WICHITA – Seasons change, but Ellis junior Avery Boydston’s general feeling about competing in different classifications from her friend and Mid-Continent League counterpart, Smith Center’s Madison Howland, during the postseason has not.
 
“Oh, yes, very happy with that,” Boydston said after winning the Class 1A 1,600 and 3,200 titles at the State Outdoor Track and Field Championships. “She’s very, very fast, and I’m just trying to get better.”
 
Ellis moved down to 1A prior to last fall while Smith Center remained in 2A, where Howland reigned once again in the 1,600 and 3,200. She also added gold in the 800, outdueling last year’s state champion, Wabaunsee’s Payton Wurtz, to complete the trifecta.
 
Together, Boydston and Howland gave the Mid-Continent a monopoly on small-class distance titles during the 2024-25 school year. Both won individual state cross country titles in their respective classes in November – Howland’s second and Boydston’s first.

“I like running against Avery, but the good thing about us splitting up 1A and 2A is I’m really happy we can both be state champions,” Howland said.
 
The duo’s golden haul this spring didn’t come without challenges.
 

Boydston’s basketball season was halted by a stress fracture that delayed her preseason training for track. She didn’t miss any meets, but didn’t like the early results.
 
“When I started, none of the times were near my goals,” Boydston said. “I was kind of getting frustrated. Then I was able to kind of bring them down toward the end of the season, but I hadn’t gotten anywhere close to my PRs.”
 
All that changed at state.
 
Two weeks after finishing second to Howland in the league meet in the 1,600 and 3,200, and winning the 800, Boydston set personal bests in all three races to claim two 1A golds and a third-place medal. She opened the meet by winning the 3,200 by almost 29 seconds over runner-up Lillian Skalsky of Olpe, running 11:23.93.
 

On the meet’s final day, Boydston added the 1,600 title in 5:13.83, outpacing Pretty Prairie freshman Lauren Detter by more than 5 seconds. In the 800, Boydston took third behind South Gray’s Kylie Stapleton – who broke former Claflin standout Jackie Stiles’ 29-year-old meet record – and Detter. But her time of 2:20.58 was her best since she ran 2:24.70 last year in an eighth-place state finish in 2A.
 
“I was in a boot for probably a week and then just had to take it really easy,” Boydston said. “I was kind of worried about this season, but it turned out great.
 
 “It feels great because I’ve worked really hard and prayed really hard for it.”
 
Howland enjoyed an injury-free season, but her relative inexperience in the 800 presented its own test.
 
Howland breezed through the spring in the 1,600 and 3,200, winning all her races except for an eighth-place finish in the 3,200 at the Kansas Relays, where she ran a personal-best time of 10:51.88. Like her freshman year, Howland ran the 800 just twice prior to state, winning at the Beloit Relays and the Hill City regional.
 
After finishing second to Wurtz in the 800 last year at state, Howland knew she would have to be precise with her strategy.
 
“I’m better at distance and I think it’s easier,” said Howland, who won the 2A 1,600 in 5:03.47 and the 3,200 in 10:57.06. “It’s more of a mental game. But sprints you just go as fast as you can.
 
“I was really trying to get out quick. You have to in the 800. I was trying to stay on Payton’s shoulders and then with 150, 100 to go, just outsprint her to the end.”
 

Howland got the job done, winning in 2:16.23 to Wurtz’s 2:17.35. It proved to be the most satisfying of her three victories, Howland said.
 
This summer, Howland and Boydston are reuniting as teammates with the Kansas Flyers. The experience has been beneficial to both.
 
“We run a lot of laps around the track together,” Howland said. “Running together on Kansas Flyers has really made us friends. We still compete, but we have that, as well.”
 
Wherever the pair can train or compete together is positive for Boydston.
 
“My plans every meet that I saw her – and there weren’t very many this year – was just to try to hang on to her and to try to get closer to my PRs,” she said. “She helps a lot with that, and we get along really good.”
 

FAB FROSH: ELLINWOOD’S WIRTZ TURNS HEADS WITH TRIPLE CROWN IN STATE DEBUT
 
If there was one race Ellinwood freshman Reagan Wirtz was the most nervous about winning a state title in during her State Outdoors Track and Field Championship debut, it was the 200.
 
More directly, it was the prospect of facing Sterling’s Julia Kilgore in that event.
 
“Julia, she’s really, really good,” Wirtz said of the Black Bear junior, who earlier in the day had ran away with her third straight Class 2A 400 title and also was the 2023 2A champion in the 200 before seeing Oxford’s Makhila Maupin relegate her to a runner-up finish last year.
 
But if there was one race that fully displayed just how talented Wirtz is at the start of her prep career, it also was the 200. While Kilgore’s presence may have been intimidating for Wirtz, it also propelled her to one of the most impressive wins on the track in Saturday’s state finals.
 
A year after Maupin set a 2A state-meet record in beating Kilgore by a half second with her winning time of 25.19, Wirtz put on a crowning moment to a championship-filled state debut. Wirtz absolutely left Kilgore and the rest of the field in her dust in the 200, racing to 24.98 that easily smashed Maupin’s one-year-old record.
 
“I love the competition and I really like to push myself,” Wirtz said of the dominating win. “I knew I was going to have to do something special to beat her.”
 

 
Special certainly sums up Wirtz’s freshman season. Coming into high school after a somewhat ballyhooed middle school career where she was undefeated in all her events, there were high expectations for this spring. None higher than what she put upon herself.
 
“I had a goal and that was to push myself to be the best I could be,” Wirtz said. “I thought I could do this. I just had to stay focused and have a clear mind and a positive mindset and do my best.”
 
It’s hard to imagine her season going any better. Wirtz went undefeated in both the 100 and long jump the entire season, winning 1A state titles in both to go along with her 200 crown.
 
The only defeat she tasted all year came in the 200 at the Abilene Invitational where she came in second to Abilene’s Renatta Heintz, who captured the Class 4A state title this year.
 
Throughout the season she established herself as the favorite in all three of her events, posting the top 2A marks in each.
 
The only question was, how would she handle the magnitude of the state meet, which can be an intimidating environment for the most seasoned veteran let alone a first-timer.
 
Clearly, she handled it like a champ.
 
Wirtz got strong tests from senior challengers for her first two titles. In the 100, Bennington’s Rori Miles and Maur Hill’s Maria Peltzer flanked her in the 100 and hung right on her shoulder all the way to the finish with Wirtz winning by .22 seconds over Miles and .29 over Peltzer with her time of 12.24.
 
In the long jump, Inman’s Katie Nichols snagged the event lead on her third attempt of preliminaries in the first flight, putting a mark out there in case Wirtz had an off day. But Wirtz went 18-0.5 on her third prelim attempt and pushed it to 18-1 on her first jump in finals to win by 5.5 inches over Nichols, who never improved in the finals.
 
“I just try to lock in, stay focused and ignore everyone else,” Wirtz said of handling the environment. “(The 100) gave me more confidence.”
 
Wirtz then capped her stellar state debut with the dominating 200 win and meet record.
 
And here's the scary thing. Wirtz said this is just the beginning.
 
“It’s crazy what I did this year,” she said. “But I’ve still got plenty of room to improve and that’s what I’m going to push even harder to do.”
 

 
SOUTH GRAY’S STAPLETON CAPS 1A 800 THREE-PEAT IN STILES
 
Picking which of her track and field specialties is her favorite is a somewhat dicey proposition for Kylie Stapleton.
 
The South Gray standout has shined in the 100 hurdles where she’s won 24 meet titles throughout her four-year career. She’s soared in the long jump where she’s won 31 times.
 
And then there’s the 800 where Stapleton has only lost once in her career and finished her career with 27 consecutive wins (33 overall).
 
Yet there’s a contingency for Stapleton when it comes to playing favorites.
 
“I love them all,” she said. “It just depends on how terrible or how good the day is.”
 
When it comes to the State Outdoors Track and Field Championships, however, there’s a clear-cut choice. At state, the 800 is her jam.
 
After suffering the only loss of her career in the event at state as a freshman, taking runner-up to Doniphan West’s Elle Williams,  Stapleton has had a stranglehold on the event. She raced to dominating wins in the 800 as a sophomore and junior and then blazed her way to a 1A state-meet record in her farewell state race.
 
Stapleton won this year’s title with a time of 2:16.44, winning by four seconds over Pretty Prairie’s Lauren Detter and demolishing the old 1A record of 2:17.46 set by the legendary Jackie Stiles in 1996.
 
“Each year, it’s coming in trying to be focused and this was a super-sweet ending on a high note,” said Stapleton, who had posted four times during the regular season faster than Stiles’ meet record, including a career-best 2:15.32 in winning the Shocker Pre-State Challenge Elite race. “The past two years, I’ve had my eye on (the record) so I’m very, very grateful to have it.”
 
For all the success she’s had at state in the 800 and in the regular season in her other two specialties, state titles in those events were always just out of reach.
 
Stapleton placed second in the long jump as a freshman to Victoria’s Macy Hammerschmidt and then took fourth as a sophomore and third as a junior before returning to the runner-up spot this year. Her mark of 17-10 this year was just shy of her career best of 18-0.25 and left her a mere four inches shy of knocking off Sevy Wurtz of Clifton-Clyde, who went 18-2 to claim her second straight 1A title.
 

 
But the real agony has come in the 100 hurdles. As both a sophomore and junior, Stapleton posted the fastest qualifying times in Friday’s preliminaries only to see Washington County’s Addy Goeckel come back and get the gold in the finals, edging Stapleton by a mere .02 seconds for the 2023 title and by .33 seconds for the 2024 crown.
 
The two had one final showdown this year with Stapleton entering the state meet with the top 1A time this season at 15.00. Goeckel posted the top qualifying time this time around and with Stapleton looking to flip the script of the past two seasons, Goeckel backed it up to beat Stapleton for a third straight year.
 
“It’s very bitter for sure,” Stapleton said. “Having the fastest time coming in and then just not performing to what I feel my best is at state is pretty disappointing. But she’s a really great runner and a great competitor so just have to hand it to her.”
 
Regardless of never adding additional track gold to her 800 triple crown, Stapleton could hardly complain about her career. She also was a top performer for South Gray’s cross country team that has captured the Class 1A state title each of the past three seasons and helped lead the basketball team to state appearances the past three seasons as well, including a fourth-place finish in 2024.
 
“I’ve definitely had some awesome teammates in all three seasons,” Stapleton said. “It’s been a great career.”
 

NESS CITY'S LIGGETT BREAKS 1A 100 RECORD IN POETIC FASHION

It seemed like fate for Beverly Heier-Birney’s 1A meet record in the 100-meter dash to finally fall. 

The Grinnell legend was inducted into the Kansas State High School Activities Association Hall of Fame on May 31st during the meet. 

Just a couple hours before her induction, Heier-Birney watched her 42-year-old record broken by Ness City’s Taegin Liggett. 

Liggett ran a 12.25 to win the 1A title, eclipsing Heier-Birney’s mark of 12.3 set in 1983. Heier-Birney shared the previous record with Logan’s Kelly Pakkebier, who matched the time in 1985. 

“Going into it, I wasn’t really thinking about the record, I was thinking more about my placing,” Liggett said. “Once I saw the time, I was like, ‘Oh, yeah, I think I just broke the state record.

“It was very unexpected. I was pleasantly surprised.”

Liggett cherished the opportunity to get the record in front of Heier-Birney, who teaches and coaches track at Bucklin. Liggett’s father Shane is a Bucklin native and worked as an official at this year's state meet. 

Liggett and Heier-Birney met up afterward and captured the moment with a photo. 

“She was very nice and sweet,” Liggett said. “I’m so glad that we were able to talk about it. It was exciting and surreal.”

Liggett, a junior, also went into the record books in the 400 relay along with Hannah Younger, Sienna Brenner and Issy Fuchs. The Eagles set a 1A meet record with a 49.60 to win the event for the third straight season. 

“It was always our goal to three-peat this year,” Liggett said. “When we finally did that, it was amazing. I was so happy for my girls, especially the two seniors (Brenner and Fuchs) that I’ve been on that relay with for three years now.”

Her win in the 100 was her first individual state title after finishing runner-up in that event her freshman and sophomore seasons.

In the 300 hurdles, Liggett took second to Washington County’s Addy Goeckel for the second straight year. Liggett ran a personal-best 44.82 while Goeckel recorded a 44.65. 

“We’ve become friends over the past two years,” Liggett said. “Her showing up (strong) for her senior year was expected and I’m proud of her for that. I’m also proud of how I did because I did PR and ran a good time. It was a pretty fun race.”

Liggett is gearing up for another challenge in the fall, preparing to pull double duty. Also a volleyball standout,
Liggett will add cross country to her workload. 

“I just want to try something new my senior year and try to improve my times for track season,” Liggett said. 
 

BEST FOR LAST: TMP-MARIAN’S SCHLYER WINS 2A DISCUS ON FINAL THROW
 
With one remaining chance to win a state discus title, TMP-Marian senior Paige Schlyer entered the ring staying true to her roots.
 
“Obviously, Catholic school, prayed to God, surrendered myself to Jesus and just wanted a good throw to end my career on,” Schlyer said. “It was just amazing.”
 
Schlyer’s scenario was this: If she didn’t surpass her then-best throw of 124 feet, 9 inches, she would finish as the Class 2A runner-up, one inch behind Inman sophomore Taylor Froese. But Schlyer threw a career-best 129-10 on her final attempt to win the competition by 5 feet after finishing third the previous day in the 2A shot put.
 
“It would have been heartbreaking,” Schlyer acknowledged if she failed to overcome the slim deficit.
 
Schlyer, who entered the state meet with 2A’s second-best throw of the season at 126-7, said she felt calmer than her first state appearance as a junior, when she finished 10^th. But after entering the finals in second place behind Froese, Schlyer scratched on her fourth attempt. Her fifth went 112-5.
 
“The first two throws of the finals, they were really just in my head,” Schlyer said. “I talked to my coach and just flushed all those. I came back out and wanted to get something good.
 
“We started a clap and I hit it, and it was the best thing.”
 
Froese, meanwhile, was unable to top her second attempt, which was her season best. She scratched on her final two throws. Horton senior Carly Huftles, who threw a 2A-best 134-9 at the Northeast Kansas League meet, finished third at 123-5 to earn her third career state medal in the event.
 
But it was Schlyer, who started her meet with a throw of 38-6 for the third-place finish in the shot put, who took the gold.
 
“Last year really got all my jitters out,” Schlyer said. “This year was kind of a breeze and felt good. I finally got to the finals and just ripped one out there and did it.”
   

 

• Russell sophomore Kinsey Zorn captured the Class 3A 800-meter run state championship, adding her second state title of the school year after winning a 3-2-1A wrestling title. Zorn ran a 2:19.92 with Heritage Christian’s Julianna Parr taking second in 2:20.73. Zorn added a seventh-place finish in the 400.

 

 

 

• Hoxie captured the Class 2A team state championship, compiling 53 points to win by nine points over runner-up Wabaunsee. Three-sport standout Emily Bainter capped her high school career with a state championship in high jump, clearing 5 foot 2. Solomon’s Maya Newcomer and Erie’s Makenzie Larue also went 5-2 but Bainter won by clearing on her first attempt. Bainter took fourth in the javelin after finishing runner-up in that event in each of the two previous seasons. An impressive freshman season for Hoxie’s Camryn Gourley was highlighted by her state title in the 300 hurdles. Gourley ran a 45.74, edging the 45.95 from Remington’s Emily O’Brien. Gourley was runner-up to O’Brien in the 300 hurdles, took fourth in the 100 and eighth in the 200. Freshman Jaylen Herl was fifth in the discus while sophomore Kendall Baalman was fifth in the javelin.

 

 

• Garden City junior ThayLee Powers won the Class 6A 300 hurdles, recording a 44.31. Shawnee Mission North’s Kourtney Walton was runner-up with a 44.52. Powers was undefeated in the 300 hurdles this season, with the 44.31 a personal best.

 

 

• Osborne’s Ryah Bertuccelli, Kate Kendig, Leavie Riner and Addison Poore set a 1A meet record to win the 3,200 relay with a 9:49.08. The Bulldogs won by more than 11 seconds over second-place South Gray.

 

 

• Oakley freshman Alexa Weiser won the Class 2A triple jump with a leap of 36 feet, 1.5 inches. Oakley teammate Jade Beckman was runner-up with a 35-10.25. Weiser added a fifth-place showing in the long jump.

 

 

• Lakin sophomore Aryn Michaelis was the Class 3A triple jump champion. She recorded a mark of 37-9.50, winning by more than 9 inches over runner-up Reece Franklin of Frontenac. Michaelis also tied for fourth in the high jump and was sixth in the 100 hurdles.

 

 

• Syracuse sophomore Bronwyn Lewis secured the Class 2A pole vault title with a clearance of 10-6. Lewis’ championship comes after she was runner-up in the event last year with a 9-6. 

 

 

• Smith Center sophomore Alexis Koelsch won the Class 2A javelin title. She threw a 132-9, narrowly edging out Bennington’s Jordan Bartlett, who was runner-up with a 132-6.

 

 

• Phillipsburg senior Callie Leidig won the Class 2A shot put championship. Leidig, who placed ninth at state last year, won the title with a 38-10.50, edging runner-up Madelyn Wilson from Chase County by just 1.5 inches.