast track to leaving her legacy as one of the top distance runners in state history. After a strong freshman season that saw her sweep Pioneer League titles in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 and then post top-three finishes in all three at the Class 3A state meet, highlighted by a runner-up finish in the 3,200, Allen established herself as the dominating distance presence in 3A last year. Allen swept state titles in all three events, pulling the somewhat rare distance triple. She broke her own school record in the 3,200 to win by nearly 40 seconds with a career-best 10:55.92, jump-starting her big weekend that saw her add titles with personal bests in the 1,600 (5:09.17) and 800 (2:19.37). 
 

LEXI BOSS, OSAGE CITY

The younger sister of two-time Class 3A state javelin champion Landon Boss, Lexi emerged as a state contender in the throws as well last year. She finished as state runner-up in the discus to Beloit’s Tatum Seyfert, throwing a career-best 135-11 at the state meet to finish less than six feet behind Seyfert, who ranked second overall in the state last year. Boss also finished eighth at state in the javelin with her mark of 120-2 just short of her season-best of 122-8, which broke the school record previously held by her mother, Kate. Boss was the Flint Hills League champion in both events. She also runs on the Indians’ 400 and 1,600 relays.
 

SHELLAMAE FARMER, HOISINGTON
 
Farmer, a Wichita State signee, won her second straight 3A pole vault title last May, matching her winning height of 11 feet, 6 inches from her sophomore season in 2022. Farmer’s victory along with Josiah Ball’s in the 3A boys competition gave Hoisington a pole vault sweep. Farmer set the school record in the event with an 11-9 clearance at Lyons’ Wheaton Relays. She was unbeaten in the pole vault last season except for the Central Kansas League meet, where Smoky Valley’s Breanne Peters and Hesston’s Ashley Lehman finished ahead of her. Farmer also ran a leg on Hoisington’s 400 relay team at state.
 

 
CALI HONEYMAN, NEMAHA CENTRAL

A standout in volleyball and basketball, the 5-foot-11 Honeyman puts her length to use on the track as well as one of the top hurdlers in Class 3A a year ago. Last year as a sophomore, Honeyman set school records in both the 100 and 300 hurdles with her times of 15.74 and 47.32, respectively. She finished as state runner-up in the 100s to two-time champion Ashley Singhateh of Eureka but with Singhateh now at Maize South, the title is there for the taking this year. Honeyman also took seventh at state in the 300 hurdles and was on the Thunder’s 1,600 relay that finished fifth at state and set a school record last year with a 4:10.4.
 

ASHLEY LEHMAN, HESSTON
 
Lehman capped a solid freshman season with the 3A 400-meter title last May, and returns as one of the top athletes in the Central Kansas League and across the state. She added a second-place finish in the 200 (25.85) to fellow CKL sprinter Breanne Peters of Smoky Valley, third in the pole vault  (11-0) in a CKL sweep of the top three spots, and fourth in the 100 (12.62). Lehman captured a school record with her state-winning time of 56.53 in the 400, and claimed another in the 200 (24.89) when she defeated the 3A champion Peters at the CKL meet. Lehman set PRs in the 100 (12.30) and pole vault (11-6) in her first meet of 2024, the McPherson County Early Season Invitational. She is also a two-time top-five finisher in 3A cross country, taking second as a freshman and fifth last fall.

 

BREANNE PETERS, SMOKY VALLEY
 
Peters solidified her status as Class 3A’s fastest girl last spring, winning the state 100- and 200-meter titles as part of a four-medal haul that raised her state meet career count to 10. The Viking senior added runner-up finishes in the pole vault to Central Kansas League friendly rival Shellamae Farmer of Hoisington and in a new pursuit, the triple jump, to Heritage Christian’s Rachel Van Gorp. It marked the second straight year Peters won four state medals after she collected two as a freshman. Peters defended her title in the 200 with a time of 25.44 and won her first 100 state title in a personal-best and school-record 12.19. Peters also owns Viking records in the 200 (25.23) and long jump (18-0). After completing her first season in the triple jump, Peters opened the 2024 season with a PR of 36-4.75 at the McPherson County Early Season Invitational. “Breanne Peters exemplifies the ideal athlete: a fierce competitor and a supportive teammate rolled inton one,” Smoky Valley coach Zack Vogel said.
 

JENESSA RUDER, NORTON

After capturing a state title in javelin as a sophomore, Ruder set a personal and school record with a throw of 150-3 at state last year, but was runner-up after being edged out by Goodland’s Lindsey Cure, who threw a 151-4 in her final high school meet. Ruder won the javelin in seven of 10 meets last year and was the regional and Mid-Continent League champion for the second straight year. She was the MCL runner-up in high jump and 100-meter hurdles last year.  

TATUM SEYFERT, BELOIT

Seyfert added to her family’s state championship legacy, joining her brother, Grady, and father, Casey, as a state champion in the shot put and discus with her first titles last year as a sophomore. After taking second in the event at the 3A state meet as a freshman, Seyfert enjoyed a huge junior season that saw her win her first state title by nearly six feet with a throw of 141-2 that ranked second overall in the state behind Bonner Springs’ Mariah Noel and broke the Trojans’ school record. Seyfert also dominated the 3A shot put field, winning the state title in that event by nearly four feet with a 42-5 that was actually more than two feet short of her season-best of 44-10.5 that was the top mark in the state overall. Grady also swept both the shot and discus titles last year.
 

BETHANY UMBARGER, CHERRYVALE
 
Umbarger picked a good day to have a good day last May, clearing a personal-best 5 feet, 6 inches to win the Class 3A high jump title. It capped a strong junior season for the Tri-Valley League and Fredonia regional champion, whose lone non-victory in the event in 2023 came to 2A champion Lily Brown of Pittsburg Colgan at the Fredonia Relays. It was the first state title – and state medal – for Umbarger, who qualified in the 400 as a freshman, and 400, long jump and high jump as a sophomore, but was unable to reach the finals in any of them. Umbarger also qualified for state last year in the triple jump – an event she won at the Tri-Valley meet with a personal-best 34-8.25 – finishing 12^th.
 

RACHEL VAN GORP, HERITAGE CHRISTIAN

More noted as one of the state’s top volleyball players and an Iowa State signee in the sport where she’s led Heritage Christian to four straight state championships, Van Gorp has proven her versatility on the track as well. She captured a Class 3A state title in the long jump as a sophomore and then defended that crown last year. After winning by more than a foot as a sophomore when she went 18-8.25, Van Gorp couldn’t quite hit that mark last year and had to hold off Larned’s Kaylee Hagerman by 4.25 inches with her winning mark of 17-9.5. Van Gorp doubled her state gold with a title in the triple jump as well, winning by 6.5 inches over Smoky Valley’s Breanne Peters with a leap of 36-5.5. She also finished third in the 400 and fourth in the 200 at state last year.