jmisunas@gbtribune.com
Kaiden Esfeld swept three gold medals and a trio of Panther girls won two events for the first-place champions at Monday's Great Bend Track Invitational at Memorial Stadium. Athletes competed in 45-degree temperatures accompanied by a 25 mph north wind, creating a chill index in the 30s that eventually dipped into the 20s.
Esfeld performed at a high level by winning the 800 meters (2:08.17), 1,600 (4:50.45) and 3,200 (10:48.08) in the chilly weather.
"Kaiden plans to run those three distance races at the WAC meet," said Great Bend coach Lyles Lashley. "he wanted a trial run at what that looked like. The biggest challenge is there's about 30 minutes time between the 800 and 3,200 meters."
A trio of two-time winners sparked the Panther girls to 224 points to dominate the home meet over Western Athletic Conference rivals Dodge City (116) and Hays High (102/5).
Makenzie Premer swept the 100-meter hurdles (16.25) and 300-meter hurdles (48.99). Emilia Diaz swept the 1,600 (5:43.5) and 3,200 (12:33.36). Taryn Warren captured the shot put (38-9) and discus (107-10).
Lashley said the Panthers achieved everything he wanted by competing in challenging weather.
"We knew it'd be cold and windy, but they're happy we're competing after missing last year," Lashley said. "We wanted them to compete and win as many events and score as many points as possible. I was surprised when we achieved a lot of PRs. We've got a lot of first-time tracksters who really competed. They showed their toughness. I was very pleased with all of them."
Other individual winners were Eliana Beckham, 400 (1:05.04), Emma Loomis, 800 (2:36.45) and Valarie Luna with a career best high jump (5-2).
The Panthers captured first place in the 1,600-meter relay (4:27.55) with Beckham, Premer, Spray, and Luna. Great Bend dominated the 3,200-meter relay (10:45.18) with Beckham, Hannah Loomis, Emma Loomis and Olivia Rugan competing.
Earning runner-up finishes for the Panthers were Addy Nicholson, 3,200 (13:04.73); Candice Smith, triple jump (34-71/2); Rylie Duvall, discus (98-0); Macy Nachtigal, javelin (122-0); Sadie Spray, high jump (4-10) and Lexi Deines, pole vault (8-6).
"One goal was to score in every event for the girls and we accomplished that," Lashley said.
Hoisington's lone individual champion was Shellamae Farmer in the pole vault (9-6). Runner-up finishes were earned by Suzanna Schneider, 100 (13.16); Samantha Colson, 100-meter hurdles (16.59) and Sheena Gocela, long jump (16-13/4).
BOYS DIVISION — Great Bend Panther Oliver Dominguez captured the triple jump (42-0) and 400 meters (54.61) and ran on the first-place 1,600-meter relay (3:43.93) with Brayton Council, Madison Regehr and Jaime Arellanes. The Panthers scored 107 points to finish third.
"Oliver has really made amazing progress," Lashley said. "He's a strong competitor who has really improved."
Runner-up finishes were earned by Dominguez, 200 (24.49); Regehr, 300-meter hurdles (46.18); Arellanes, 800 meters (2:10.6) and Mathew Moeder, javelin (144-10).
Hoisington scored 69 points to place fourth. Runner-up finishes were earned by Josiah Ball, pole vault (9-6); Deryk Yott, 400 meters (55.4) and the 3,200-meter relay (9:11.83) with Yott, Wolf, Lewis and Doss.
Hays High scored 224 points to finish first. Triple winner Jaren Kanak won the 100 (10.75), 200 (23.02) and long jump (21-71/2).
GREAT BEND INVITATIONAL
GIRLS TEAM SCORES—1—Great Bend 224; 2—Dodge City 116.5; 3—Hays High 102.5; 4—Hoisington 94; 5—Ness City 16
GIRLS RESULTS
100m—1—Edwards, DC, 12.99; 2—Schneider, HHS, 13.16; 3—Luna, GB, 13.28; 4—Colson, HHS, 13.51
100m hurdles—1—Premer, GB, 16.25; 2—Colson, HHS, 16.59; 3—Spray, GB, 17.28; 5—Hahn, HHS, 18.03; 6—Smith, GB, 18.39
200m—1—Edwards, DC, 28.69; 3—Hanzlick, HHS, 29.64; 4—Luna, GB, 29.64; 5—Schneider, HHS, 29.66
300m hurdles—1—Premer, GB, 48.99; 3—Spray, GB, 50.06; 6—Hahn, HHS, 54.1
400m—1—Eliana Beckham, GB, 1:05.04; 3—Alyx Lamatsch, HHS, 1:07.97; 4—Addyson Mason, HHS, 1:12.32; 5—Hannah Loomis, GB, 1:12.39; 6—Kendall Mason, HHS, 1:13.37
800m—1—Emma Loomis, HHS, 2:36.45; 3—Rugan, GB, 2:42.09
1,600m—1—Diaz, GB, 5:43.5; 3—Nicholson, GB, 5:58.15
3,200m—1—Diaz, GB, 12:33.36; 2—Nicholson, GB, 13:04.73
400m relay—1—Hays High, 53.16; 3—Great Bend, 54.54 (Nachtigal, Gomez, Kuhlman, Loomis); 5—Hoisington, 54.94 (Gocela, Hanzlick, Schneider, Colson)
1,600m relay—1—Great Bend A, 4:27.55 (Beckham, Premer, Spray, Luna)); 4—Great Bend B, 4:42.72 (Hannah Loomis, Emma Loomis, Peterson, Gomez); 6—Hoisington, 4:43.4 (A. Lamatsch, Hahn, Mooney, A. Mason)
3,200m relay—1—Great Bend, 10:45.18 (Beckham, H. Loomis, E. Loomis, Rugan); 5—Hoisington, 11:45.95 (Guthrie, Crowdis, Schneweis, Mason)
High jump—1—Luna, GB, 5-2; 2—Spray, GB, 4-10; 3—Smith, GB, 4-10
Long jump—1—Green, Hays, 17-111/2; 2—Gocela, HHS, 16-13/4; 6—Smith, GB, 15-5
Triple jump—1—Green, Hays, 36-7; 2—Smith, GB, 34-71/2; 3—Premer, GB, 33-41/32; 4—Guthrie, HHS, 32-9; 5—A. Lamatsch, HHS, 31-1
Shot put—1—Warren, GB, 38-9; 3—Duvall, GB, 31-4
Discus—1—Warren, GB, 107-10; 2—Duvall, GB, 98-0
Javelin—1—Kisa Unruh, DC, 127-1; 2—Nachtigal, GB, 122-0; 3—Schneider, HHS, 108-9; 4—Davis, HHS, 99-3; 5—Blessing, GB, 94-0; 6—Warren, GB, 92-9
Pole vault—1—Farmer, HHS, 9-6; 2—Deines, GB, 8-6; 3—Miller, HHS, 8-0; 4—Gocela, HHS, 7-6; 5—Kuhlman, GB, 7-0
GREAT BEND INVITATIONAL
BOYS TEAM SCORES—1—Hays High 224; 2—Dodge City 128; 3—Great Bend 107; 4—Hoisington 69; 5—Ness City 19
BOYS RESULTS
100m—1—Kanak, Hays, 10.75; 4—Cade Mason, HHS, 11.65
110m hurdles—1—Adams, Hays, 16.53; 3—Regehr, GB, 17.5; 5—Ball, HHS, 18.61
200m—1—Kanak, Hays, 23.02; 2—Dominguez, GB, 24.49; 5—Scheuerman, GB, 25.19; 6—Cade Mason, HHS, 25.25
300m hurdles—1—Meyers, Hays, 45.16; 2—Regehr, GB, 46.18; 3—Josiah Ball, HHS, 47.37
400m—1—Oliver Dominguez, GB, 54.61l 2—Yott, HHS, 55.4; 4—Richards, HHS, 55.62
800m—1—Esfeld, GB, 2:08.17; 2—Arellanes, GB, 2:10.6
1,600m—1—Esfeld, GB, 4:50.45; 3—Doss, HHS, 5:02.0
3,200m—1—Esfeld, GB, 10:48.08
400m relay—1—Hays High, 44.36; 5—Hoisington, 48.19 (Mason, Robinson, Richards, Alderdice)
1,600m relay—1—Great Bend, 3:43.93 (Dominguez, Council, Regehr, Arellanes); 4—Hoisington, 3:53.52 (Mason, Yott, Ball, Richards)
3,200m relay—1—Dodge City, 9:05.02; 2—Hoisington, 9:11.83 (Yott, Wolf, Lewis, Doss)
Long jump—1—Kanak, Hays, 21-71/2; 4—Council, GB, 19-7
Triple jump—1—Dominguez, GB, 42-0; 5—Thompson, HHS, 37-10
Shot put—1—Haselhorst, Hays, 53-4; 5—Hoffman, HHS, 40-3; 6—Somers, GB, 39-1
Discus—1—Adams, Hays, 157-1; 4—Mintz, HHS, 11-6; 6—Philbern, HHS, 109-9
Javelin—1—Salmans, Hays, 155-4; 2—Mathew Moeder, GB, 144-10
Pole vault—1—Veach, Hays, 13-0; 2—Josiah Ball, HHS, 9-6
