By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Track athletes are no stranger to the double: winning in two different events. Sometimes the coaches do it, too. Last fall, Great Bend High School coach Lyles Lashley was named Class 5A Cross Country Coach of the Year. After his Lady Panthers finished second at the state track meet in May, Lashley has now doubled as the Class 5A Track and Field Coach, as voted by the Kansas Cross County and Track and Field Coaches Association.
"It's definitely a talented group of girls," Lashley said. "They were willing to do all the extra stuff, all the little extra challenges. Our coaching staff played a huge part in this, too. We didn't just score in certain events, we scored all over the place. That's what made it special. I'd definitely trade this for a better trophy."
Coach of the year honors are based on a formula that includes points for league, regional, and state finishes. The Lady Panthers cruised to the Western Athletic Conference title and dominated the Class 5A regional at Emporia before finishing second to Mill Valley at state.
The 2022 Lady Panther team won the state title in the 4x400m relay (Eliana Beckham, Makenzie Premer, Sadie Spray, and Kara Feist), and won state medals in the shot put (Taryn Warren), high jump (Valarie Luna and Sadie Spray), javelin (Macy Nachtigal and Kyndall Blessing), discus (Rylie Duvall), 100m hurdles (Premer), 300m hurdles (Premer and Spray), 3200m (Addy Nicholson), 4x100m relay (Luna, Feist, Spray, Premer), and 4x800m relay (Beckham, Nicholson, Emma Loomis, Emilia Diaz).
"Hopefully with this success, we carry that on and keep building up and next year have a chance to win the whole thing," said Lashley. "We still have a great sophomore class, sprinkled in some juniors, and we had some good freshmen this year, too. I think with the combination of the kids coming up, we should be successful for years to come."
With time in Ellinwood and Great Bend, Lashley has won four Cross Country Coach of the Year honors and now has two track honors.