By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Most track athletes at the Kansas State High School Activities Track and Field State Championships at Wichita State University's Cessna Stadium have spent years perfecting their craft. Then there are guys like Ellinwood's Koy Behnke. The senior had track experience but entered two new events this year. The result was a bronze medal in the Class 2A 100m dash Saturday, and a state championship in the 200m dash.
"Throughout my track career in middle school and high school, I've always been a middle-distance guy," Behnke said. "I was all right at it throughout the years; I was most likely going to do that at Cloud County next year. Coach (Andrew) Gower decided to put me in sprints."
The move paid off immediately. Behnke finished the 100m dash in 10.97 on May 5 to rank sixth among Class 2A sprinters. He posted a 22.41 in the 200m dash a week later to rank No. 3 in the class. Behnke won regional championships in the 100m dash (11.17) and the 200m dash (23.23).
There was a big hurdle in the Class 2A field in Wichita: defending state champion Isaiah Bates of Pleasanton, who entered state with the fastest 100m dash time in Kansas this spring. Friday in Wichita, Behnke posted the fastest 2A preliminary time in the 200m dash in 22.55, followed by Bates in 23.07. Saturday morning, the pair flipped in the 100m dash prelims.
Bates pulled up early in the 100m dash finals Saturday afternoon, crossing in 11.44 for eighth. In a still-loaded field, Moundridge sophomore Kaden Elmore took the gold in 10.95, closely followed by Inman junior Tanner Heckel in 10.96, and Behnke in 10.98 for the bronze. St. Marys-Colgan junior Tucker Harrell placed fourth in 11.17.
"At the start, I thought I was going to get last place," said Behnke. "I got out of the blocks really slow. I was behind all of them by a good four meters. I was luckily able to get my top speed and get really close to them. At the end, we had no idea who won."
Bates was a scratch for the 200m dash finals later Saturday. Behnke answered the call with the gold in 22.82. Elmore ran second in 23.00, and Sedan senior Levi Dowell placed third in 23.29.
"I was really hoping I was going to be able to race against him in the 200," Behnke said of Bates. "I think it would have been a really, really close race. I beat him in the preliminaries by more than 0.5 seconds."
Behnke won his gold by 0.18 seconds - too close to call until his name popped up as the winner on the scoreboard inside the stadium.
"I was just so tired at the end of that race," he said. "It didn't really hit me until (Monday or Tuesday). It's an amazing experience racing in front of all of those people from all around the state. I hope I can never forget about it."
Behnke was also part of two relay teams for the Eagles. He joined Matthew Cook, Logan Panning, and Bryce Steffan on the 4x400m team that finished out the season with a third-place medal. The 4x100m team of the same runners false started and did not have a finishing time.
"Matthew and I were our returning seniors to that that team," Behnke said. "We had two more new relay runners. Matthew and I, I think, were great leaders to them. We were able to push them throughout the year and finish with a third-place medal at state."
Behnke was also a key piece of the Ellinwood basketball team for several seasons. He will continue his running career at Cloud County Community College next year.