BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
Great Bend's Kaiden Esfeld shattered a 56-year-old 1,600-meter school record at Friday's Jack Bowman Track Invitational.
Esfeld (4:20.74) broke D. McLeland's time (4:20.9) in 1967 with the third-fastest 2023 time in Kansas. The 86-degree temperature and light southerly wind agreed with Esfeld, who ran one of the greatest races in his storied career.
Great Bend Panther Valarie Luna (5-6) barely missed breaking her own school high jump record, just missing clearing the bar at 5-7. Luna showed near perfect technique on two tries at 5-7.
"I want to be consistent, which is a good feeling. I jumped very well today," Luna said. "The warm weather helps. We practice here every day, so I'm used to this high jump pit. One of my legs was shaking, but I was able to overcome that. My 5-7 jumps were good. I just hit my bottom. If I get my hips up, I should clear it."
Great Bend's girls (100) outscored reigning 4A state champion Andale (94) for first place.
The Panthers and Hoisington Cardinals enjoyed plenty of highlights.
Great Bend's 3,200-meter relay (10:26.16) placed first with Eliana Beckham, Cassie Ellegood, Kate Welcher and Sienna Smith. Kyndall Blessing (131-1) won the girls javelin.
Hoisington's standout Josiah Ball cleared 14-6 in the pole vault for one of the state's best efforts. Ball (15.11) surprised Great Bend hurdler Madison Regehr (15.3) to capture the 110-meter hurdles.
Hoisington's Shellamae Farmer, the defending 3A state champion, cleared 11-0 to win the pole vault.
Great Bend avoided most of the heavy weather that struck Ellinwood and eastern Barton County. But lightning eventually stopped the meet.
JACK BOWMAN TRACK INVITATIONAL
GIRLS TEAM SCORES—1—Great Bend 100; 2—Andale 94; 3—Hays 65; 4—Wichita Carroll 50; 5—Garden City 32; 6—Hoisington 26; 7—Dodge City 25; 8—La Crosse 15; 9—Wellington 10; 10—Campus 5; 11—Kiowa County 4
GIRLS RESULTS
100m—1—Winter, Andale, 12.89; 2—Luna, GB, 12.96
100m hurdles—1—Meyer, Andale, 15.93; 2—Hahn, HHS, 16.39; 3—Premer, GB, 16.45; 4—Steinert, La Crosse, 17.0; 6—Farmer, HHS, 17.36
200m Q—Schrandt, Andale, 25.46; Tillemans, Campus, 26.2; Brown, GC, 26.53; Urban, Wichita Carroll, 27.01; McGrath, Hays, 28.48; Morgan, La Crosse, 28.83; Little, Kiowa Co. 27.18
1,600m—1—Nicholson, GB, 5:37.22; 6—Beckwith, GB, 6:14.44
400m relay—1—Andale 49.58; 3—Great Bend 520.95 (Luna, Feist, Spray, Premer); 8—La Crosse, 53.1 (Parrott, Werth, Patterson, Morgan)
3,200m relay—1—Great Bend, 10:26.16 (Beckham, Ellegood, Welcher, Smith)
High jump—1—Luna, GB, 5-6; 3—Spray, GB, 5-4; 7—Ellegood, 5-0
Long jump—1—McGrath, Hays, 17-21/2
Triple jump—1—Brown, GC, 36-0; 4—Mooney, HHS, 34-5; 6—Harbaugh, GB, 32-111/2
Discus—1—Lohmeyer, Hays, 121-11; 3—Duvall, GB, 114-10; 4—Hofflinger, GB, 107-10; 6—Dellett, La Crosse, 103-5
Javelin—1—Blessing, GB, 131-1; 2—Macy Nachtigal, GB, 116-10; 4—McGaughey, La Crosse, 110-10; 8—King, GB, 96-2
Pole vault—1—Farmer, HHS, 11-0; 4—Kuhlman, GB, 8-6
JACK BOWMAN INVITATIONAL
BOYS TEAM SCORES—1—Hays 99; 2—Andale 69; 3—Great Bend 57; 4—Dodge City 47; 5—Hoisington 42; 6—Wichita Carroll 34; 7—Garden City 27; 8—Kiowa County 21; 9—Campus 18; 10—Wellington 12; 11—La Crosse 1
BOYS RESULTS
100m—1—Archie, Hays, 11.07; 4—Scheuerman, GB, 11.33
110m hurdles—1—Ball, HHS, 15.11; 2—Regehr, GB, 15.36
200m Q—Valasquez, GC, 22.81; Scheuerman, GB, 22.84; Okoro, DC, 23.06; Broom, Hays, 23.2; Burns, GC, 23.28; Brady Deterding, Kiowa Co. 23.39; Urbina, Carroll, 23.64
1,600m—Esfeld, GB, 4:20.74
400m relay—1—Hays 42.97; 4—Great Bend, 44.52 (Council, Regehr, Spray, Scheuerman); 8—Hoisington, 45.3 (Ball, Czarnek, Alderdice, Robinson)
3,200m relay—1—Wichita Carroll, 8:24.25; 3—Great Bend, 8:54.18 (Rocho, Galindo, Moore, Enriguez); 7—Hoisington, 8:58.74 (Wolf, Lewis, Mater, Tarlton)
High jump—1—Buller, DC, 5-10; 7—Spray, GB, 5-6
Long jump—1—Archie, Hays, 23-1; 4—Robinson, HHS, 20-6
Triple jump—1—Jones, Hays, 43111/2; 3—Dominguez, GB, 42-31/2; 6—Czarnek, HHS, 39-8; 7—Nicholson, GB, 39-1
Shot put—1—Caiden Hoffman, HHS, 49-11/2; 4—Moeder, GB, 45-7; 8—Barriger, La Crosse, 43-2
Discus—Walburn, Hays, 152-2; Marx, Andale, 135-1; Barriger, La Crosse, 132-11; Robben, Carroll, 131-9; Caiden Hoffman, HHS, 129-1; Layton Hoffman, HHS, 127-8
Javelin—1—Waddell, Hays, 170-5; 3—Moeder, GB, 163-6; 8—Johnson, GB, 139-4
Pole vault—1—Ball, HHS, 14-6
