KEEPING TRACK OF THE FIELD

A look at the top contenders in each event for this weekend's State Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Wichita State's University Stadium.

 

SPRINTS

Collegiate’s Timmy Ritchie will once again for a sweep of the sprints at the Class 3A state meet after finishing as the state champion and meet record holder in the 400-meter dash. He added runner-up finishes in the 100 and 200. Now Ritchie will try for gold in a three. The Collegiate junior has the second-fastest time in the 100 dash in the state this season in 10.43 and is 18th fastest in state history, but Holcomb’s Avery McVey is right behind him with a 10.49. In the 400, Ritchie is tied for the second-fastest time in the state in 48.29 and leads the 3A class. However, he is currently chasing Bishop Ward’s Davontae Davis for the top 3A time in the 200. Ritchie’s has run a 21.91, 0.14 seconds behind Davis. ...Class 6A has four of the six fastest times in the state this season in the 100 dash and are led by an historic performance from Washburn Rural’s Christian Hartman-Babb. The Rural junior posted the seventh fastest time in state history running a 10.36, but Wichita Southeast’s Michael Cooks (10.45), Garden City’s Ryder Carr (10.46) and Olathe North’s Jayson Rush (10.54) have all run under 10.6 this year. ...Andover sophomore Ronald Crowdis has the top time in 5A this season in 10.54 seconds, but will have several challengers to that 100 dash title that include Salina Central’s Kaeden Nienke (10.56) and Basehor-Linwood's Ty Darting (10.59), Piper’s Damon Jamierson (10.63), Kapaun-Mt. Carmel’s Caleb Coffey (10.65) and St. James Academy’s Henry Wiley (10.70). ...Ulysses’ Gaige McGaughey has the top time in 4A in both the 100 and 200 dash. His time of 21.23 in the 200 dash is tops in the state and ranks 18th fastest all-time. Defending champion in the 100, Jamaal Jackson of Labette County, is working back from injury and will try to defend his crown after running a 10.89 at regionals. Eudora’s Cameren Tice also has one of the top times in the state at 10.73. ...Jackson Heights’ Kyson Proffitt, the state runner-up a year ago, has the top 100 and 200 time in 2A this season at 10.68 and 21.70, while Little River’s Tristan Bristow leads 1A in 10.78. Weskan’s Karsyn Wright has the top mark out of regionals in 10.8. ...In the 200, Garden City’s German Ferman leads a crowded group in 6A as he has a top time of 21.51. Derby’s Davon Morrison, last year’s state runner-up  (21.66), Hartman-Babb (21.83), Olathe East’s Nicolas Cabral (21.83) and Shawnee Mission North’s Ayden LaFave (21.84) have also posted strong showings this season. ...St. James’ Wiley has run a 21.75 to lead the 5A group and Darting is right behind him in 21.82. ...Cunningham’s Skyler Thimesch is the lone 1A athlete to run under 22 seconds this season and leads that classification. ...Olathe East’s Ryan Hartz has blazed his way to the top of the state in the 400 dash as he ran a 48.17 to lead all of Kansas as is one of the favorite in 6A along with fellow Olathe athletes in Rush (48.39) and Olathe South’s Elian Ramirez (48.81) and Lucas Swanson (48.93). ...St. James’ Noah Schowengerdt has the top 5A in the 400 in 48.29, which is the second fastest in the state and will be challenged by Shawnee Heights’ Jason Slay (48.85). ...Bishop Miege’s Dante Combs II leads a 4A group with a top time of 49.08 and will also go up against Jackson (49.55), last year’s state runner-up in the 400, along with Rose Hill’s Nicolas Bentley (49.64), and Baldwin’s Kasey Hamrick (49.63). ...Eureka’s Peyton Hare, who has run one of the state’s top times in 49.08 leads a 2A group that also includes Berean Academy’s Ryley Busenitz who has run a 49.76. ...Lincoln’s Xavier Miller leads 1A in 49.97 after he took fourth at state a year ago. 
 

MIDDLE/DISTANCE

It’s hard to beat a good distance showdown, and Class 5A boys could feature a buffet of them with seniors Daniel Enriquez of Kapaun Mt. Carmel and Seaman’s Brody Anderson in the middle of it all. Enriquez, an Oklahoma State signee, crushed the 5A meet record in the 1,600 last spring and added a 3,200 title. Enriquez topped Anderson in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 at the Topeka West regional, but only by .02 in the 1,600. There are others determined to knock off that duo, including Andover’s Aidan Braun, who sandwiched himself between Enriquez and Anderson in the 3,200 at regionals, and Valley Center’s Nathan Webb, regional runner-up in the 800 to Enriquez. The depth in 5A goes on with Blue Valley Southwest’s duo of Alex Roberts and Andrew Claar, and Spring Hill’s Zachary Anderson posting top-10 all-class times this season in the 3,200. Roberts, last year’s 3,200 state runner-up, also ranks in the state’s top 10 this spring in the 1,600 along with Anderson, Enriquez and Braun. St. James Academy’s Brock Wondra leads the state in the 800, while his teammate, Max Brown, and De Soto’s Luke Vogt posted top-4 state-qualifying times. … Seniors dominated in 6A last season, claiming all but three state medals in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. This year, Blue Valley Northwest’s Jacob D’Souza, Olathe South’s Luke Swearingen and Olathe West’s Lincoln Allen are in the state’s top 10 in the 3,200. Gardner-Edgerton’s Cade Halton posted the top 6A regional time in the 800 and has run 6A’s fastest 1,600 this season. Blue Valley’s Hyland Wright ran the state’s fourth-fastest 800 this spring. … After finishing second in the 4A cross country meet, Wamego’s Peyton Parker posted the fastest 4A times in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 this spring. He’ll face worthy challengers in each race, including Augusta’s Jace Thomas, who led state qualifying in the 800, and Pratt’s Carlito Lara, last year’s runner-up in the event. Three-time state cross country champion Caleb Muehler of McPherson will try to repeat in the 3,200 and ranks second behind Parker in the 1,600. Buhler’s Gavin Lindahl finished fourth in the 1,600 and 3,200 last season and should be a factor. … After winning the 800 and finishing second in the 1,600 and 3,200 last year, Holcomb’s Brody Deniston will try to lock down triple gold. The reigning 3A cross country champ set PRs in all three events this spring. Potential spoilers loom, however, in Southeast of Saline’s Brayden Walker and Jacob Bircher, who ran the top two regional times in the 1,600, and Caney Valley’s Simeon Sanchez, who swept the Fredonia regional distance titles. Sanchez was the top qualifier in the 800, while Walker also set the pace in the 3,200. … Inman’s Tyler Martisko ran the fastest 2A 800 this season and led state qualifying in the 1,600. The top 2A time in that event this season belongs to Martisko’s Heart of America League counterpart, Hutchinson Trinity’s Jacob Lindstrom. Smith Center’s Gavin Hickert was third in the Inman regional 3,200, but has 2A’s fastest time of 9:49.85 this spring. Hoxie’s Michael Haffner ran 10:09.08 at regionals to lead all 2A qualifiers. … After a strong regional performance, Goessel’s Eli Gaeddert comes in as the top 1A qualifier in the 1,600 and 3,200, and third in the 800. Gaeddert has the top 1A time in the 1,600 (4:23.85), but reigning state champion Broxton Gall of Ness City awaits along with Olpe’s Kaleb Arnold, who won the 3,200 last year but will run just the 800 and 1,600 in his final go-round. That leaves South Barber’s Joshua MacKinney as the top returning state finisher in the 3,200 after taking second a year ago. … Golden Plains’ Dylan Wark posted 1A’s top time in the 800 (1:58.13) at the Greeley County regional.

 

HURDLES

One of the top hurdlers in the state a year ago, Shinji Pollard of Piper has established himself as the best in the state this year. The Pirate senior has a state-best time of 13.81 in the 110 hurdles and also is the state leader in the 300 hurdles as well with a 37.51. He’s still seeking his first state championship, however, denied in the 110s a year ago by Kapaun Mt. Carmel’s Dawson Grabendike, who swept the 5A hurdles crowns, edging Pollard by .02 seconds for the 110 titles. If Pollard can get down to his state-best time in the 110s, he’s got a shot at the 5A state meet record of 13.90 set by Blue Valley Southwest’s Noah Green in 2017. Pollard was eighth in the 300s at state last year. Bishop Carroll’s Noah Holthusen will be right there to challenge Pollard, ranking seventh in the state in the 110s with a 14.17 and just outside the top 10 in the 300s (38.89). … After seeing a late stumble deny him a shot at sweeping the Class 1A hurdles titles at state in 2024, Axtell’s Landon Schmitz left no doubt in completing the sweep a year ago. Schmitz held off Lucas Kirk to win both state titles a year ago but won’t have the Red Ace there to push him this year. In fact, Schmitz is the clear favorite to sweep again, holding the top time in 1A in both races, a 14.50 in the 110s that leaves him just outside the top 10 overall in the state, and a 38.52 in the 300s that is the sixth-best time overall in the state this year. He was the lone 1A runner under 15 seconds in the 110s at regionals and the only runner to break 40 seconds in the 300s. He’s got a shot at the 300 hurdles 1A meet record of 38.30 set by Northern Valley’s Tavis Vallin in 1987. … Phillipsburg’s Tanner Horinek swept the Class 2A state titles a year ago but will have some serious obstacles in his way in going after another sweep this year. Phillipsburg has moved up to 3A this season and the competition there is stout. Holcomb’s Cooper Cranston is the 3A leader in the 110s with a season-best of 14.16 that ranks him sixth overall in the state. He was runner-up a year ago to record-setting Linkon Cure of Goodland, who went 14.36 to defend his title from 2024. Cure was denied a repeat title a year ago in the 300s by Great West Activities Conference rival Jordan Jones of Colby, who is back to defend his crown and ranks fourth in the state overall with a 38.18 this year, that coming at last week’s regional meet where he beat Horinek by more than half a second. Jones also ranks 10th in the state in the 110s, taking second to Cranston at regionals by .12 seconds with Horinek third. … Horinek’s departure from 2A leaves those titles up for grabs this year. Sterling’s Zane Farney was runner-up to Horinek in the 300s and will battle Smith Center’s Carson McKelvey, who nipped him at regionals by .28 seconds and is the 2A leader with a 38.59. They were the lone runners under 40 seconds at regionals though Moundridge’s Heath Churchill has gone under 40 this season as well. Farney holds the top 2A time in the 110s with a 14.68 and was the only runner under 15 at regionals. … Injuries to two of the top returning hurdlers in Class 6A has opened things up for Mill Valley’s David Johnson to go after a championship sweep. Johnson had ranked third in 6A to both Dodge City’s Elliott Williams and Washburn Rural’s Liam Morrison (the defending 300 champion), but neither will be at state this year after missing regionals with injuries. Johnson, who has a best of 14.08 in the 110s and 38.32 in the 300s this season, was runner-up in the 110s last year to Gardner Edgerton’s Bravin Powell, who graduated. He was also third in the 300s at state last year. Olathe North’s Jackson Parker has a best of 14.09 in the 110s and Gardner Edgerton’s Brayden Hinz has gone 14.25, giving Johnson plenty of competition in that race while Blue Valley Northwest’s John Thomas Loparco (best of 38.96) is likely his top challenger in the 300s. … Runner-up in the 4A 110s last year, Buhler’s Zach Friesen is the heavy favorite for the title this year as his season best of 14.43 was more than a half second faster than anyone else in 4A at regionals. Parsons’ Brelin Summers has gone 14.71 this season. The battle for the 300 hurdles title could be a fierce one with Paola’s Lane Hoffine the lone returner from last year’s top eight. Clearwater’s Landon Schill has gone 39.49 this season but Wamego’s William Adams had the top regional time with a 40.08. Five runners were within .83 seconds of each other coming out of regionals.

 

RELAYS

The Class 6A version of the 4x100-meter relay is going to be a fast one as the top eight times in the state this year all come from 6A and Junction City has the top time with a bullet. The Blue Jays broke the state record earlier this season with a time of 41.35 and is the fastest in Kansas history. Right behind them is Olathe North in 41.80, which is also a top 20 mark all-time and Eagles were the state runner-up a season ago. ...Piper, the Class 5A state runner-up last season, has the best time this season in its classification in 42.13, along with Goddard (42.33) and Leavenworth (42.41). ...Bishop Miege has the top 4A time in 42.11, but will get pushed by Ulysses (42.32), Wamego (42.45) and Rock Creek (42.62) ...Holcomb has also been one of the best in the state this season and leads 3A in 42.10 and is one of the favorites in that classification. ...Hutchinson Trinity (43.38) and Little River (43.17) has the best marks in 2A and 1A, respectively. ...In the 4x400, St. James Academy put together one of the best times in Kansas history as they have the state’s fastest time in 3:17.23, which is fourth all-time, and is the returning state runner-up from a year ago. Kapaun Mt. Carmel (3:20.27), the defending state champion, will challenge the Thunder in 5A. ...Olathe East leads Class 6A with an impressive showing of its own. The Hawks have posted a 3:18.19, which is top 15 all-time in Kansas. Shawnee Mission North is right on their heels with a season-best of 3:18.68, as is Olathe South at 3:18.85 in what could be a tight race to end the 6A meet. ...Bishop Miege leads 4A with the top time in its second relay in 3:22.61 and is marginally ahead of contenders Pratt, Hugoton and Baldwin. Pratt is also the defending state champion. ...Hesston is the favorite in 3A with a top time of 3:24.94, while Hutchinson Trinity (3:27.96) and Cunningham (3:30.28) have the best times coming into state in 2A and 1A, respectively. ...Along with the 4x400, St. James Academy hopes to take gold in the 4x800 as the Thunder, the defending state champ have the top time in the state in 7:53.52, but not by much. De Soto is right behind them in 7:53.91 in what appears to be another tight contest in Class 5A. ...After those two schools, Class 6A holds seven of the next top times this season and is led by Olathe Northwest, the defending state champion in 7:56.61. Blue Valley Northwest and Blue Valley have also run under eight minutes this season. ...Southeast of Saline is mixed right in there with those 6A programs as it is the favorite in Class 3A and are the only team to run under eight minutes in 7:58.99. Scott Community has the next fastest mark in 8:06.75. ...Wamego, the defending champion in 4A, has the top time in 8:07.41 and is followed right behind by Winfield in 8:07.44. ...Hutchinson Trinity put together an 8:07.44 to lead 2A, while Axtell ran an 8:21.29 to pace 1A. 
 

THROWS

Joining the 60-foot club is always the golden milestone in the shot put and this spring three have etched their names into that relatively exclusive group. Two, however, have taken things to an even rarer level, going over 63 feet – something only 16 throwers in state history have accomplished. Leading the way is St. Thomas Aquinas’ K’Lyn Curtis, who had spent the past two seasons somewhat in the shadows of former teammate Joey Goodenow, who swept the 5A state titles in both the shot put and discus. With Goodenow graduating, Curtis has taken the spotlight and risen to the occasion. His throw of 63-11.5 early in the season ranks as the ninth-best throw in state history and he goes into state with a regional winning throw of 62-8 – nearly five feet farther than any other 5A thrower. After two straight runner-up finishes, his golden moment appears imminent. Curtis could follow Goodenow’s lead and get the 5A sweep in the discus as well. But while Arkansas City’sKarson Palmer is a distant second behind Curtis in the shot put, ranking second in 5A at 59-2.75, he’s just ahead of Curtis in the discus with a best of 189-0 that ranks second overall in the state. Curtis’ best is 184-11, third in the state overall, and the two had matching regional marks of 174-5, making their battle one to watch. … Girard’s William Bishop also joined Curtis in the 63-foot shot put club this season, throwing a 63-6 that ranks No. 13 all-time in state history. He got lost in the shuffle in last year’s explosive 3A state competition, taking seventh as Lakin’s Colter Oldham and Beloit’s Eli Johnson each set meet records on their way to a 1-2 finish, respectively. Both were seniors, but Beloit still has a duo capable of challenging Bishop with Griffin Johnson just under 60 feet with a best of 59-8 this year and Kross Kemmerer at 55-8.75. … If Bishop is the shot put favorite in 3A, Wichita Collegiate’s Logan Clay is the overwhelming favorite for the discus crown. Runner-up to Oldham a year ago, Clay is far and away the top thrower in the discus in the state this year. His throw of 205-8 earlier this season is No. 7 all-time in state history and more than five feet farther than the state meet record of 200-4 by Santa Fe Trail’s Brett Schwartz in 2022. … Another potential record that could fall is the 1A shot put mark of 59-4.75 set by Madison’s Casey Helm in 2022. Elkhart’s Baylor Childress, state runner-up to Palco’s Ethan Gaschler who swept the 1A shot put and discus titles, also joined the 60-foot shot put club, throwing 60-1.5 this season. He went just 55-8.5 at regionals, but that was three feet farther than Wakefield’s Kingsly Smith, who was third at state last year. … Olathe South’s Jeremy Gracia is back to defend the Class 6A shot put title he won a year ago. He enters state with the best regional mark (58-7), but that ranks third in 6A overall this year behind Manhattan’s Evan Middleton (59-8) and Shawnee Mission North’s Josiah Blomker (58-8.5). Blomker also holds the top 6A mark in the discus with a 181-0, less than three feet ahead of Blue Valley Northwest’s Logan Nelson (178-2). … Labette County’s Keegan Stritzke was runner-up in the 4A shot put and third in the discus at state last year but only will compete in the shot put this year despite having the second-best mark in 4A in the discus this season. He’ll battle 4A leader Julion Daniels of Santa Fe Trail for the shot put crown with Daniels moving up from 3A. He has a season best of 58-5, a foot and a half farther than Stritzke’s best of 56-10, though Stritzke had the better regional mark. … Andale’s Hunter Grimes has the top 4A discus throw at 182-8 this season, but he was just third at his regional behind teammates Brayden Spexarth and Matthew Braaten. Spexarth also had the top overall regional mark in the javelin at 195-9, which puts him second in 4A this year behind Hayden’s Kelton Meier, who has thrown 197-2 and also was over 190 at regionals. Winfield's Kellen Gibson is back as the defending champion as well. … A whopping eight javelin throwers have topped 200 feet this season with four of them doing it on the same day at the Seaman Relays. Blue Valley West’s Jason McNicoll went 220-6 to hold the overall state lead, but he’s got a trio of challengers in 6A who also have gone over 200. Olathe West’s Cade Zimmerman is the defending state champion and has a best of 211-1 while Shawnee Mission South’s Ben Alexander has thrown 207-6 and Lawrence’s Tyler Dye has thrown 203-11. McNicoll only managed a best of 186-8 at regionals while Zimmerman and Dye both went over 200. That should make for a stellar competition, which occurred last year in Class 5A when Kapaun Mt. Carmel’s Jackson Daniel came up with a 207-1 on his final throw to beat Piper’s Max Clark, who had thrown 201-6, and two others who went over 190. Daniel has graduated, but Clark is back and is the 5A leader with a 213-7. St. James Academy’s Alec Jett is just under 200 with a 198-9 and Kapaun’s Mason Collins threw 194-4 at regionals while Clark’s Piper teammate, Kole Schaunaman has a 195-11. … South Central’s Jack Herd is the defending state champion in the 1A javelin, throwing 196-5 last year to win by 26 feet. He’s upped his best to 213-5 this year, nearly 20 feet better than Little River’s Christopher Norez (195-11). … Osage City’s Kasen Parsons is also a defending champion in the javelin, winning the 3A title last year with a 197-9 after going over 200 during the season. Returning from an ACL injury suffered during football, Parsons’ best this season is 188-0 and he’ll be chasing 3A leader Hadyn Rice of Norton, who has thrown 200-10, and Phillipsburg’s duo of Zane Shields and Caleb Leidig, who each went over 191 feet at regionals. … Rossville’s Landen Lewis also went over 200 feet at the Seaman Relays and leads Class 2A by a considerable margin over Smith Center’s Brady Wilson, whose best is a 180-5. Wilson’s older brother, Brent, is a contender in the discus after posting the top 2A regional mark with a 162-0. Inman’s Bo O’Neill is the 2A leader at 171-4. … A contender in the shot put, Wakefield’s Smith also could challenge in the 1A discus after posting the second-best regional mark behind Quinter’s Caedmon Bridges, the 1A leader with a best of 180-5, just three inches ahead of Little River’s Cole Dieball (180-2). … Plainville’s Tucker Rudman also could challenge in the 2A discus and had the top shot put regional mark, a 51-1 that’s just 3 inches behind Bluestem’s Denzil Davis for the overall 1A lead this season.
 

HORIZONTAL JUMPS

Great Bend’s Cooper Ohnmacht will go for his third straight triple jump title. Ohnmacht has a top mark of 47-5.50 this year. St.  Thomas Aquinas’ Grady Richlin will look to contend with Ohnmacht for the 5A crown after recording a state-best mark 49-4.50 earlier this season. Sedgwick’s Noah Little swept the Class 2A triple and long jump titles last season. Little will have to deal with several possible contenders this season. Berean Academy’s Riley Busenitz has the top 2A long jump mark at 23-2 while Moundridge’s Kaizer Kanitz (45-8) and Trego’s Tripp Hudson (45-7) have the top two marks in the class in triple jump ahead of Little. Another returning triple jump state champ is Beloit-St. John’s Edward Horinek, who has the best 1A mark this season at 45-5.25, barely edging Norwich’s Jayden Benge’s 45-0.50. In Class 6A, Shawnee Mission Northwest's Carlos Lopez-Ledbetter has the No. 1 triple jump at 49-1 and also is in mix for a long jump title with the second-best mark in that class to Olathe West’s Kienyn Thomas (24-3.25). Hugoton’s Adrian Adigun owns the best 4A triple jump at 47-5. In 3A, Royal Valley’s Bowen Bryan sits atop the leaderboard at 44-10.75 but is followed closely by Nemaha Central’s Mason Schultejans and Jefferson West’s Jason Payne. In long jump, Little is the only returning champ. Andover Central’s Ethan Armendariz will look for a 5A title after finishing second last year. He owns a 24-5.25 this season. In Class 4A, Miege’s Liam Tesmer is also a returning runner-up and has the top mark in the class at 24-2.75. Class 3A looks to be pretty open with Baxter Springs’ Cole Parrish the No. 1 seed after a 22-4.75 at regionals. Class 1A also has several contenders including Otis-Bison’s Gavin Alloway and Chase’s Malik Carson, who have the top two jumps in the class at 22-8.5 and 22-5.5, respectively.
 

VERTICAL JUMPS

Blue Valley Southwest’s Dylan Cross dominated the Class 5A pole vault competition last year, winning the state title by more than a foot. He’s the only returning champion across all classes in the event and owns a best vault of 17-0.5. Gardner-Edgerton’s Mason Hill is a heavy favorite in Class 6A and has the state’s No. 1 vault at 17-6.5. Andale has three of the top four seeds in the 4A pole vault – Colt Lane, Lincoln Rempel and Hudson Tankersley. Lane has the top clearance in the class at 15-6. Buhler’s Max Harmony could also be in the mix. Hoisington’s Taylen Morales owns the best 3A clearance at 14-1 and is the No. 1 seed. Berean Academy’s Brendan Busenitz is a favorite in Class 2A after going 15 feet at regionals. Cunningham’s Skyler Thimesch finished second last year to now-graduated teammate Will Wegerer, a two-time Class 1A pole vault champion. Thimesch has a top vault of 14-0, a mark that has been matched by Quinter’s Colt Werth, who is the No. 1 seed. Moundridge’s Heath Churchill shot to the top of the state leaderboard with a high jump of 6-10 at his home invitational and will be the heavy favorite in Class 2A. Andover’s Shal Ruud is the returning 5A high jump champion and has gone 6-8 this year, a mark matched by Leavenworth’s Noah Flanders and Aizaiah Rookwood. Osage City’s Quenten Stark is another returning champ in 3A, going a personal-best 6-4 last year. He’s gone 6-6 this season, while Wichita Trinity’s Jesse Eklund and Holcomb’s Luke Thyne have both cleared 6-8. In Class 6A, Olathe East’s Cade Alholm has the No. 1 mark on the season at 6-8.5. Wellington’s Ethan Boyd has the top Class 4A clearance at 6-7, with Chanute’s Easton Colborn and Pratt’s Arley Morrell going 6-5 and 6-4, respectively. Some of the state’s best high jumpers reside in Class 1A. Axtell’s Logan Sandmann has gone 6-9 this year while Sylvan-Lucas’ Vance Dohl has a 6-7 clearance and Pleasanton’s Aiden Patrick a 6-5 mark.