State Track & Field State Champions

The State Track and Field meet always features top notch performances from Northeast Kansas area athletes and 2018 was no different. Two team State titles were captured and 14 individual event State titles were earned at the 2018 State Track and Field meet in Wichita.

Behind 77 total points the Nemaha Central girls track team repeated as State Champs in Class 3A this year winning by a wide margin of 30.5 points. Leading the Thunder performances was an individual State title by Jacy Dalinghaus who with a toss of 134’03 claimed the javelin title.

Hanover lady Wildcats made it five straight years a Twin Valley League girls track team has won a State title as they claimed the Class 1A title with a total of 65 points winning by 16 points. Macy Doebele and Claire Zarbynicky each won individual events as a jump of 35’09 won Doebele the triple jump title, while a time of 5:36.38 won Zarbynicky the 1600 meter run. Zarbynicky also partnered up with Tianna Lohse, Taylor Klipp and MaKenna Jueneman to notch a time of 10:16.52 to win the 4x800 meter relay.

Centralia Panthers had three State title winners in Class 1A at State Track. Madison Lueger repeated as the 1A girls javelin champion breaking her own State record in the process with a throw of 144’02. While it was a pole vault sweep as Breanna Schmitz and Dylan Boeckman won the girls and boys pole vault titles. Schmitz with a vault of 11’00 won the title for the second time in her career, while Boeckman won the event for the second straight year posting a vault of 14’00.

Also in Class 1A Shelby Ohlde of Linn won the girls high jump for the second straight year with a leap of 5’06, while the Clifton-Clyde boys 4x100 meter relay team made up of Christian Seifert, Nathan Ohlde, Elias Girard and Brant Douglas posted a time of 44.75 to win the 1A State title.

Class 2A was highlighted by the Valley Heights Mustangs as Kayla Smith captured her fourth State title in the triple jump posting a leap of 38’10.25 and Skyler Saunders won her third straight high jump State title with a leap of 5’04.

Sabetha Bluejay quartet of Hattie Lukert, Hunter Lowdermilke, Nicole Kuenzi and Skylar McAfee notched a time of 9:56.03 to win the girls 4x800 meter relay title in Class 3A. While also in 3A, Pleasant Ridge Ram, Luke Oatney with a time of 4:32.33 earned the State title in the boys 1600 meter run.

Jeff West Tiger, Alyssa Garza stood atop the podium in Class 4A after posting a toss of 134’02 to win the discus title.

Overall 14 individual State titles were won by area athletes and three team State titles, while 144 total medals were earned by area athletes. (full list of medalists –click here; full KNZA/KMZA athlete interviews – click here)