The numbers were somewhat unavoidable for Eli Gaeddert.
 
“I walk by them every day in the hall and I always have to take a little peak at them,” Gaeddert said of the Goessel track and field record board that hangs in the school’s hallway. “I just saw where I had to get to.”
 
The particular records Gaeddert sneaks his frequent peeks at have been ones that multiple generations of Bluebirds have looked up to, hoping to break. While most of the boys’ track and field records were set some time during the early 2000s, a trio of marks have stood the test of time.
 
And they just happen to be in the events in which Gaeddert specializes: the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. All three of those Goessel records were set in the 1970s with Warren Flaming setting the 3,200 record in 1971 and younger brother Dwight Flaming setting the 800 and 1,600 records in 1974.
 
After 50-plus years of standing, however, the board will be getting an update. Already the school’s record holder for every cross country record he can own, Gaeddert has begun his assault on the track record board.
 
At last Friday’s Abilene Invitational, Gaeddert took down both of Dwight Flaming’s marks. Facing a loaded fields that included the likes of McPherson’s Caleb Muehler (two-time Class 4A cross country champion), Wamego’s Peyton Parker (4A 1,600 and 3,200 state runner-up last spring) and Southeast of Saline’s Brayden Walker and Jacob Bircher, Gaeddert rose to the occasion.
 
Though he didn’t come away with victories, taking fifth in both races, he did come away with school records in the 800 and 1,600. His time of 4:23.85 in the 1,600 knocked nearly five seconds off Flaming’s 1974 time of 4:28.2. His time of 2:00.10 in the 800 matched Flaming’s time of 2:00.1.
 
“It was crazy that something like that lasted over 50 years,” Gaeddert said of the records. “I was trying to attain that and to be able to do it, it was cool to see. Going into Abilene, I wasn’t necessarily trying to chase any records, I just wanted to go out and compete and really push myself to the limit against such good competition. And if a win or a record came along with that, it was just even better.
 
“I just wanted to see how I could do in a more competitive meet. It was cool to race with some of those guys that I see breaking their records and do all the awesome things they’ve done. It was awesome. They went out super-strong and I tried to go with them and it was definitely a challenge to do that, but I gave it all to get across that line in a good time.”
 
Gaeddert fits right in with that crowd, having become Goessel’s first-ever individual state cross country champion last fall. In winning the Class 1A state title, the junior took more than 20 seconds off the school record he had set as a sophomore, running a 16:02.80.
 
That gave him a huge dose of momentum coming into track season.
 
“It really showed me that I could do what I put my mind to and unlocked a different level of racing after that,” he said. “I just knew the sky was the limit coming into the track season.”
 
A year ago, Gaeddert had come within just over a second of Flaming’s record in the 1,600, turning a then-career-best time of 4:29.41 at the Moundridge Invitational. That came as part of a six-meet winning streak in the event and Gaeddert finished the season with a fifth-place finish in the 1,600 at the state meet.
 
He also took fourth in the 3,200 at state, running a career-best time of 9:54.67 – his first venture under 10 minutes.
 
Gaeddert only ran the 800 in one meet a year ago, winning at meet at Elyria Christian with a 2:13.00 that really gave no indication he could go after Flaming’s mark in that event. But this season his focus has been mainly on the 1,600 and 800 and after opening the season with a 2:09.15 in the 800, he dropped two seconds at his next meet before cutting a whopping seven seconds off at Abilene to get the school mark.
 
“I knew I was right there (in the 1,600) and it was definitely just a matter of time I got it this year,” Gaeddert said. “I’ve built a good aerobic base with all the miles I’ve run and now it’s just about adding in that speed work and the 800 is a good way to build that foundation. I never was much of an 800 guy, but this year I’ve definitely started to like it a lot more. It’s just a different way of racing and you’re done in two laps.
 
“Going into Friday, the main focus was the 1,600, but luckily I still had enough left in me in the 800 to get down there and get that record. It was a good surprise.”
 
Gaeddert has only run one 3,200 this season, posting a 10:17.70 at the Peabody Invitational. But with two long-standing records already in hand, he said his sights are now set on adding that third mark – Warren Flaming’s 9:47.1 in the 3,200 -- perhaps as soon as this week’s Moundridge Invitational where he’ll get stiff competition from Hutchinson Trinity’s Jacob and John Lindstrom with Jacob the reigning 2A cross country state champion.
 
“I just haven’t prioritized it as much this year, but I’ll start that up soon,” he said. “I’ll try my best to get that 9:47. I think it’s definitely attainable. It would be a good feeling to get them all because like I said, looking at them in the hallway every day, it’s just special to see my name up on those boards.”
 
Gaeddert currently has the fastest times in Class 1A in the 800 and 1,600 and is just off the top 1A mark in the 3,200 behind Blue Valley-Randolph’s Titus Cobb (10:16.55). But he knows the road to state titles in all three events will be tough as defending 3,200 champion Kaleb Arnold of Olpe returns this year along with runner-up Joshua MacKinney of South Barber and in the 1,600 defending champion Broxton Gall of Ness City also returns. Gall was runner-up in cross country.
 
“It’s going to be great to run with all those guys, they’re awesome to run with,” he said. “It’s always a competitive race when we’re all together. It’s going to be fun.”
 

 
OTHER TRACK AND FIELD STANDOUTS

• Rock Creek’s Clare Buessing had a breakout performance at the Eudora Relays last week, setting three school records. The freshman had previously broken the Mustang record in the 1,600 with a 5:38.70 but bettered that with a 5:32.87. She also turned in a 2:24.68 that took nearly five seconds off the old school record of 2:29.2 set by Lauren Gill in 2019 and then was part of the 3,200 team along with Liv Nippert, Lucy Nippert and Violet Matzke that ran a 10:09.38 to break the school record of 10:14.09 in 2024. Thomas Eagles also got in on the records for Rock Creek, setting the boys’ mark in the 400 with a time of 49.89, edging the old mark of 50.05 from Logan Zabel. He also was on the 400 relay team along with Aidan Torrey, Logan Rankin and Jacob Perkins that broke their own school record with a 43.01, taking .65 seconds off their time from earlier this season.
• After previously setting Seaman’s school record in the 1,600, Brody Anderson took down the school marks in both the 800 and 3,200 at Friday’s Leitel Legacy Invitational in Lawrence. Anderson won the 3,200 in 9:11.36 to demolish the old school record of 9:27.3 set by Chad Foster in 1997. It also easily broke the meet record of 9:24.64 set by Circle’s Blake Logan in 2024. Anderson then came back in the 800 and ran a 1:53.37 to top Seaman’s old record of 1:54.2 set by Ryan Kaberline in 1992. It also was a meet record, beating the 1:54.13 set by De Soto’s Palmer O’Connor in 2024.

 

 

• Little River got a trio of record-setting performances at the Sterling Relays. Cole Dieball broke the school record in the discus with a throw of 177-8, topping the old record of 168-11 set by Shane Cordell in 1973. Chris Norez picked up the school record in the javelin with a toss of 188-8, beating the old mark of 184-3 by Kris Rochelle in 1999. And Tristan Barstow added the school record in the 100 with a 10.92, just edging the old mark of 11.0 set by Steve Briggs in 1976.
• Onaga’s Emmarsyn Fordham broke her own school record in the shot put, throwing 39-11 at the Jackson Heights Invitational last week. She won the event title by nearly five feet and topped her old school record of 39-1 set last year at regionals.
• Wabaunsee’s Grace Zeller set the school record in the 400, running a 58.76 to top former teammate Payton Wurtz, who ran a 58.92 in 2023. Zeller also won the 800 in a season-best 2:20.14 and anchored the Chargers 3,200 and 400 relays to wins.
• Washburn Rural’s Kailyn Petersen had a big week in making the Junior Blues’ discus record her own. Petersen tied the school mark at the Blue Valley West Elite meet to start the week, throwing 128-0 in a runner-up finish to Olathe West’s Grace Yeager, who went 132-5. She capped the week by throwing 129-0 at the Leitel Legacy Invitational to break the record by a foot.

 

 

• Manhattan’s Wilson Wesch set the Indians’ school record in the 800 with a 1:54.38 at the Lietel Legacy Invitational, running a 1:54.38 to beat the old school record of 1:54.68 set by Reid Buchanan in 2010. His time is the top Class 6A time this season.
• Pleasant Ridge’s Camden Thompson broke the school record in the 110 hurdles in winning the title at the Eudora Cardinal Relays on Friday. Thompson ran a 15.33 to beat the old record set by Eddie Wagner in 1991. Also at the meet, Nate Layton set a PR in the high jump by a whopping four inches with a clearance of 6-4 to win the meet title.