BUHLER — For the first time this season, the Great Bend High School track and field team competed in two meets in one week.
The Panthers finished eighth overall at the Buhler Invitational. The Lady Panthers seized 12th on Friday.
“I thought it was a good meet,” Great Bend head coach Bo Black said. “There were a lot of good teams there. We didn’t have our full squad, but I thought the kids competed hard.”
Due to inclement weather, it has been difficult for Great Bend to compete in multiple meets in such a short span, but Black said that the team did well with the short turnaround.
“A lot of the ones that competed on Friday also competed on Tuesday,” Black said. “They all worked hard. I think it was better for them to get out and compete like that.”
Jayce Brack produced the highlight for Great Bend, throwing a personal-best 52 feet, 3 3/4 inches in the shot put for second place. He also captured fourth in the discus with a heave of 147-4.
Lady Panthers thrower Laura Black finished third in the shot put at 29-3.
“Jayce threw his best throw ever in the shot put,” Black said. “Really all of our throwers did well. Laura’s a girl who has been coming on for us lately, but Jayce’s PR was definitely the highlight.”

Burley leads Great Bend
at KU Relays
LAWRENCE — Great Bend took a few athletes to compete in the KU Relays on Friday and Saturday.
Chris Burley finished fourth in the pole vault with a jump of 14-11.
“That’s a pretty unique opportunity for him,” Black said. “The KU Relays bring in teams from the four-state region, and you have to qualify just to get in. I think 14-11 is pretty good jump for him at this point in the season.”
Hannah Middlton tied for 14th in the pole vault (9-6 1/4), and the Panthers 4x800-meter relay team, consisting of Chon Chavez, Richard Lara, Ky Heeke and Kole Stiner, took 22nd (8:32.56).

                                               — Kevin Price

PREP TRACK & FIELD

At Buhler

Friday

BOYS
Team standings
1. Hays, 177; 2. Garden City, 104.5; 3. Buhler, 73; 4. Maize South, 72.5; 5. Winfield, 64; 6. Dodge City, 50.5; 7. Salina Central, 32; 8. Great Bend, 29.5; 9. Andover Central, 24; 10. Salina South, 22; 11. Goddard Eisenhower, 16; 12. Andover, 8.5

Great Bend results
400-meter dash — 4. Antonio Carrasco, 52.89
1,600 run — 5. Kole Stiner, 4:29.91; 6. Chon Chavez, 4:32.03
110 hurdles — 6. Darion Yager, 45.18
4x100 relay — 8. GBHS (Connor, Carrasco, D. Yager, T. Yager), 45.82
4x400 relay — 8. GBHS (T. Yager, Carrasco, Connor, D. Yager), 3:38.82
Shot put — 2. Jayce Brack, 52-3 3/4
Discus — 4. Brack, 147-4; 6. Nick Warren, 136-5

GIRLS
Team standings
1. Garden City, 104; 2. Winfield, 101; 3. Hays, 99; 4. Dodge City, 96; 5. Maize South, 88; 6. Buhler, 50; 7. Salina Central, 43; 8. Goddard, 36; 9. Goddard Eisenhower, 32; 10. Andover Central, 23.5; 11. Salina South, 13; 12. Great Bend, 11.5; 13. Andover, 3

Great Bend results
1,600-meter run — 8. Mariah Stein, 5:53.07
3,200 run — 7. Mary Williams, 13:05.35
High jump — 7. Alex Eye, 4-6
Long jump — 8. Shelby Tracy, 14-7 1/2
Triple jump — 6. Sarah Niederee, 30-6 3/4
Shot put — 3. Laura Black, 29-3
Discus — 6. Abby Mitchell, 90-4

KU Relays

At Lawrence

Saturday

BOYS
Great Bend results
4x800-meter relay — 22. GBHS (C. Chavez, Lara, Heeke, Stiner), 8:32.56
Pole vault — 4. Chris Burley, 14-11

GIRLS
Great Bend result
Pole vault — 14. Hannah Middleton, 9-6 1/4