CLASS 1A GIRLS TRACK ATHLETES TO WATCH IN 2026
 

CALYN BAKER, CLIFTON-CLYDE

Baker has been Clifton-Clyde’s top thrower for the past three seasons but took things to a different level last year. After placing fourth at state in the discus as a sophomore in 2024 and not qualifying in the shot put, Baker became a contender in both events last year. She finished as the state runner-up in the discus, throwing 129-3 to take second to Ellis’ Natalee North by nearly nine feet with North moving into 1A last year after previously winning titles in Class 2A. Baker had a career-best throw of 134-1.5 earlier in the season. She also finished fourth in the shot with North taking that title as well. Baker PRed at regionals in that event with a 39-10 and threw 38-3.75 at state, just an inch behind Twin Valley League rival Emmarsyn Fordham of Onaga, who also returns this year.
 

AVERY BOYDSTON, ELLIS

After seeing her path to a Class 2A state title blocked by Mid-Continent League rival Madison Howland from Smith Center, Boydston dominated in 1A last year after Ellis dropped down a classification. She won the 1,600 title by more than five seconds and the 3,200 by nearly 29 seconds, and added a third-place state finish in the 800. Boydston was a state runner-up as a sophomore to Howland in both the 1,600 and 3,200. Her personal bests are 5:13.74 in the 1,600, 11:23.93 in the 3,200 and 2:20.58 in the 800. Boydston, a senior, also won the Class 1A state cross country title last fall.
 

GRACIE BRUNA, HANOVER

Bruna did her best to dethrone two-time reigning Class 1A triple jump champion Havana Olander of Little River, finishing second as Olander won her third straight title. But Bruna put a little bit of a scare into the Redskin when she soared 37-2 late in the competition after Olander had gone 37-9.50 on her first attempt. Bruna had a career-best jump of 39-1.5 two weeks earlier in winning the Twin Valley League title, her sixth win of the season and a school-record mark. Bruna also finished third in the 400 while teammate Anna Jueneman won her third straight title. She also ran the leadoff leg on Hanover’s state champion 1,600 relay team that set the school record with a time of 4:04.29.
 

MIA CENICEROS, ASHLAND

A seven-time state medalist, Ceniceros’ state meet last year was highlighted by a third-place finish in the 3,200, where she clocked a personal-best 11:54.30. She added a fifth-place state finish in the 1,600 and owns a PR of 5:27.35 in that event. Ceniceros is the reigning SPIAA champion in the 3,200 and has signed to run cross country at Northwestern Oklahoma State.
 

LAUREN DETTER, PRETTY PRAIRIE
 
Detter piled up victories last spring in her debut track season before capping it with a three-medal performance in her first Class 1A state meet. She ran season-bests in the 1,600 (5:19.03), where she finished second in 1A to Ellis’ Avery Boydston, and the 800 (2:20.55), taking second to South Gray’s Kylie Stapleton and edging third-place Boydston by .03. With Stapleton graduated, Detter, a sophomore, is the top 1A returnee in that event. Detter also teamed with underclassmen Ava White and Brennan Schrag, and now-graduated Claire Miller to finish fourth in the 3,200 relay. Detter’s victories last season included Iola regional titles in the 800 and 1,600.
 

JORDI FAHEY, CLIFTON-CLYDE

Fahey and Onaga’s Lillie Weiser waged a season-long battle for pole vault supremacy in the Twin Valley League and then carried that battle to the state stage as well. It was everything it was expected to be as both vaulters went 10-6 at state, as did Wallace County’s Kallie Richardson. But Fahey settled for a second-place finish on misses, capping a season where she won six meet titles and had a career best of 11 feet in late April. Fahey went 10 feet or better at every meet last year and improved one spot at state after taking third in 2024. She was fifth at state as a freshman. Her performance last year helped Clifton-Clyde to a runner-up team finish to Ellis.
 

TAEGIN LIGGETT, NESS CITY

Liggett captured her first individual state title in memorable fashion last year, running a 12.25 in the 100 to break the 1A meet record held by Grinnell’s Beverly (Heier) Birney, who was inducted into the KSHSAA Hall of Fame during the meet. Liggett was also runner-up in the 300 hurdles with a personal-best 44.82. She was a part of another record in the 400 relay as the Eagles set a 1A meet record of 49.60. Liggett joined the Ness City cross country team last fall, helping propel the Eagles to a state title. She owns school records in the 100 and 300 hurdles and was part of the 400 and 1,600 relay teams that also set school records. Liggett has signed to run at Fort Hays State.
 

HAVANA OLANDER, LITTLE RIVER

Olander is on the verge of making history as a senior, something she’s already done as part of Little River’s volleyball team that won four straight Class 1A Division I state titles in her career and also helping the basketball team to a state title this season. In track, Olander has already won three straight 1A triple jump titles, beginning her career with a winning mark of 38-7.25 at the state meet. She won as a sophomore with a 37-10.5 and then last year posted a 37-9.5 on her first attempt of the meet that held up as the winning mark. If Olander can complete the career sweep, she’ll become just the third girl in state history to win four straight triple jump titles, joining Pratt-Skyline’s Michelle Egging and Liberal’s Dalia Ingram, who accomplished their four-peats in the 1990s.
 

KALLIE RICHARDSON, WALLACE COUNTY

Richardson was in the hunt for a pole vault state title last season, finishing among three vaulters who cleared 10-6, with Onaga’s Lillie Weiser winning on misses. Richardson won the event in all eight of her other meets last season. She set her personal record by clearing 10-7 at the Northwest Kansas League meet. Richardson has opened her junior season with wins in her first two meets.
 

CAMERON ROSS, SATANTA

Ross won her first five javelin meets last season before finishing runner-up at the SPIAA and regional meets and closing her junior campaign with a third-place state medal. She recorded a 133-1 at state, finishing behind champion Jesse Hoover of Washington County (154-7) and runner-up Kalyn Washburn of Hodgeman County (138-7). Ross has already set a personal record this spring, throwing 152-2 at the K-State Relays.
 

LILLY SKALSKY, OLPE

Had it not been for Ellis’ move down to Class 1A a year ago, Skalsky might have taken her place alongside past Olpe state champions in the 3,200. Eighth at state as a sophomore, Skalsky improved her state time by 30 seconds from a 12:25.65 to a career-best 11:52.89. But that was only good enough for a distant second place as Ellis’ Avery Boydston ran away with the title in 11:23.93. Skalsky was the Lyon County League champion in both the 1,600 and 3,200 for the third straight year last year and finished fourth at state in the 1,600 with a career-best time of 5:27.77. She placed 10th at state in cross country in the fall.
 

JAELYN SPANGLER, WESTERN PLAINS

Spangler has rewritten the school record book, holding marks in the 100, 200, 400 and 800 at Western Plains. She is also a member of the 1,600 relay team that owns the school record. Spangler will be a contender in the 400 following the graduation of three-time champion Anna Jueneman of Hanover. She was runner-up to Jueneman at state last year, finishing in 59.49, and also added an eighth-place finish in the 100. Spangler, a junior, is the reigning Western Kansas Liberty League champion in the 100 and 400.
 

LANI SPEER, DIGHTON

Speer is the top returner in the 100 hurdles after placing third last year at state with a 15.52, behind champion Addy Goeckel (15.21) of Washington County and runner-up Kylie Stapleton (15.36) of South Gray. She set a personal best of 15.31 to win regionals and is the reigning Northwest Kansas League champion in the 100 hurdles and triple jump. Speer also placed sixth at state in the triple jump last season and has signed with Fort Hays State for track and field. 
 

ELIZABETH WEINER, GOLDEN PLAINS 

Weiner captured Western Kansas Liberty League titles in the 1,600 and 3,200 last year as a freshman. She ran a personal-best 12:04.73 to earn a fifth-place state medal in the 3,200 and placed 10th in the 1,600. Weiner won six races in the 3,200 last season and recorded four victories in the 1,600. She placed fourth at the 1A cross country meet last fall. 
LILLIE WEISER, ONAGA

When it comes to non-throwing field events, Weiser has it covered for the Buffaloes. Last year, she was a state qualifier in the high jump, long jump, triple jump and pole vault and came away with state medals in three of those events. Her shining moment came in the pole vault where Weiser out-dueled Twin Valley League rival Jordi Fahey of Clifton-Clyde and Kallie Richardson of Wallace County to take the state title, winning the crown on misses after all three vaulters cleared 10-6. Weiser had finished second to Fahey late in the season after winning her first six meets. Weiser also placed third in the triple jump and eighth in the long jump for her other two state medals and was 12th in the high jump. She holds Onaga school records in the pole vault with an 11-0 clearance as a sophomore and the triple jump with a 37-3.
 

SEVY WURTZ, CLIFTON-CLYDE

One of the state’s top all-around athletes, Wurtz posted four top-four finishes in her state events last year, including her second straight long jump title. After winning the 2024 crown with a jump of 18-1, Wurtz nearly duplicated that performance, winning last year with an 18-2 that was just four inches better than South Gray’s Kylie Stapleton. Wurtz couldn’t pull off a repeat in the 100 after winning that title as a sophomore, getting clipped in the finals by Ness City’s Taegin Liggett, who set a 1A state meet record in the process. Wurtz took third behind Twin Valley League rival Anna Jueneman of Hanover and Flinthills’ Harlee Randall, but will be the favorite this year as both of them have graduated. She also took fourth in the triple jump. Wurtz holds school records in all four events.