Great Bend Post Sports
The Lady Panther track team picked up a pair of elite gold medals at the Pre-State Meet at Wichita State University on Thursday and Friday. The top athletes from all classes of the schools in competition go head-to-head in the elite division. Other competitions are broken into Classes 6-4A and 3-1A.
On Thursday, senior Macy Nachtigal added more than five feet to her season best in the javelin to win by more than seven feet at 129-9. That mark leads Class 5A and ranks No. 9 in all of Kansas this spring.
With a change in the lineup, the 4x800m team cut 25 seconds off its previous season best to win the elite division by less than two seconds ahead of Wichita Collegiate in 9:50.83. Friday’s team was comprised of Reese Bullard, Addy Nicholson, Sienna Smith, and Eliana Beckham. Great Bend now ranks No. 2 in 5A and is top-five among all classes. The Lady Panther 4x400 team cut nine seconds from a season best to place fourth in 4:11.86, the fourth-fastest time in 5A this spring.
Beckham was part of the elite 800m field, cutting three seconds off her season best to finish sixth in 2:23.62, the No. 4 time in 5A and close to a top-10 time all-class.
Nicholson cut two seconds off her 1600m time to place sixth in the elite division in 5:31.84. Class 5A is tough in that event with one runner under 5:00 this year and three more under 5:15.
Senior Sadie Spray cut nearly a second off her best 300m hurdle time of the season to place sixth in 49.28. That event featured one of the fastest hurdlers in Kansas history in Wichita Northwest senior Adryana Shelby, who claimed the gold in 44.38, and 5A newcomer Ashley Singateh of Maize South, who collected the silver in 45.37. Spray’s time ranks No. 9 in 5A.
Spray and junior Cassie Ellegood were part of the elite high jump field. Both came up short of season bests to tie for seventh at 4-11.75.
Junior Marissa Boone cut 26 seconds off her best 3200m time of the season to finish sixth in the elite division in 11:54.36. Senior Morgan Beckwith and freshman Teah King did not compete in the elite 3200m run, but Beckwith shaved 27 seconds from her season best to place third in the 6-4A race in 12:07.24. King cut more than 25 seconds for fourth in 12:14.00. Boone now ranks No. 11 in a tough 5A field.
Not many high school meets include the 2000m steeplechase. Lady Panther freshman Bella Long made her debut in the event, placing third in 8:31.77 to miss the silver by seven seconds.
Sophomore Kimberly Hofflinger added to her season best in the discus to win the 6-4A class by more than four feet at 107-8.25. Sophomore MacKenzie Lindberg finished fourth at 99-5.75.
On the boys’ side, freshman Cooper Ohnmacht made his debut in the elite triple jump. Ranked No. 1 in 5A entering the meet, he missed his top mark of the season but finished second at 43-9.25 to miss the gold by nearly two feet. Ohnmacht was also part of the elite long jump field where he finished third at 21-4, just a quarter-inch from the silver.
Other notable
finishes in 6-4A competition:
Boys
400m dash: 6. Ramiro Rocho, 51.61.
800m run: 12.
Braylon Moore, 2:08.39.
1600m run: 9.
Ismael Ramirez, 4:40.33.
3200m run: 10.
Tavon Stroup, 10:29.51.
4x8: 6. GB,
8:38.16.
Long jump: 14: Ben
Nicholson, 38-1.75.
Javelin: 7.
Matthew Johnson, 142-8.25.
Girls
400m dash: 3. Reese Bullard, 1:02.29.
800m run: 6.
Sienna Smith, 2:32.47.
1600m run: 5.
Sienna Smith, 5:39.09.
Triple Jump: 6.
Cassie Ellegood, 32-8.5; 12. Jordyn Harbaugh, 31-0.
Pole vault: 12.
Kaylea McMullen, 7-6.
Shot put: 8. Allie
Gerhart, 32-11.75.