Great Bend Post Sports
The Panther track and field teams made their season debut Thursday in Junction City against some strong competition. Without two of the usuals in action, the Lady Panthers scored 108.5 points for fourth place out of eight teams. Salina Central scored 128.5 points for the win, followed by Manhattan with 123.5 points.
The Lady Panther 4x4 team (Sadie Spray, Eliana Beckham, Reese Bullard, and Kara Feist) cruised to the win by 10 seconds in 4:20.14. The 4x8 squad (Beckham, Bullard, Morgan Beckwith, and Addy Nicholson) won by 21 seconds in 10:18.88.
Senior Macy Nachtigal won the lone individual gold with a javelin throw of 122-9 to beat the field by nearly five feet. Sophomore Kimberly Hofflinger placed fourth at 104-2.
Senior Sadie Spray won a pair of individual silvers. She placed second in the 300m hurdles in 51.03 to miss the gold by less than three seconds. Spray cleared 5-0 in the high jump to miss the gold by three inches. Junior Cassie Ellegood finished sixth at 4-10, and junior Kara Feist made her debut in the event at 4-6 for 11th. Ellegood also placed fourth in the triple jump at 32-10.5 to miss the bronze by five inches. Feist placed sixth at 32-2.5.
Senior Eliana Beckham ran second to Salina Central's standout freshman Kaylie Shultz in the 800, crossing in 2:27.54 to miss the gold by six seconds. Junior Kate Welcher placed fifth in 2:37.70, and sophomore Sienna Smith ran sixth in 2:40.17. Sophomore Reese Bullard won the 400 bronze in 1:02.85, less than a second behind the silver.
Salina Central junior Katelyn Rupe dominated the 1600m run by 23 seconds in 5:01. Smith placed fifth in 5:40.22 to miss the bronze by 10 seconds. Junior Marissa Boone finished behind her in 5:40.38, and freshman Bella Long ran seventh in 5:56.16.
Shultz took the 3200m gold for Central by 43 seconds in 10:56. Boone placed fourth in 12:23.70 to miss the bronze by seven seconds. Senior Morgan Beckwith placed fifth in 12:37.30, and freshman Teah King finished sixth in
The top two pole vaulters from Salina each cleared 10-6 to dominate the field by 18 inches. Lady Panther sophomore Kaylea McMullen placed sixth at 7-6, and freshman Kayle Baldwin finished 10th at 6-6.
Other notable finishes:
200: 10. Daizy Gomez 29.74
100h: 10. Kayle Baldwin 21.77
Long jump: 8. Jordyn Harbaugh 14-8.5
Triple jump: 10. Jordyn Harbaugh 31-6.5
Discus: 10. Kimberly Hofflinger 93-2, 12. MacKenzie Lindberg 89-9, 14. Allie Gerhart 85-9
Javelin: 9. Reese King 84-1
Shot put: 7. Natalee Daniels 33-2, 9. Allie Gerhart 32-9, 13. Kimberly Hofflinger 29-7.25.