CLASS 5A BOYS TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES TO WATCH 
 

ETHAN ARMENDARIZ, ANDOVER CENTRAL
 
Armendariz wrapped up his 2025 season in a tightly contested Class 5A long jump competition, finishing second, one inch behind Sumner Academy’s Sommyr Moore. It was the first individual state medal for Armendariz, who matched his regional effort of 22 feet, 6.5 inches. Armendariz, now a senior, set a PR and school record of 23-5.5 in winning the Andover Invitational last spring. He is a two-time state qualifier in the long jump, and also advanced to state in the high jump and triple jump as a sophomore, missing the finals. This spring, Armendariz won the long jump at a Maize South meet with a best of 22-8. His PR in the high jump is 6-2, while his best triple jump is 41-10.75.
 

AIDAN BRAUN, ANDOVER
 
Braun put together a pair of personal-best times last May to earn top-5 finishes in the Class 5A 1,600 and 3,200 meters. Now a senior, Braun, the reigning Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail II champion in both events, ran 4:17.10 in the 1,600 to take fifth at state after his 9:16.25 in the 3,200 was good for fourth place. Braun also won the AVCTL II cross country title last fall, then finished fifth at the 5A meet for his second career state cross country medal. He plans to run collegiately at Washburn.
 

MAX CLARK, PIPER

Clark put together a breakthrough junior campaign, finishing as the state runner-up in the Class 5A javelin with a personal-best and school-record throw of 201 feet, 6 inches, while also sweeping regional and United Kansas Conference titles. Now, he’s taken things even further. Clark is already showing early-season dominance, uncorking a school record toss of 205-5 at the Shawnee Mission South Relays. With the top mark among returning 5A competitors, Clark will be a favorite in a loaded field and a key piece for a Piper team coming off a third-place finish at state. 
 

DYLAN CROSS, BLUE VALLEY SOUTHWEST 

The defending Class 5A state champion in the pole vault, Cross dominated last year’s competition by clearing 16 feet, 3 inches to win the title by more than a foot. It capped a steady climb through the state ranks, as he previously placed sixth as a freshman and third as a sophomore before breaking through for gold. Cross also swept both the regional and Eastern Kansas League titles a season ago, establishing himself as one of the top vaulters in Class 5A. 
 

K’LYN CURTIS, ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

Curtis enters his final season with unfinished business — and the numbers to back up a potential title run. A two-event state medalist a year ago, Curtis finished as the Class 5A runner-up in the shot put with a throw of 57-3, while also taking third in the discus at 164-6. Both finishes came behind teammate Joey Goodenow, who swept the throws, but with Goodenow graduated, Curtis now steps into the spotlight as the Saints’ top returning force. He has wasted no time making his presence known. Curtis has already delivered a historic mark this spring, uncorking a throw of 63-11.5 in the shot put — the best in Kansas this season and the ninth-longest toss in state history. That mark firmly establishes him as the favorite in the event, where he is the top returning thrower in 5A. In the discus, Curtis remains a strong contender as well, entering the season ranked just behind fellow standout Karson Palmer of Arkansas City. 
 

DANIEL ENRIQUEZ, KAPAUN MT. CARMEL
 
Enriquez delivered one of the signature moments of last year’s Class 5A state meet, taking charge of the 1,600 meters from the start and storming to victory in 4:06.58, a meet record for all classes and the No. 5 time in Kansas boys history. His victory, by nearly 7 seconds, was part of a double-gold performance that helped the Crusaders win their second consecutive 5A team title. The Oklahoma State-bound Enriquez, now a senior, also won the state 3,200 title in 9:06.33. That came six weeks after he won the Kansas Relays in 8:58.77, the ninth-fastest time in state history. Enriquez, who also took fifth at state in the 800, led Kapaun to a 5A cross country title as the individual champion in November.
 

NOAH HOLTHUSEN, BISHOP CARROLL
 
Holthusen enters his senior season as a state hurdles medal winner each of the last two years. He took second in the Class 5A 300-meter hurdles last spring, running 38.64 to finish behind only Kapaun Mt. Carmel’s Dawson Grabendike. That improved on his fifth-place state finish in the event as a sophomore. Holthusen also took eighth in the 110 hurdles after setting his PR (14.48) as the fourth-fastest qualifier in prelims. He added a third medal – finishing sixth – as the leadoff runner in Carroll’s 400 relay. Holthusen won the 110 hurdles at the Great Bend regional last season.
 

COOPER OHNMACHT, GREAT BEND

One of the state’s top all-around athletes, Ohnmacht is a two-time reigning state champion in the triple jump. He defended his title with a leap of 47-1.25 last year as a sophomore, capping an undefeated season in the event. As a freshman, he recorded a wind-aided 47-3.50 in his winning jump. Ohnmacht also placed third in the long jump with a 22-4.50 after finishing seventh in that event as a freshman. He is a high-level Division I football recruit, starring at receiver and defensive back for the Panthers.
 

KARSON PALMER, ARKANSAS CITY
 
Palmer, a senior, has already surpassed the throws in the shot put and discus that earned him a pair of Class 5A state medals last May. He opened the 2026 season with personal bests of 56 feet, 6 inches in the shot and 186-10 in the discus at the Maize South varsity meet. Last year, Palmer’s state discus mark of 174-4 comfortably earned him 5A runner-up to St. Thomas Aquinas’ Joey Goodenow. He took seventh in the shot with a best of 51-11. Palmer also took fourth in the 5A discus as a sophomore. He is a two-time reigning Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail II champion in the discus and also won the league shot put title last season.
 

SHINJI POLLARD, PIPER

Pollard returns this spring as one of the state’s premier hurdlers and a clear title contender in Class 5A. A year ago, Pollard delivered a breakthrough performance at the state meet, finishing runner-up in a loaded 110-meter hurdles final with a blazing time of 14.12 seconds — just .02 behind champion Dawson Grabendike. With Grabendike graduated, Pollard enters the season as the top returning medalist in the event. He added another state medal in the 300 hurdles last season, taking eighth in 40.12, and has been a proven performer on the big stage since his freshman year when he placed seventh in the 110 hurdles and third in the 300 hurdles. Now a senior, Pollard will lead a Piper squad that is coming off a third-place team finish at state. 
 

ALEX ROBERTS, BLUE VALLEY SOUTHWEST

Roberts is back as one of the state’s top distance runners after a standout junior campaign that produced two state medals on the track. Roberts put together a memorable race in the 3,200-meter run, finishing runner-up in 9:07.06 in a thrilling battle with Kapaun Mt. Carmel’s Daniel Enriquez, crossing the line less than a second behind the champion. He also added a seventh-place medal in the 1,600-meter run at 4:17.47, showcasing his versatility across distances. Roberts carried that momentum into the fall, finishing as the state runner-up in cross country, further cementing himself as one of Kansas’ top distance athletes. Now a senior, he enters the season as a top contender in the 3,200 with Enriquez and a strong threat in the 1,600. 
 

COREY ROLFE, BONNER SPRINGS

Rolfe played a key role in the Braves’ strong showing in the high jump at state, finishing as the runner-up after clearing 6-4 and edging out teammate Jaiden Jones on misses. With both jumpers back, Bonner Springs once again boasts one of the top high jump duos in the state. Rolfe didn’t stop there. He added a second state runner-up finish in the triple jump with a leap of 45-7, showcasing his explosiveness across both events. A Frontier League champion in the high jump, Rolfe enters his senior season as a legitimate title contender in both disciplines, looking to turn last year’s pair of silver medals into gold. 

ISAIAH ROSENBERG, PITTSBURG

The Purple Dragons standout earned a pair of medals, highlighted by a runner-up finish in the 400-meter dash where he clocked a personal-best 48.43 seconds — the top returning time in the event this season. Rosenberg also showed his versatility with a medal-winning performance in the 200-meter dash (22.61), proving he can impact races across multiple sprint distances. His success is nothing new. As a sophomore, Rosenberg announced himself with a third-place finish in the 400, and he has steadily climbed the podium since. 
 

SHAL RUUD, ANDOVER
 
A three-time state qualifier in the high jump, Ruud made the best of it last season, winning the Class 5A title with a leap of 6 feet, 6 inches. Ruud, who also plays baseball in the spring, set his personal best of 6-8 – Andover’s school record – last year during the regular season and also collected his second Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail II title. Ruud earned his first state medal in the high jump as a sophomore, finishing fifth with a clearance of 6-2. His state victory last season came by 2 inches over Bonner Springs’ duo of Corey Rolfe and Jaiden Jones.
 

NOAH SCHOWENGERDT, ST. JAMES ACADEMY

A two-time state runner-up in the 800-meter run, Schowengerdt clocked a 1:54.23 last spring to earn silver and returns as the top returning medalist in Class 5A. His consistency at the state level, dating back to another runner-up finish as a sophomore, has provided him with a lot of state experience. He was also a big part of the Thunder’s state championship 3,200-meter relay that set a new state record time of 7:45.21. He also helped the St. James 1,600 relay team to a state runner-up finish in a school-record time of 3:18.97. Schowengerdt’s versatility adds another dimension to his profile, as he is also an Eastern Kansas League champion in the 400-meter dash.