photo by: Richard Gwin

Lawrence High junior Myah Yoder leaves the blocks in the girls sprint medley relay, Saturday, April 23, 2016, at Rock Chalk Park, during the Kansas Relays.

Lawrence High’s girls 4×400 relay — Sanders Barbee, Evann Seratte, Myah Yoder and Kyleigh Severa — didn’t run the time they were hoping for in their final race at the Kansas Relays on Saturday.

But after a long weekend, that didn’t take away from their happiness at Rock Chalk Park. The Lions finished eighth in 4:13.53. They were without freshman Hannah Stewart, who ran the second leg of the relay in prelims when they finished in a season-best 4:01.03.

LHS track and field coach Jack Hood wasn’t surprised by the time in prelims, but he wasn’t expecting it for at least another week.

But it’s hard to find an event where the Lions have more pride and tradition, especially after winning three straight Class 6A state titles.

“It was definitely surprising because we dropped off a whole seven seconds,” Yoder said. “We had two girls under 60 (seconds), so it was great.”

Barbee filled in for Stewart on Saturday and ran the first leg. Yoder, who moved from first leg to third leg, noted their new order made it a little more difficult.

“I think tradition has a lot to do with their expectations,” said Hood, who credited sprint coach Audrey Pope-Trowbridge. “They just don’t want to let each other down.”

Baldwin High finished third in the 4×400 relay in 4:05.97 with Kyna Smith, Madeline Neufeld, Abby Ogle and Carlyn Cole. The Bulldogs were 4A state runner-up in the event last season and ran 4:01.04 in prelims.

“We’re really excited,” said Neufeld, noting they are only a few seconds away from the school record. “We have high expectations. All we want to do is get better.”

Outside of the 4×400 relay, Severa took eighth place in the long jump, reaching 17 feet, 4 inches on her first leap.

Severa, who has signed to compete for Wichita State next year, wants to become more consistent in the low-to-mid 18-feet range.

“I couldn’t find the board this meet for some reason,” Severa said. “I mean, it’s pretty early in the season — maybe mid-season. I still got time to fix it.”

Free State High senior Ethan Donley, after narrowly finishing second in the 800 on Friday, took 11th place in the boys 1,600 meters.

Like many other athletes, Donley was running on reserves in his final race of the weekend.

“Especially after yesterday, I was just kind of gassed,” Donley said. “At the start of lap two, I tried to make a little bit of a move to get into a better position. I felt like it was a certain matter of time before I completely fell apart. I tried to get to the finish line before that happened.”

Beyond his final race, Donley was proud of his weekend. He pushed himself to better times and said the competition at the meet is “harder than state.”

“Most of the times were PRs and I was really excited about it,” Donley said. “I’m excited to see what I do next week at the Topeka Relays and going on.”

Free State junior Emily Venters finished ninth in the girls 1,600 meters in 5:07.76.

Venters’ run was only a few hours after she helped the Firebirds take fifth place in the sprint medley relay, alongside Cameryn Thomas, Alauna Hawkins and Chandler Wiggins. The Firebirds dropped more than 20 seconds in the event from last week.

In the field, LHS senior Amani Bledsoe finished eighth in the shot put with a throw of 52-5.5. It was a few feet short of his best throw this season and he scratched on his final four attempts.

“He didn’t have a bad day,” Hood said. “He threw better than any of the other 6A shot putters in the meet. But it wasn’t where he wanted to be and certainly he was a little disappointed.”

LHS senior Caroline Dykes was 10th in the girls high jump, clearing 5-2. Free State senior Simeon Windibiziri placed 13th in the boys javelin with a throw of 161-3, and Thomas was 11th in the girls long jump at 16-11.5.

Kansas Relays

Saturday at Rock Chalk Park

LHS, FSHS, Area results

Girls

1600 — 9. Emily Venters, FS, 5:07.76.

4×100 Sunflower relay — 5. Kyna Smith, Kylee Bremer, Madeline Neufeld, Carlyn Cole, BHS, 50.69.

4×200 relay — 26. Destiny Downing, Emma Barberena, Alauna Hawkins, Chandler Wiggins, FS, 1:52.70.

4×400 relay — 3. Kyna Smith, Madeline Neufeld, Abby Ogle, Carlyn Cole, BHS, 4:05.97; 8. Sanders Barbee, Evann Seratte, Myah Yoder, Kyleigh Severa, LHS, 4:13.53.

4×400 Sunflower relay — 5. Sierra Staatz, Corinn Searcy, Cami Timm, Mia Bond, Tongie, 4:18.39; 6. Cameryn Thomas, Destiny Downing, Alauna Hawkins, Chandler Wiggins, FS, 4:20.07.

4×800 relay — 13. Addie Dick, Abby Ogle, Natalie Beiter, Madeline Neufeld, BHS, 9:58.38; 15. Ellie Wilson, Delaney Kemp, Isabella Hadden, Amber Akin, MV, 10:00.73; 27. Emma Campbell, Emily Chambers, Sierra Staatz, Mia Bond, Tongie, 10:28.66.

Sprint medley relay — 5. Cameryn Thomas, Alauna Hawkins, Chandler Wiggins, Emily Venters, FS, 4:22.58; 11. Trinity Touchton, Corinn Searcy, Sierra Staatz, Mia Bond, Tongie, 4:32.89; 17. Myah Yoder, Marlee Coleman, Evann Seratte, Anna Dewitt, LHS, 4:41.75.

Steeplechase — 14. Emily Chambers, Tongie, 8:59.43.

Shot put — 4. Gabby Hopkins, MV, 41-7.75; 23. Hannah Walter, FS, 34-10.5.

Long jump — 8. Kyleigh Severa, LHS, 17-4; 11. Cameryn Thomas, FS, 16-11.5.

High jump — 6. Megan Eckman, MV, 5-04; 8. Morgan Thomas, MV, 5-04; 10. Caroline Dykes, LHS, 5-02.

Boys

1600 — 12. Ethan Donley, FS, 4:26.62; 25. Derek Meeks, MV, 4:32.51; 26. Tanner Hockenbury, FS, 4:32.55; 36. Travis Hodge, DSoto, 4:53.87.

4×100 Sunflower relay — 6. Ronald White, Jordan Patrick, Tommy Jacobs, Bryce Torneden, FS, 44.01; 7. Exavior Jackson, Ethan Rodriguez, Sam Regier, Ray Mitchell, DSoto, 44.28.

4×400 Sunflower relay — 6. Nichalus Williams, JD Woods, Tristan Gillespie, Ben Otte, LHS, 3:33.56; 8. De Soto, 3:40.88.

4×800 relay — 15. Garret Fields, Jakob Coacher, Justin Grega, Thomas Hopkins, MV, 8:23.33; 17. George Letner, Parker Wilson, Jacob Bailey, Dakota Helm, BHS, 8:25.43; 25. Tanner Hockenbury, Jared Hicks, Will Benkelman, Ethan Donley, FS, 8:31.23; 36. Christian Selk, Sam Hubert, Kason Jackson, Travis Hodge, DSoto, 8:51.80.

Sprint medley relay — DQ. JD Woods, J’Mony Bryant, Nichalus Williams, Ben Otte, LHS.

Shot put — 8. Amani Bledsoe, LHS, 52-5.5; F. Brock Reed, Ottawa.

Javelin — 12. Blake Eaton, MV, 161-3; 13. Simeon Windibiziri, FS, 161-3; 19. Trajen Smith, WV, 155-3.

Pole vault — 16. Braeden Manley, Eudora, 13-00.