2025 BOYS TRACK AND FIELD PREVIEW
 

 
CLASS 6A
 
2024 State champion: Olathe West
 
2024 State runner-up: Olathe North
 
2024 Review: Led by the Parrish brothers, Olathe North ruled Class 6A in 2022 and 2023 with the trio of brothers combining for 10 gold medals and 15 top-two finishes over all in those two championship seasons. But with the graduation of Jason and Josh after the 2023 season, the Eagles were out of Parrishes and forced to rely on a new cast in order to pull of a three-peat in 2024. And though North got individual titles from Ian Quarles in the pole vault and Elijah Madden in the long jump and triple jump, the Eagles couldn’t put enough around them to keep up with cross-town rival Olathe West, which ran away with its first-ever state championship. The Owls dominated in the relays, sweeping the 400 and 3,200 relays and taking second in the 1,600 relay, and also got a championship from Dayton Richardson in the 400 to help them on their way to 81 points, finishing a distant 26.5 points ahead of North. The Owls had plenty of depth behind their titleists with Braeden Gillam adding a second in the 300 hurdles, Elijah Hakim taking second in the triple jump and Hakim and Tevyn Gasaway each posting a pair of top-eight finishes. Wichita East edged Washburn Rural for third in the team standings, led by 110 hurdles champion Marcus White, who was one of four Blue Aces with a pair of top-five individual finishes along with Ryan Son, Camren Davis and Tristan Cross. Rural got titles from Josh Sulzen-Watson in the javelin and its 1,600 relay, which waited out a weather delay of three hours to run the final race of the state meet and pull off the upset win over Olathe West. Wichita Northwest’s Jalil Cooper was one of two double-individual gold champion in 6A boys, sweeping the 100 and 200 titles. Mill Valley’s Jayden Woods was the other, taking home titles in the shot put and discus, winning the latter for the second straight season. Other event winners included Shawnee Mission South’s Max Larson (3,200), Gardner Edgerton’s Parker Walion (1,600), Olathe South’s Dylan Plath (800), Dodge City’s Carter Williams (300 hurdles) and Maize’s Alan Hanna (high jump).
 
2025 Contenders: After running away with its first-ever state championship a year ago, Olathe West will have to reload a little to go back-to-back. The Owls did have one of the largest state contingents a year ago with 27 qualifiers/alternates. Ten of those were seniors a year ago, including the likes of state placers Elijah Hakim, Braeden Gillam and one half of each of its state champion 400 and 3,200 relays. The Owls do return 400 state champion Dayton Richardson, who also anchored the Owls’ runner-up 1,600 relay, as well a multi-state placer Tevyn Gasaway, who anchored the winning 400 relay and will be one of the top challengers in the sprints. Seniors Gunnar Hornung and Braxton Theel head a strong distance corps for the Owls with Theel capturing the state cross country title in the fall. The good news for the Owls is that their top challengers from last year all suffered significant graduation losses and will be having to reload even more. Olathe North was runner-up after winning back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023, but the Eagles lost state champions Elijah Madden (long jump) and Ian Quarles (pole vault) and all but five of their 12 qualifiers from last year. Wichita East was third a year ago but graduated 110 hurdles champion Marcus White and multiple placers Camren Davis and Ryan Son. Tristen Cross does return after taking third in both the long jump and triple jump and he very well could be the favorite for both titles this season though Shawnee Mission West’s Brandon Wilson does return in the long jump after a runner-up finish last year. Washburn Rural finished two points behind East in fourth on the strength of a strong throwing corps that included javelin state champion Josh Sulzen-Watson who also was third in the discus. The Junior Blues will lean more on its track returners with three-fourths of the members of last year’s state champion 1,600 relay returning. Isaiah Terry and Liam Morrison both earned medals in individual events as well with Morrison placing top eight in both hurdle events and Terry taking fifth in the 400. Mill Valley was also in the mix for a team trophy thanks largely to a sweep of the shot put and discus by Jayden Woods, who could have returned to defend those titles, but graduated at semester to jump-start his Division I football career. That leaves Shawnee Mission North’s Josiah Blomker as the favorite for the shot put title after a runner-up finish and leaves the discus title wide open with the top-four finishers all gone, Olathe South’s duo of Peter Mac Swaney and Jeremy Gracia the top returners after going 5-6 last year. Maize returns a title contender in senior Alan Hanna, who won the high jump title last year and is one of the few 7-foot jumpers in the state. The 100 and 200 titles are up for grabs this season with the graduation of Wichita Northwest’s Jalil Cooper, but the competition will still be strong with Wichita Southeast’s Dejaun Colbert returning after taking second in the 100 and fifth in the 200. Derby’s Martel Jackson also returns after top-five finishes in both. Olathe South’s Dylan Plath came up just .23 seconds shy of sweeping the 800 and 1,600 a year ago but returns to defend his 800 crown and get the 1,600 title that just eluded him. Shawnee Mission South’s Max Larson returns to defend his 3,200 title with Mill Valley’s Carter Cline and West’s Theel his top competition. The hurdles titles will be up for grabs with Wichita Heights’ Quinton Rolle Jr. arguably the favorite for the 110s after taking second last year by .22 seconds. Gardner Edgerton’s Mason Hill will look to snag his first pole vault title after taking second to Quarles a year ago, losing out on misses for the title.
 

 
CLASS 5A
 
2024 State champion: Kapaun Mt. Carmel
 
2024 State runner-up: Blue Valley Southwest
 
2024 Review: Boasting one of the top track athletes in the state in Jack Guthridge, Kapaun Mt. Carmel spent the entire season looking like the heavy favorite for the Class 5A title last year. Though Guthridge came up just short of four-gold showing, taking second in the 100 to Seaman’s Aaron Merritt, the Crusaders still had no trouble taking the team title by 18 points over Blue Valley Southwest. Guthridge won titles in the 200 and 400 and as part of the Crusaders’ 1,600 relay. He had plenty of help as Daniel Enriquez posted top-three finishes in the 1,600 and 3,200, Dawson Grabendike was runner-up in the 110 hurdles and fourth in the 300 hurdles and Nathan Thengvall placed top five in the 400 and 800. While Kapaun scored the bulk of its points on the track, Southwest pulled just ahead of a tight group fighting for the runner-up spot thanks to a strong showing in the field events, scoring 47 of its 69 points in those events to just edge De Soto by two points for second place. The pole vault was particularly good to the Timberwolves with Carson Ratzlaff, Dylan Cross and Gabe Heck finishing 2-3-4 behind record-setting Ashton Barkdull of Andover Central, who cleared 17-2 at the state meet to set the 5A meet record for the second straight year. Southwest also had Dylan Dunn and Kaleb Tesmer each record a pair of top-eight finishes with Tesmer taking second in the long jump. Like, Kapaun De Soto relied heavily on its runners for a third-place team finish, scoring all but four of their points on the track. Palmer O’Connor led the way for the Wildcats, sweeping the 800 and 1,600 titles. De Soto also won the 3,200 relay without O’Connor’s assistance, anchored by Vance Krudwig, who finished runner-up in the 3,200. Carson Miller added a pair of top-eight finishes in the sprints and anchored the winning 400 relay as De Soto finished two points ahead of St. Thomas Aquinas for the final team trophy. The Saints followed Southwest’s lead in relying heavily on the field events, in particular the throws. Joey Goodenow and K’lyn Curtis finished 1-2 in the shot put and Goodenow also won the discus and Joe Loughman made it a Saints sweep of the throws with a title in the javelin. Aquinas also got a title from Noah Allen in the long jump. Seaman’s Merritt not only edged Guthridge for the title in the 100, but also won the 110 hurdles to finish as a double-gold winner for the Vikings, leading them an eighth-place team finish. He also anchored the 400 relay to a runner-up finish to De Soto. Shawnee Heights’ Jackson Esquibel won the 3,200 title for the second straight season while Piper’s Devin Kerr won the high jump crown, Eisenhower’s Justus Reynolds claimed the 300 hurdles title and Great Bend’sCooper Ohnmacht won the triple jump title as a freshman.
 
2025 Contenders: As good as Kapaun Mt. Carmel was last year in bringing home the program’s first state title since 1983, the Crusaders could be even better this season as all but one member of last year’s state team, double-placer Nathan Thengvall, is back this season. Guthridge fell short of a four-gold performance a year ago, but the Kansas State signee will be hungry to complete that quest this season, going after the 100 title that eluded him last year when Seaman’s Aaron Merritt ran the second-fastest 100 in state history (10.32) to nip him by .08 seconds for that crown. Guthridge still ranks just outside the all-time top 10 with his 10.4 at state last year and also was the state overall leader in the 200 and 400 a year ago, sweeping those titles and adding the 400 relay title as well. He’s got plenty of help in the chase for the repeat with Dawson Grabendike returning as arguably the favorite in the 110 hurdles after taking second to Merritt as well last year. He also will be in the mix in the 300 hurdles where he was fourth last year, though Eisenhower’s Justus Reynolds is back to defend that title. Crusader Daniel Enriquez was third in both the 1,600 and 3,200 last year, but both champions in those events have graduated leaving Enriquez one of the favorites in each. Jackson Daniel was third in the javelin last year and could also position for a title this season with 2024 champion Joe Loughman of St. Thomas Aquinas having graduated. The Saints will miss those points but return more than enough to make a move into the top three as a team this year. Joey Goodenow is back to defend his state title in the shot put and discus with teammate K’lyn Curtis pushing for the crown in those events as well. Curtis was runner-up in the shot put after a disappointing showing in the discus where he scratched on all three throws after going in as one of the top throwers in 5A last season. The Saints also return long jump champion Noah Allen, who edged Blue Valley Southwest’s Kaleb Tesmer by 1.5 inches for the title last season. Tesmer has graduated but Sumner Academy’s Sommyr Moore and Leavenworth’s Dy’vair McCray return to challenge for that crown. Aquinas also returns LJ Maslowski, who finished top seven in the 100, 200 and 400. Tesmer was a double-placer in helping Southwest to a runner-up team finish, but the pole vault was where the Timberwolves racked up big points, sweeping the 2-3-4 spots. State runner-up Carson Ratzlaff is gone, but third-place Gabe Hicks and fourth-place Dylan Cross are both back after going 14-6 or better at state last year, marking that could win it this season now that 5A meet record holder Bryce Barkdull of Andover Central has graduated. Taking third a year ago as a team, De Soto lost Palmer O’Connor, who overcame a potentially career-ending knee injury in 2023 to sweep the 800 and 1,600 titles, as well as dual sprint placer Carson Miller. The Wildcats return 3,200 runner-up Vance Krudwig, who also is the lone returning member of the Wildcats’ state champion 3,200 relay that turned in the fourth-best time in state history last season. Jayden Lang also returns as a state placer in the 200. St. James Academy slipped to seventh in the team standings last year after taking the team title in 2023. The Thunder lost six state qualifiers to graduation but will be led by Noah Scowengerdt, who was runner-up in the 800 last year. Hays’ Dalton Meyers could be the heir apparent to Aquinas’ Loughman in the javelin, throwing over 191 feet a year ago on his way to a runner-up finish. Fellow Western Athletic Conference member Cooper Ohnmacht of Great Bend won the triple jump title as a freshman last season, soaring a state-best 47-3.5 to beat Andover Central’s Brandt Stupka for the title. Stupka is back, as is Sumner’s Moore, who was third.
 

 
CLASS 4A
 
2024 State champion: Andale
 
2024 State runner-up: Bishop Miege
 
2024 Review: The machine that is Andale track and field rolled on last year as the Indians captured their third straight Class 4A state championship and eighth since 2013. Though it wasn’t nearly as tight as the 2023 title when the Indians got help from Bishop Miege in the final race of the meet to claim a half-point win over Louisburg, it wasn’t near the runaway as the 2022 title when Andale won by 30 points over Chanute. Last year, it was an 8.5-point victory over Miege fueled once again mainly by the program’s continued success in the throwing events. For the first time in years, Andale didn’t finish with an individual state champion, but the Indians saw Cooper Marx and Hunter Grimes each place in two of the three throws. Brayden Richeson finished tied for second in the high jump, matching Harrison Potucek Rylan White for the highest individual finishes for the Indians. Potucek led a 2-3 finish with Bo Kaiser in the 110 hurdles and also took second in the 300 hurdles, both runner-up finishes coming to Abilene’s Judah Bowell, who swept the hurdles titles. White also was runner-up in two events, taking second in the 100 to Miege’s Lamar Lynch and runner-up in the pole vault to Louisburg’s Cooper Wingfield. Lynch swept the sprint titles to lead the Stags to their runner-up team finish, beating teammate Howard Peoples by just .01 seconds for the 200 crown after winning the 100 by .25 seconds over Andale’s White. Lynch and Peoples also led the Stags’ 400 relay to a victory and Miege also got two top-seven finishes from Liam Tesmer in the high and triple jumps. Boosted by a sweep of the shot put and discus titles by Kainen White, Coffeyville finished third in the team standings. Dante Boykin added a title in the triple jump and runner-up finish in the long jump to help the Golden Tornadoes’ cause while the 400 relay team also took second. Scott City and Wamego each tied for fourth in the team race with Wamego’s Harrison Cutting winning the 800 and leading the 3,200 relay to a win. Scott City was led by 400 champion Camden Vulgamore, who also was third in the pole vault. Augusta’s Isaiah Blackwell and Circle’s Blake Logan each joined Lynch and Bowell as double champions with Blackwell taking titles in the high jump and long jump and Logan sweeping the 1,600 and 3,200. Other champions included Eudora’s Kole Manley in the javelin and Pratt’s 1,600 relay.
 
2025 Contenders: In some ways, last year could have been considered a rebuilding year for Andale with the Indians only having three seniors on its state roster. Two of those will be sorely missed with departed Indians Rylan White and Brayden Richeson accounting for three runner-up showings. But Andale returns everyone else and after not getting a state gold in any event a year ago will have some serious title contenders this season. Cooper Marx is coming off an All-State football season and took third in the discus and fifth in the shot put. Coffeyville’s Kainen White was the champion in both of those events and has graduated, leaving the throne vacant. White’s teammate Keiton Jones will challenge Marx after finishing fourth in both last year while Baldwin’s Brendan O’Connor was the state runner-up in the discus and was third in the shot put, making him one of the favorites. Andale also has the favorite for the hurdles titles in Harrison Potucek, who was runner-up in both last year to Abilene’s Judah Bowell, who graduated. Teammate Bo Kaiser was third in the 110 hurdles, just .01 behind Potucek in that event. Hunter Grimes also returns for the Indians in the throws after placing in the discus and javelin last year. Bishop Miege and Coffeyville were Andale’s top challengers last year with Miege finishing just 8.5 points back and Coffeyville 10.5 behind in third. Both, however, have some big holes to fill. Not only did Coffeyville lose shot/discus state champion White to graduation, but also Dante Boykin, who won the triple jump and was second in the long jump. The Golden Tornado return Jones as a contender in the throws and have speedsters in Aaron Tunstall and Jake Horner back from its runner-up 400 relay capable of challenging in the sprints as well. Miege lost speed merchants in Lamar Lynch and Howard Peoples, who finished 1-2 in the 200 with Lynch also taking the 100 title as well. Ulysses’ Aden Alvarado and Tonganoxie’sTodd Brown are the top returners in the 100 and Abilene’s Tyler Green is the top returner in the 200. Only one individual state champion from last year returns in Class 4A this season, Louisburg’s Cooper Wingfield, who followed in the footsteps of former teammate Caden Caplinger to give the Wildcats champions in the pole vault for three straight years. Caplinger took the title in 2022 and 2023 before missing out on a three-peat last year because of an injury. Runner-up by a mere half-point in 2023 in the team race, Louisburg could be Andale’s top challenger again this year with Wingfield one of 10 returning qualifiers for the Wildcats, who didn’t make the top 10 last year. Gavin Lohse is the top returner in the long jump after taking third last year. McPherson’sCaleb Muehler, the 4A cross country champion each of the past two seasons, will look to add track titles to his resume after taking runner-up in both the 1,600 and 3,200 last year. Hayden returns to Class 4A after a runner-up team finish in Class 3A. The Wildcats won’t have sprints champion Finn Dunshee, who graduated after winning the 100 and 200 titles, but do return Jensen Schrickel, who won the 400 and long jump and was the anchor for the Wildcats’ state champion 1,600 relay and runner-up 400 relay. 
 

 
CLASS 3A
 
2024 State champion: Holcomb
 
2024 State runner-up: Hayden
 
2024 Review: A standout group of middle distance/distance runners carried Holcomb to its first state championship since 2007. Led by Brody Deniston, Landen Leonard and Weston Baker, the Longhorns racked up big points on the track in the 400 on up to score 80 points and win by 19 over runner-up Hayden. That trio showed off in the 800 where they finished 2-3-4 behind one of the state’s all-time great distance runners, Clay Shively of Trinity Academy. Deniston, who was second in the race, also took second in the 3,200 and fourth in the 1,600 while Leonard was third in the 400. The trio also led the 3,200 relay to a victory and Holcomb also got a runner-up finish from the 1,600 relay and third from the 400 relay. Hayden’s quest for a state title was led by the dynamic duo of Finn Dunshee and Jensen Schrickel. Dunshee blazed his way to a sweep of the sprints, winning the 100 and 200. Schrickel, meanwhile, won individual titles in the 400 and long jump. The duo also led the 1,600 relay to a championship and the 400 relay to a runner-up finish. Only two other Wildcat entries placed, however, leaving Hayden well shy of Holcomb for the team title. State champion in 2023, Wichita Collegiate edged Lakin by one point and Trinity Academy by two for the third-place position in the team standings. The Spartans were led by James Shackelford, who finished runner-up to Dunshee in the 100 and 200, but brought home the title in the 400 relay. Timmy Ritchie joined him on the winning relay and added a second in the 400 and fourth in the 100. Lakin was led by thrower Colter Oldham, who swept the titles in the shot put and discus. Tyelor Holloway finished runner-up in both hurdle races for the Broncs as well. Trinity’s Shively didn’t come close to turning in the sub-4-minute 1,600 like he had in the offseason, but still won his second straight title in the event, leading a 1-2-3 finish with teammates Sam Ferguson and Caleb Tofteland. He also won the 800 for the second straight year while Ferguson and Tofteland went 1-3 in the 3,200, sandwiched around Holcomb’s Deniston with Ferguson’s title his second straight. The state’s top football recruit this past fall, Goodland’s Linkon Cure powered his way to a sweep of the hurdles titles, winning the 110s and 300s – his second straight in the 300s -- to help the Cowboys to a seventh-place team finish. Southeast of Saline was sixth, led by double-champion Tate Nurnberg, who won the high jump and triple jump. Colby’s Guy Tubbs took the javelin title while Hoisington’s Josiah Ball won pole vault with Ball’s title his second straight.
 
2025 Contenders: It’s a nice run that Holcomb is on right now, one that very well could continue this spring. After winning the program’s first state track title since 2007 last spring, the Longhorns followed it up with their first cross country championship since going back-to-back in 2008 and 2009. The cast largely responsible for both titles will hit the ground running this spring with the potential of making things a runaway state title in track. Brody Deniston finished as the state runner-up in both the 3,200 and 800 and was fourth in the 1,600 but won’t have the likes of Trinity Academy’s Clay Shively (800 and 1,600 champion) and Sam Feguson (3,200 champion) to contend with this season. Both Trinity runners were two-time champions in each of those events but have graduated leaving teammate Caleb Tofteland as perhaps Deniston’s top challenger as he goes after the distance triple crown. Then again, it could come from his own teammates with Landen Leonard and Weston Baker back after finishing right behind him in the 800 and Leonard also taking third in the 400. Both were top 20 finishers in cross country with Deniston finishing behind Tofteland for that title. All four members of Holcomb’s winning 3,200 relay return with Jeb Stoppel joinging the aforementioned trio, and Drayton Knoll returns as a state placer in the shot put, though he’s coming off a knee injury during football. The only team within shouting distance of the Longhorns last year in 3A was Hayden, which now has moved up to Class 4A. However, one of the teams moving down from 4A could fill that spot more than capably. Scott City finished tied for fourth in the 4A standings last year and only lost two members of its 15-person state contingent. Senior Camden Vulgamore was the 4A state champion in the 400 and also took third in the pole vault and led the 1600 relay to a runner-up finish. Teammate Jackson Rumford finished runner-up in the javelin, but his top throw of 188-10 would’ve won the 3A title that went to Great West Activities Conference rival Guy Tubbs of Colby. If those two can get some extra help, the Beavers will challenge GWAC rival Holcomb for the title. Third a year ago, Wichita Collegiate will have to replace speed merchant James Shackelford, who was the 3A runner-up in the 100 and 200 and anchored the Spartans’ winning 400 relay. But Tim Ritchie and AJ Batiste aren’t exactly slow with Ritchie placing second in the 400 and fourth in the 200 as a freshman last year and Batiste placing in the 200. Lakin’s Colter Oldham got the first golds of his career when he swept the shot put and discus title and he finished the year with the top shot put mark in the state at 59-9.5. He’ll have a big-time threat to both of his titles from Beloit’s Eli Johnson, who was a surprise non-placer in the shot put after having the top overall regional mark, but did take a distant second in the discus. The Broncs also return Tyelor Holloway, who was runner-up in both hurdle races last year though the path to a title remains blocked by Goodland’s Linkon Cure, who swept the crowns a year ago, winning his second straight 300 hurdles title. Lakin also returns state placers in Alex Luce, Austin Ritesma and Ross Rider and all but one of last year’s state qualifiers, giving the Broncs a chance at challenging Holcomb. In addition to his hurdles sweep, Cure also finished third in the 200 where he’s the top returner from last year’s field. Chayton Goodwin also returns as a state placer for the Cowboys, taking third in the 100 where he’s also the top returning placer. Southeast of Saline’s Tate Nurnberg is back to defend the two titles he won a year ago. He missed out on setting the school record in the high jump on his way to winning the title in that event, but got the school record in the triple jump, taking the title in that one by nearly two feet. The hurdles contender list got even more crowded with Jayhawk-Linn moving up from Class 2A this season. Brothers Ryan and Trenton Broyles combined for three medals with Ryan winning the 300 hurdles title and taking seventh in the 110s and Trenton finishing as state runner-up in the 110s. With the graduation of two-time champion Josiah Ball of Hoisington, the pole vault title is up for grabs with the next two finishers also graduating. That leaves Fredonia’s Emmet Couch and Minneapolis’ Mason Smith as the top returners after both went 13-6 at state.
 

 
CLASS 2A
 
2024 State champion: Moundridge
 
2024 State runner-up: Lyndon
 
2024 Review: The tightest boys’ team race at state last year came in Class 2A where just six points separated the top three teams. Moundridge was able to pull out a five-point win over Lyndon, finishing with 55 points to win its second state championship in three years. Kaden Elmore did the heavy lifting for the Wildcats, producing four top-four finishes. While he wasn’t able to successfully defend the 100 title he won in 2023, taking fourth, Elmore didn’t come away without a gold medal. He came on strong late to snag the 400 title in a race where the top-four finishers were separated by just .19 seconds. He also added a runner-up finish in the 200 to Eureka’s TJ Mills and anchored the Wildcats’ 1,600 relay to a fifth that clinched the state title. Heath Churchill also was on that relay and added a trio of top-eight finishes in both hurdle events and the high jump while Bear Moddelmog and Henry Hecox both placed in the javelin and Kreighton and Kaizer Kanitz each placed in the triple jump. Lyndon got all of its 50 points from two entries – Tanner Heckel and Kaedin Massey. A year after winning two state titles and helping Inman to the 2023 team championship, Heckel once again came away with double gold. He defended his state title in the long jump, but saw his other crown come in the 100 where he had placed runner-up in 2023. He clocked a 10.78 to edge St. Mary’s Colgan by .06 seconds for the title. Heckel’s second title in 2023 came in the triple jump and last year he finished runner-up to Sedgwick’s Noah Little. He also took third in the javelin while Massey finished as state runner-up in both the shot put and discus, losing out on the discus title by just six inches. The duo helped the Tigers edge Chase County by one point for the runner-up team spot, the Bulldogs coming on strong late. The Bulldogs didn’t score a point on the track until winning the 400 relay, but then got a runner-up finish and fifth from Brock Griffin in the 400, a fourth from Groh in the 200 and then capped the meet with a second relay title, winning the 1,600 relay. The Bulldogs also got a runner-up finish from Luke Budke in the javelin and fifth from Wyatt Griffin in the high jump for their lone field points. Just five points separated the next six teams in the standings with Meadeleading that pack. The Buffaloes were led by the Keith brothers with Logan and Brock combining five individual placings. Logan successfully defended his 2A state title in the 800, winning by a second and a half over Central Heights’ Cody Hammond, but couldn’t defend his crown in the 3,200, taking third, as Kansas City Christian’s Andrew Schumacher ran away with the title, setting the 2A meet record with his winning time of 9:14.64. Schumacher came back to win the 1,600 as well with Keith taking second to the Panther in that race as well. Brock Keith took third in the 200 and fourth in the 400 to help the Buffaloes finish a point ahead of Jefferson County North and KC Christian. North was led by Isaac Kane, who was a somewhat surprising winner in the high jump. Fourth in the event as a junior, Kane saw 7-foot jumper Brogan Rowley of Ell-Salinehave an off day and the Charger matched Rowley and Moundridge’s Churchill with clearance at 6-6, winning the title by not having missed before 6-8. The 400 champion as a junior, Kane settled for third behind Elmore and Groh. North also got a second from Zach Toole in the javelin and top-four showings from all three relays. Jayhawk-Linn had a strong showing in the hurdles, sweeping the titles albeit from different Jayhawks. Gus Grote led a 12-2 finish in the 110s with Trenton Broyles taking second and Ryan Broyles finishing seventh. Ryan Broyles came back to win the 300 hurdles. Central Heights’ 3,200 relay team set the 2A meet record and got a pair of top-three finishes from Hammond. Plainville’s Braylon Bittel captured his third straight discus title, edging Lyndon’s Massey by six inches for the crown. Other individual champions included Oakley’s Ivan Jirak in the shot put, Pleasant Ridge’s Canon Duncan in the javelin and Ellis’ Mason Younger in the pole vault.
 
2025 Contenders: After having to somewhat sweat out last year’s championship, Moundridge should be in position to run away with the 2A crown this season with all but two of last year’s state qualifiers back this season. Leading the group is Kaden Elmore, who has captured an individual state title each of the past two seasons. He was the 100 champion in 2023 before slipping to fourth last season. But he bounced back nicely, winning the 400 and taking second in the 200 to key the Wildcats’ state title. Elmore will battle Eureka’s TJ Mills for the titles in the 100 and 200 with Mills finishing one spot ahead of him in each last year, taking third in the 100 and winning the 200. Heath Churchill added top-six finishes in both hurdle events and also took third in the high jump. His path to titles in each event would have been blocked with Jayhawk-Linn’s Ryan and Trenton Broyles returning after Ryan won the 300 hurdles and Trenton was runner-up in the 110s. But the Jayhawks are now 3A, leaving the door open for Churchill to sweep both. In the high jump, Churchill will have to deal with Heart of America League rival Brogan Rowley of Ell-Saline, who was one of two jumpers in the state to go over 7 feet last year, though the two tied at the state meet at 6-6. The Wildcats also return two of the top six finishers in the javelin with Bear Moddelmog taking fourth and Henry Hecox sixth. Only defending champion Canon Duncan of Pleasant Ridge returns ahead of them, so the potential for the duo to move up and challenge for the title is there. Moundridge’s top challengers from a year ago took some serious hits to their chances to be back in the hunt this year. Runner-up Lyndon lost all of its point scorers with the graduation of Tanner Heckel and Kaedin Massey while Chase County lost top point scorer Tucker Groh to graduation as well. The Bulldogs do return half of last year’s state champion 400 and 1,600 relays in Wyatt Griffin and Luke Budke with Budke also arguably the favorite to win the pole vault title after taking second to now departed Mason Younger of Ellis. So who can challenge Moundridge? Central Heights is a strong candidate with its dominating distance crew. The Vikings set the 3,200 relay record and return everyone from that relay. Cody Hammond was state runner-up in the 800 and third in the 1,600 but will be the favorite for titles in both this year with teammates Connor Burkdoll and Owen Miller arguably his top challengers. That duo will also challenge in the 3,200 with Burkdoll taking second in the event last year. Sedgwick’s Noah Little returns to defend his title in the triple jump after knocking off defending champion Heckel of Lyndon last year as a sophomore. He’ll battle Medicine Lodge’s Durham Nittler and he’ll also be a strong challenger in the hurdles after taking fourth in the 300s. The Indians also have a contender in the distance races in Davis Miltner, who was top six in the 1,600 and 3,200. The titles in the shot put and discus are up for grabs with the top four finishers in each graduating. Sedan’s Jackson Dowell is the top returner in both, posting top-seven finishes in each last year. 
 

 
CLASS 1A
 
2024 State champion: Axtell
 
2024 State runner-up: Kiowa County
 
2024 Review: Axtell, Kiowa County and Quinter have engaged in a three-team race for the 1A title each of the past two seasons. But while the battle in 2023 came down to the final race before Axtell hung on for a nine-point win over Kiowa and 10-point margin over Quinter, last year Axtell eliminated all the suspense. Grady Buessing set the tone with a Friday win in the 3,200, the start of a double-gold individual showing as he came back to win the 800 for the second straight year. He missed out on defending his title in the 1,600 with Lebo’sCaleb Durst denying him the repeat but it mattered little in the grand scheme of things for the Eagles and he did pick up a third gold as part of the Eagles’ winning 3,200 relay which won for the second straight year. Axtell also got an individual title from Brandon Schmelzle in the long jump and Landon Schmitz in the 110 hurdles with Schmitz just missing out on a sweep in the 300s with a late stumble sending him from first to third. Sawyer Deters added a pair of medals in the shot put and discus and the Eagles got top-six finishes from its other two relays to finish with 90 points to finish 31 ahead of Kiowa County and Quinter, who finished tied for second with 59 points each. Kiowa County was led by Brock Deterding, who swept the 100 and 200 titles and also anchored the Mavericks’ champion 1,600 relay. Samuel Martinez added a pair of top-five finishes in the 1,600 and 3,200. Quinter, meanwhile, saw Bradley Bogert win the 400 for the second straight year and then turn right around and get back on the track for the next race and win the 300 hurdles title as well. He also finished second in the 110 hurdles and was on the Bulldogs’ runner-up 1,600 relay. With torn ligaments in his elbow suffered between regionals and state, Bulldog Lakin Getz couldn’t compete in the javelin and defend the title he won a year ago. But he did give it a go in the discus and PRed on his way to winning the state title in that event. Northern Valley’s Kenton Thalheim nearly pulled off a rare double, capturing the title in the triple jump and finishing runner-up in the pole vault. Cunningham’s Will Wegerer denied Thalheim the double, winning the pole vault title by a foot. Other champions included Bucklin’s Andrew Bowman in the javelin, Spearville’sIan Melendez in the high jump, Palco’s Ethan Gaschler in the shot put and Frankfort’s 400 relay. Frankfort finished fourth in the team standings with Bucklin taking fifth, four points behind the Wildcats.
 
2025 Contenders: Winners of two straight state championships, Axtell will look to not only get the three-peat but complete the school year triple crown as well after capturing state titles in football and basketball already. The Eagles will miss the big points secured by Grady Buessing each of the past two seasons with Buessing winning double individual gold both seasons as well as anchoring Axtell’s back-to-back championship 3,200 relay. But even without Buessing, Axtell has more than enough to run it back. Landon Schmitz won the 110 hurdles title and if not for a late stumble would have added the 300 hurdles crown as well. Gavin Shaughnessy will fill some of the void left by Buessing after placing in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. Brandon Schmelzle was the long jump champion last year but didn’t place in the triple jump where he was a placer as a freshman and sophomore. If he returns to form in that event it could be a key to the title chances. There may not be much margin for error for the Eagles with Kiowa County returning all but one member of its runner-up team from a year ago. Brock Deterding returns to defend the 100 and 200 titles he won a year ago, though he’ll get strong challenges from the Frankfort duo of Carter Olson and Lane Loiseau in the 100 after they went 2-4 last year. Deterding also anchored the Mavericks’ winning 1,600 relay, which returns three of four members. Samuel Martinez picked up good points in the 1,600 and 3,200 last year and will be among the top contenders in both with the graduation of Buessing and Wallace County’s Evan Pearce, the 2023 3,200 champion and runner-up a year ago. He’ll battle Lebo’s Caleb Durst in those events with Durst winning the 1,600 last year and coming off his second straight 1A cross country title. Carter Kishpaugh and Kaden Weseloh also return after being individual event placers for the Mavericks. Quinter has been right there the past two seasons, but has some reloading to do this season. Graduation claimed Bradley Bogert, who won the 400 and 300 hurdles title last year, and Lakin Getz, the 2023 javelin champion and 2024 discus champ. Hans Deaton (3,200), Camden Polifka (110 hurdles) and Caedmon Bridges are the lone individual placers back for the Bulldogs. Frankfort took fourth last year and though Olson and Loiseau return, the Wildcats will have to replace half of its winning 400 relay and get improved finishes from returning state placers Ty Smith (javelin) and Trent Hardin (triple jump) to challenge for a top three this season. Fifth a year ago, Bucklin lost javelin champion Andrew Bowman to graduation but returns Lucas Kirk, who will challenge Schmitz in the hurdles, and Kaden Tilley, who will be a contender in the high jump. He was the 1A leader going into state a year ago but saw Spearville’s Ian Melendez, a first-year high jumper, have a career day to snag the title. Melendez returns this year as does rurnner-up Ian Haselhorst of Otis-Bison and third-place Brody Schroeder of Hodgeman County, making for a loaded field. The top three finishers in the pole vault also return, though Cunningham’sWill Wegerer was easily the class of the field a year ago, winning by a foot over Northern Valley’s Kenton Thalheim. Thalheim will look to defend his title in the triple jump, winning by nearly three feet over Pawnee Heights’ Brady Carlson, who does return this season. Palco’s Ethan Gaschler is the lone returning throws champion from a year ago, taking the shot put title by more than four feet. He could double up this year after taking third in the discus last year but behind two departed seniors. The top-four finishers in the javelin have graduated leaving Dighton’s George von Leonrod as the highest returning placer.