photo by: Shane Jackson

Perry-Lecompton's Caidon Quinlan raises his fist up in celebration after closing out a win in the 4x100-meter relay during the state track meet on Friday at Cessna Stadium at Wichita State University in Wichita on May 28, 2021.

Wichita — In 2018, the Perry-Lecompton 4×100-meter relay team dropped the baton at the state meet. In 2019, the team did it again, and the runners joked that they were cursed.

Consider that curse broken.

Caden Dean, Hunter Hess, Kaden Doleman and Caidon Quinlan finally took the crown in the 4×100 at Friday’s state meet, posting a time of 43.43 at Wichita State University’s Cessna Stadium. Quinlan had the honor of closing out the victory, raising his fist in celebration as he crossed the finish line.

“As soon as I crossed the finish line, I knew we won,” Quinlan said. “I was just happy to celebrate. Found these guys and gave them all hugs, because it was great to do it with them.”

It was especially personal for Quinlan because he was on the 2019 squad. He and the entire team wanted to show their doubters that they had what it took to win at state.

“We were really just trying to prove everyone wrong saying that we weren’t going to make it,” Hess said. “It feels amazing.”

With the race literally slipping out of their grasp in the last two state meets, the third-seeded Kaws weren’t taking any chances this year. They worked extra hard on their handoffs all season, and it paid off on Friday.

Dean fired out of the block to set the tone and then had a clean handoff to Hess, who sprinted down the first straightaway. On the third leg, Doleman took the second curve and had a clean exchange with Quinlan, who finished the race strong.

“We just knew if we were going to do good at state, we were going to have to work on our handoffs consistently every week,” Dean said. “That’s what we did, and it paid off.”

Doleman said a lineup change midway through the season helped the Kaws with their handoffs.

“We finally got our handoffs straight,” he said. “We had different orders at the beginning of the season. Once we switched it up, I think we are good now.”

The Kaws started running in their current order during a meet at the Seaman Relays, and the impact was immediate: They set a new personal best by more than a second and finished as runners-up at that meet. They stuck with the new order and won every 4×100 race after that, including at the league and regional meets.

Even with all that success, they still knew they had something to prove at state.

“Especially with the 4×100 curse, we didn’t really think it would happen,” Quinlan said. “We came into the meet ranked third, so the skeptics are always out there. Together, I think we all believe that we would win.”

Holcomb took second in the 4×100 with a 43.81, and Hoisington came in third with a 44.15.

• • •

As a team, the Perry-Lecompton boys placed third in the Class 3A standings with 50 points. The Kaws placed in several other events, as well.

In his final season with the Kaws, Hess finished as runner-up in the 200-meter dash (22.16) and 400-meter dash (50.80). Doleman took third in the high jump, and Dean finished fourth in the long jump. Also in the long jump, Benjamin Stone took eighth. Quinlan came in seventh in the 100-meter run.

Another Perry-Lecompton relay squad, James Bartlett, Michael LeClair, Thad Metcalfe and Boyd Sollars, took fourth in the 4×800-meter relay with a time of 8:27.44.

Baldwin girls also win a relay crown

One more area team won a state relay crown: the Baldwin girls in the Class 4A 4×800-meter race. Ambrynn Stewart, Diana Messick, Karly Neufeld and Riley Smith finished in 9:55.42 to take home the title.

“It was my senior year, and I’m so glad I could pull out a state champ with three girls that I ran with,” Stewart said. “I’m so glad that we had an amazing team connection that helped us win. We always push each other, and I’m so happy we were able to pull it out.”

photo by: Shane Jackson

Baldwin’s girls 4×800-meter relay team poses for a photo atop the first-place podium after winning a state title during the state track meet on Friday at Cessna Stadium at Wichita State University in Wichita on May 28, 2021.

The Bulldogs were the top seed entering the event, but it wasn’t a foregone conclusion that they were going to win. Stewart opened the relay with a lap of 1:10.749 and had a few competitors ahead of her when she passed the baton to Messick.

But Baldwin’s second leg made quick work of the competition. Messick passed the runners in front of her with a split of 1:07.099 on her first lap. She then handed the baton to Neufeld, who kept the Bulldogs in front with laps of 1:12.123 and 1:19.236.

“Not going to lie — the first leg, I was a little scared,” Neufeld said. “As Messick came around on the second leg to hand off to me, I just tried to run like my butt was on fire and didn’t let up.”

Smith closed out the race with a split of 1:08.876 on the first lap.

The victory was a fitting end to a strong season in which Baldwin also won the relay title at the Frontier League meet and the regional meet.

“Being able to run in this stadium after the year we have had is overwhelming with emotions,” Smith said. “After such a crazy year, we did it. It is so exciting.”

Baldwin athletes found the podium in several other events as well.

In the girls 4×400-meter relay, Fisayo Afonja, Isabelle Harvey, Neufeld and Rylee Schmidt took fourth with a time of 4:16.69. Messick took fifth in the 800-meter run, and Smith was fifth in the 1,600-meter run. Grady McCune placed fifth in the boys 800-meter run. Harvey took seventh in the girls 400, and Jana Landreth took seventh in the girls 1,600.

In the field events, Jewel Marsh took sixth in girls shot put, and Emily Taylor took eighth in girls discus.

Thakker among many Eudora medalists

Eudora senior Chloe Thakker closed out her high school career with a runner-up finish in the Class 4A girls high jump competition.

Thakker cleared 5-04.00, a feat she accomplished on her third and final try at that height. She also cleared 5-02.00 on her third attempt after needing just one jump to move past the previous three heights.

“I’m pretty happy with that,” Thakker said. “I jumped what I could. I had some really good competition, which was good.”

photo by: Shane Jackson

Eudora senior Chloe Thakker attempts to jump over the bar in the high jump competition during the state track meet on Friday at Cessna Stadium at Wichita State University in Wichita on May 28, 2021.

Thakker entered the meet with the highest jump in Class 4A girls — a 5-04.05 — but Nickerson’s Ava Jones won the event on Friday. Sophia Cavanaugh of Chapman finished in a tie for second with Thakker.

The state meet was a good test for Thakker, who will be jumping for Emporia State next year. In only her second season competing in the event, she went undefeated against all Class 4A jumpers ahead of the state meet. She took home first in every meet except two during her senior season, and one of her losses came on a jump-off against an athlete from Basehor-Linwood, a Class 5A school.

“It was a pretty good season,” Thakker said. “I’m really happy with how I ended it.”

On the boys side, two Eudora athletes placed in high jump. Eudora senior Kale Breedlove ended his career with a runner-up finish by clearing 6-02.00 in just one attempt. Sophomore Jaiden Bender took seventh in the same event.

On the track, Phoebe Fletcher, Mackenzie Mayer, Stella Whalen and Sydney Owens finished as runners-up in the girls 4×800-meter relay with a time of 10:06.58. Owens, a freshman, also placed in three other events as an individual: the 3,200-meter run (third place, 12:11.80), the 1,600 (fourth) and the 800 (eighth). The boys 4×400-meter relay team of Silas Etter, Colby Lawhorn, Octavius Lyles and Daniel Grosdidier took fourth, as well.

In total, Eudora athletes found the podium in 15 girls events and eight boys events. In the team standings, the girls took third and the boys took fifth.

Poje paces Tonganoxie

Tonganoxie senior Blake Poje earned two medals to lead the way for his team in the field events. He took fifth in the Class 4A boys high jump after clearing 6-00.00, and he was eighth in the long jump with a leap of 20-06.75.

Poje also finished 10th in triple jump, coming up just short of a third trip to the podium.

photo by: Shane Jackson

Tonganoxie senior Blake Poje leaps in the air in the boys high jump competition during the state track meet on Friday at Cessna Stadium at Wichita State University in Wichita on May 28, 2021.

Senior Natalee Shepard also earned two medals as an individual. She took fifth in both the 100-meter dash (12.68) and the 200-meter dash (26.32). Sophomore Eli Gilmore finished in fifth in the 1,600-meter run and seventh in the 800-meter run for the THS boys.

2021 state track meet

Friday at Cessna Stadium (Classes 3A and 4A)

3A boys champion: Southeast of Saline, 84 points

3A girls champion: Lindsborg-Smoky Valley, 85 points

4A boys champion: Louisburg, 77.5 points

4A girls champion: Andale, 137.5 points

Perry-Lecompton results

Boys team finish: 3rd, 50 points.

Boys 100: 7. Caidon Quinlan, 11.16.

Boys 200: 2. Hunter Hess, 22.16.

Boys 400: 2. Hunter Hess, 50.80; 15. Caden Dean, 57.02.

Boys 800: 14. James Bartlett, 2:10.40.

Boys high jump: 3. Kaden Doleman, 6-02.00.

Boys javelin: 9. William Welch, 154-04.

Boys long jump: 4. Caden Dean, 21-06.75; 8. Benjamin Stone, 20-08.25.

Boys 4×100: 1. PLHS (Caden Dean, Hunter Hess, Kaden Doleman, Caidon Quinlan), 43.43.

Boys 4×400: 4. PLHS (Boyd Sollars, Caden Dean, Thad Metcalfe, Hunter Hess), 3:32.12.

Boys 4×800: 4. PLHS (James Bartlett, Michael LeClair, Thad Metcalfe, Boyd Sollars), 8:27.44.

Girls 4×800: 14. PLHS (Brooke Metcalfe, Katie Bartlett, Breonna Gladbach, Kassidy Schumann)

Eudora results

Boys team finish: Fifth place, 46.5 points.

Girls team finish: Third place, 61.5 points.

Girls 100: 6. Maya Pattison, 12.69

Girls 100 hurdles: 7. Makenna Longacre, 16.51.

Girls 300 hurdles: 4. Stella Whalen, 47.49.

Boys 400: 6. Daniel Grosdidier, 51.38; 10. Colby Lawhorn, 52.30.

Girls 400: 15. Sophie Whalen, 1:05.99.

Girls 800: 4. Phoebe Fletcher, 2:24.40; 8. Sydney Owens, 2:28.05.

Boys 1600: 9. Zachary Arnold, 4:42.49.

Girls 1600: 4. Sydney Owens, 5:31.16; 6. Phoebe Fletcher, 5:41.90.

Boys 3200: 10. Zachary Arnold, 10:16.31.

Girls 3200: 3. Sydney Owens, 12:11.80; 5. Mackenzie Mayer, 12:31.10.

Boys discus: 3. Matthew Karten, 142-01; 11. Jaren Bennett, 126-10.

Girls discus: 9. Sophia Sanchez, 103-00.

Boys high jump: 2. Kale Breedlove, 6-02.00; 7. Jaiden Bender, 6-00.00; 12. Matthew Magette, 5-10.00.

Girls high jump: 2. Chloe Thakker, 5-04.00.

Boys javelin: 7. Conor Dunback, 162-04.

Girls javelin: 9. Mackenzie Mayer, 123-00.

Girls long jump: 16. Josie Pickett, 15-00.25.

Girls pole vault: 6. Alyssa Chapman, 10-00.00; 10. Brie Hinds, 8-00.00.

Boys pole vault: 3. Logan Schmidt, 13-06.00; 4. Kole Manley, 13-00.00; 6. Kurtis McCormick, 13-00.00.

Boys shot put: 7. Darrell Higgins, 48-05.75; 9. Tyler Neis, 47-00.75.

Girls shot put: 4. Alyssa Homes-Ford, 36-00.50.

Girls triple jump: 10. Josie Pickett, 33-11.50.

Girls 4×100: 8. EHS (Stella Whalen, Maya Pattison, Madison Krten, Sophia Ewy), 51.43.

Boys 4×100: 4. EHS (Adrion Seals, Jaiden Bender, Devon White, Silas Etter), 43.97.

Boys 4×400: 4. EHS (Silas Etter, Colby Lawhorn, Octavius Lyles, Daniel Grosdidier), 3:29.41.

Girls 4×400: 5. EHS (Sophie Ewy, Maya Pattison, Sophie Whalen, Stella Whalen), 4:17.38.

Girls 4×800: 2. EHS (Phoebe Fletcher, Mackenzie Mayer, Stella Whalen, Sydney Owens), 10:06.58.

Baldwin results

Girls 300 hurdles: 15. Jana Landreth, 51.55.

Girls 400: Isabelle Harbey, 1:02.38.

Girls 800: 5. Diana Messick, 2:24.58; 11. Lily Brecheisen, 2:30.69.

Boys 800: 5. Grady McCune, 2:03.38.

Girls 1600: 5. Riley Smith, 5:36.32; 7. Jana Landreth, 5:43.31.

Girls 3200: 12. Bailey Smith, 13:19.39.

Girls discus: 8. Emily Taylor, 103-02.

Boys javelin: 11. Drew Schoendaller, 146-00.

Girls shot put: 6. Jewel Marsh, 34-11.50.

Girls 4×100: 15. BHS (Karly Neufeld, Rylee Schmidt, Isabelle Harvey, Fisayo Afonja), 52.95.

Girls 4×400: 4. BHS (Fisayo Afonja, Isabelle Harvey, Karly Neufeld, Rylee Schmidt), 4:16.69.

Girls 4×800: 1. BHS (Ambrynn Stewart, Diana Messick, Karly Neufeld, Riley Smith), 9:55.42.

Tonganoxie results

Girls 100: 5. Natalee Shepard, 12.68.

Boys 110 hurdles: 5. Dallas Bond, 15.40.

Girls 200: 5. Natalee Shepard, 26.32.

Boys 300 hurdles: 8. Isaiah Holthaus, 41.79.

Boys 800: 7. Eli Gilmore, 2:04.22.

Boys 1600: 5. Eli Gilmore, 4:33.61.

Boys high jump: 5. Blake Poje, 6-00.00.

Girls high jump: 9. Emma Sunderland, 4-10.00.

Boys long jump: 8. Blake Poje, 20-06.75.

Girls pole vault: 11. Lillian Pruitt, 8-00.00.

Boys triple jump: 10. Blake Poje, 40-03.00.