Ah June. That first weekend and June Jaunt. 

Last year was nice since it was really one of the first big events to take place since the Covid shut the world down in the spring of 2020. The Covid hung through 2020 and into 2021 but June Jaunt went forth as folks started to get somewhat back to normal.

This year I am looking forward to even bigger and better things at June Jaunt. 

There is always fun taking place at the bandshell at Jack Kilby. Matthew the Magician is back. The Business/Family Olympics are always a hit. 

The final two acts on the stage will be the reunion of Slim Pickens and the always popular Homebrew.

In addition there will be all kinds of games to play during the day and vendors with all types of products. 

One of them even sells Shaved Ice. I hear it is pretty good.

So stop by Jack Kilby, get a Shaved Ice, participate in some activities and listen to some good music.

Prep Thoughts

Congratulations to the 5A state girls track and field runner-up. Your Great Bend Panthers. How about that?

It’s not easy competing against the private schools and the USD’s in the northeastern part of the state at Class 5A. But the Great Bend girls did just that this past weekend in Wichita.

The 5A girls champions from this year going back - Mill Valley, St. Thomas-Aquinas, St. James Academy, Newton. It has been five years - counting the Covid year - since a school outside the northeast won the 5A girls title.

Great Bend didn’t get it done this weekend, but they let those in 5A teams know they are here to stay for a while.

The Panthers were in first or second most of the meet but it turned into a 3-team battle midway through Saturday. Mill Valley was pretty much always in control, winning with 75.5 points while Great Bend took second 67 and Kapaun third at 66.

It was that battle for second that went to the final race that was fun.  Great Bend trailed Kapaun by one point in that event and Kapaun had the best time out of prelims. 

Not to worry, the Panthers and Crusaders went head-to-head throughout, trading the lead. The last trade came on the final stretch as Great Bend took the lead to capture the second place plaque.

You can read more on the fun I had watching Saturday next, in the And Finally section.

And Finally

Saturday was a fun day for me watching the state track meet. Yes, I watched it. From home. In my chair. On my laptop. Out of the heat. It was nice.

I watched because Friday’s results went the way the Great Bend girls needed to compete for a state title. This grabbed my interest and I was all in on Saturday.

A little background for you. Coach Lyles Lashley and myself have been friends for some 20-plus years. Those early years we spent time together at NJCAA National Track and Field Championships. 

We spent time together leading up the meet, scoring out the meet with ‘what ifs’. We spent Friday nights, heading in the final day on Saturday, again, going over scenario after scenario on how things could go.

I know how he thinks at the final meet of the year. He prepares his team to peak at that time. So as Saturday began, I pulled up the live results in one tab, loaded up the NFHS live stream on another and started texting Lyles.

I have also been to the state track meet on numerous occasions covering it for newspapers so I know the setting and craziness that last Saturday in May brings to Cessna Stadium.

The fun began. It was always going to be a big challenge for GB to beat Mill Valley. As the day went along, Mill Valley did what it needed to.

But GB hung around for a while. As the 200m concluded and Kapaun’s Lillian Harris won the event, it was clear what Great Bend needed to do for second place - win the final race of the day - the 4x400m.

Now I have seen this particular Great Bend 4x4 team run some great races this year. Win some thrilling conclusions thanks to Facebook video. The Panthers had the second best prelim time. Kapaun the top prelim time.

I text Lyles to tell him his team would win the 4x4. He didn’t answer. I didn’t expect him to. 

The first leg of the race saw Great Bend sophomore Eliana Beckham keeping pace with Harris, who had just won the 200m. On the second leg, sophomore Makenzie Premer bolted to the lead as the teams cut in at the 500m mark. She held that lead until the final 50m when Kapaun retook the lead at the handoff.

The see-saw battle continued as sophomore Mersadie Spray overtook her Kapaun foe on the back stretch. The two girls were side-by-side as the final exchange took place. For Kapaun it was senior Kesley Bruening, who had taken third in the open 800m and ran on the 4x800m silver medal. For Great Bend, freshman Kara Feist.

Feist took a slight lead on the first turn then Bruening overtook her on the back stretch and led through the final turn into the last 100m. That is when the freshman began to reel the senior in. Feist caught her with about 50m to go and the two ran stride-for-stride those final 40m or so with Feist edging out Bruening at the tape. Well, there is no tape any longer, but I’m old school.

If you were keeping track, that was sophomore to sophomore to sophomore to freshman. 

Now, not all the points were scored by underclassmen for the Panthers but it was close. Senior Taryn Warren scored eight huge points with her second place finish in the shot put. Emma Loomis and Emilia Diaz both ran on the 4x800m that took third. 

The rest were underclassmen.

I will conclude with two thoughts. 

First, I challenge you to give me a better coach at his or her sport in the area or even the state than Lyles Lashley. The man is unmatched not just by success at events but relationship with kids.

Second, look out 2023! 

Mike Marzolf is a guest columnist for the Great Bend Tribune and his views don’t necessarily reflect those of the paper. He can be reached at MarzolfM@bartonccc.edu.