By JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com

WICHITA — Hoisington High’s Jonathan Ball is the area’s best bet for a gold medal as the state’s top-ranked pole vaulter (15-61/4). The Class 3A pole vault will start at 8 a.m. Saturday at Wichita State’s Cessna Stadium.
Jonathan Ball finished as 3A runner-up (14-0) last year. Christopher Ball (14-0) is tied for second-best 3A pole vault after placing fourth (13-6) last year.
CLASS 2A — Central Plains’ Emily Ryan is tied for the best 2A high jump (5-2) with defending champion Skylar Saunders of Valley Heights and Grace Ivey of Salina Sacred Heart.
St. John’s best bet is the 3,200-meter relay (8:34.85) scheduled for 11:40 a.m. Saturday. The Tigers’ quartet of Quincy Smith, Triston Long, Trey Fisher and Jorge Calleros ranks third in 2A. The Tigers also qualified the 400 and 1,600 relay teams.
Macksville’s Jacob Rein ranks third in the long jump (20-111/2).
CLASS 1A — Defending state long jump champion Taylor Regan (16-03/4) posted the ninth-best regional jump. But her season-best (17-41/2) ranks second behind Frankfort’s Emiliee Ebert. She captured first in the long jump (16-9) and third in the triple jump last year (34-61/2)
Pawnee Heights athlete Regan Carlson qualified in four events — long jump (15-101/2), 800 (2:34.04), 1,600 (5:52.2) and 3,200 (13:14.33).
AREA STATE QUALIFIERS
LARNED 4A RANKINGS
Shot put—10—De’Shaun Clark, 49-7
High jump—7—Katie Fischer, 5-1; 14—Makayla Leiker, 4-10

HOISINGTON 3A RANKINGS
Discus—11—Jocelynn Pedigo, 108-7
Javelin—11—Jared Curtis, 151-8
Pole vault—4—Maleigha Schmidt, 10-0
Pole vault—1—Jonathan Ball, 15-61/4; 2—Christopher Ball, 14-0
110 hurdles—13—Christopher Ball, 16.35; 15—Jonathan Ball, 17.2
300 hurdles—9—Jonathan Ball, 41.98; 10—Christopher Ball, 42.24
400—10—Brenner Donovan, 52.51
1,600—16—Dayne Yott, 4:59.19
3,200—14—Dayne Yott, 10:47.77
1,600 relay—13—Hoisington, 3:35.77 (Christopher Ball, Jonathan Ball, Cameron Davis, Brenner Donovan)

ST. JOHN 2A RANKINGS
High jump—7—Chase Fisher, 5-10
Javelin—14—Tara Nelson, 106-4
200—7—Cole Kinnamon, 23.77
400 relay—12—St. John, 53.79 (Kerisa Brown, Baley Doggett, Paige Doran, Torre Fisher)
400 relay—8—St. John, 45.63 (Dorian Berisha, Quincy Smith, Jorge Calleros, Cole Kinnamon)
1,600 relay—8—St. John, 3:35.09 (Jorge Calleros, Alexis Valenzuela, Trey Fisher, Quincy Smith)
3,200 relay—3—St. John, 8:34.85 (Quincy Smith, Triston Long, Trey Fisher, Jorge Calleros)

ELLINWOOD 2A RANKINGS
Javelin—9—Peyton Duvall, 154-5
100—7—Drew Blake, 11.68
200—7—Drew Blake, 11.68
300 hurdles—9—Madelyn Hayes, 50.21
400—16—Peter Joslin, 54.28
800—9—Joanna Strecker, 2:31.96
1,600 relay—14—Ellinwood, 4:29.16 (LaTaja Gray, Madelyn Hayes, Marie Maestas, Joanna Strecker)

MACKSVILLE 2A RANKINGS
Long jump—3—Jacob Rein, 20-111/2
Long jump—9—Emma Stimatze, 16-11/2
Triple jump—6—Jacob Rein, 42-2
110 hurdles—5—Bryce Casper, 16.33
200—5—Jacob Rein, 23.48
3,200—11—Sarah Hammeke, 13:05.6
3,200 relay—13—Macksville, 11:10.72 (Emma Stimatze, Jennifer Ortiz, Sophie Filbert, BrayLynn Anchutz)

CENTRAL PLAINS 2A RANKINGS
High jump—5—Alex Barton, 6-0
High jump—3—Emily Ryan, 5-2
Long jump—9—Emily Ryan, 16-11/2
400 relay—13—Central Plains, 54.1 (Keely Hipp, Emily Ryan, cassidy Crites, Rebecca Stratmann)

OTIS-BISON 1A RANKINGS
Long jump—9—Taylor Regan, 16-03/4
Triple jump—5—Regan, 34-01/2
Shot put—12—Luke Higgason, 44-0 100—15—Blake Bahr, 12,29
200—16—Bahr, 24.54
3,200 relay—12—Otis-Bison, 11:18.4 (Anjoelina Johnson, Cristen Trapp, Maddie Wiltse, Regan)

PAWNEE HEIGHTS 1A RANKINGS
Long jump—10—Carlson, 15-101/2
Long jump—3—Kade Scott, 19-5
800—8—Regan Carlson, 2:34.04
1,600—6—Carlson, 5:52.2
3,200—10—Carlson, 13:14.33

STAFFORD 1A RANKING
3,200—12—Cayden Brozek, Stafford, 10:53.48