Hoisington Cardinal Shellamae Farmer clears the pole vault bar.
Hoisington Cardinal freshman Marley Bittel (621) places runner-up in the 400-meter relay.
Hoisington Cardinal Shellamae Farmer (622) competes in the 400-meter relay at Wichita State.BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
WICHITA – Hoisington’s pole vault champion Josiah Ball (15-0) achieved his goal by winning back-to-back 3A pole vault state championships at Wichita State’s Cessna Stadium.
Fort Hays State signee Ball cleared 13-6, 14-feet, 14-6 and 15 feet on his second attempt. He missed three times at 15-9. Ball placed third in the 110-meter hurdles (15.38), fourth in the 300-meter hurdles (40.41), and joined Courtney Bryant, Jr., Brier Thompson, Mason Alderdice on a seventh-place 400-meter relay (43.99) with a season-best time.
Hoisington's girls (31.5) placed eighth and the Cardinal boys (29) ninth in 3A. The Cardinals earned 17 individual medals out of 18 events.
Wichita State bound Shellamae Farmer (11-0) placed third in the pole vault behind a pair of Central Kansas League rivals — Smoky Valley state champion Breanne Peters (12-8) and Hesston's runner-up Ashley Lehman (11-6).
The 2-time state champion broke the school record (12-6). Farmer joined Marley Bittel, Mallory Mooney and Kelsi Maier on the runner-up 400-meter relay (49.86) with a season-best time.
Mooney earned a third-place medal in the triple jump (36-51/2).
Caiden Hoffman placed sixth in the shot put (52-31/2) in the best 3A shot put event in state history.
Hoisington sprinter Marley Bittel earned a silver medal in the 100 meters (12.38) behind 3A state record holder Lehman (12.08). She placed sixth in the 200 meters (26.69) behind champion Lehman (25.21).
“Our coaching staff was proud how our athletes competed at the state meet," said Hoisington coach Dan Schmidt. "They competed at a very high level. It was a great finish to a special year. Our parents, fans, staff and Cardinal Nation should be excited."
"Senior Ian Smith performed as a member of the 400-meter relay several times, and was outstanding," Schmidt said. "The seniors will be missed and those who didn't qualify for state meet, but gave their best effort. These team members are Vada Kaiser, Michael Hipp, Elijah Lewis, and Ansel Wohlford."
Several quality athletes return for 2025.
Bittel, state high jump medalist Sofia Simic (4-10) and relay qualifier Maier return for the girls. Sixth-place pole vault medalist Taylen Morales (13-0) and discus state qualifier Layton Hoffman (118-9) return.
Larned’s 100-meter hurdler Cara Herbert placed fourth (15.87) in 3A.
CLASS 1A
Macksville’s reigning 1A javelin champion Mayce Russell placed runner-up (129-1) after winning the gold medal in 2023.
Pawnee Heights Tiger Brady Carlson finished as state runner-up (42-113/4) in Saturday’s 1A triple jump.
St. John’s Quade Smith placed third in the 800 meters (2:03.92) behind Axtell champion Grady Buessing (2:01.4).
Otis-Bison's girls Ava Kenyon, Abigail Rodriguez, Emma McMillan, Destiny Mitchell achieved a personal best (10:21.41) with a third-place in the 3,200-meter relay.
CLASS 1A *season best
CENTRAL PLAINS
Triple jump—11—Eli Hurley, 40-31/2
MACKSVILLE
110m hurdles—DNQ—16—Aiden Katz, 18.03
Javelin—2—Mayce Russell, 129-3
OTIS-BISON
200m—7—Ian Haselhorst, 23.34
400m—DNQ—10—Haselhorst, 53.21
3,200m—14—Destiny Mitchell, 13:23.62
3,200m relay—3—OB girls, *10:21.41 (Ava Kenyon, Abigail Rodriguez, Emma McMillan, Mitchell)
High jump—8—Destiny Mitchell, 5-0
High jump—5—Haselhorst, *6-2
Long jump—8—Alloway, 20-51/2
Triple jump—13—Alloway, 39-81/4
Shot put—11—Cortez, 44-7
PAWNEE HEIGHTS
Long jump—6—Carlson, 20-81/2
Triple jump—2—Carlson, 42-113/4
Discus—5—Olivia Hands, 113-6
ST. JOHN
800m—3—Quade Smith, 2:01.0
800m—10—Lydia Reed, 2:31.14
1,600m relay—DNQ—10—SJ boys, 3:38.9 (Jericho Mawhirter, Jace Reyes, Braxton Alpers, Quade Smith)
3,200m relay—6—SJ boys, *8:35.92 (Ian Dunn, Reyes, Alpers, Smith)
Triple jump—12—Reagan Bonner, 32-111/2
STAFFORD
3,200m—9—Joel Valadez, *10:15.22
CLASS 2A RANKINGS
ELLINWOOD
100m—DNQ—13—Dawson Sunderland, 23.31
400m—8—Logan Panning, 52.09
CLASS 3A
HOISINGTON
100m—2—Marley Bittel, 12.38
110m hurdles—3—Josiah Ball, 15.38
200m—6—Bittel, 26.69
300m hurdles—4—Ball, 40.41
400m relay—2—Hoisington girls, *49.86 (Shellamae Farmer, Kelsi Maier, Mallory Mooney, Bittel)
400m relay—7—Hoisington boys, *43.99 (Courtney Bryant, Jr., Brier Thompson, Mason Alderdice, Ball)
High jump—8—Sofia Simic, 4-10
Triple jump—3—Mooney, *36-51/2
Shot put—5—Caiden Hoffman, 52-31/2
Discus—15—Layton Hoffman, 118-9
Pole vault—1—Ball, 15-0; 6—Taylen Morales, 13-0
Pole vault—3—Farmer, 11-0
LARNED
100m hurdles—4—Cara Herbert, 15.87
200m—DNQ—13—Kaylee Hagerman, 26.65
400m relay—5—Larned girls, *50.26 (Alexa Beltz, Akielah Collins, Taeten Reynolds, Hagerman)
Long jump—5—Hagerman, 16-10
Shot put—10—Cadee Upson, 36-1
