LARNED — The Larned High School track and field team qualified five individuals for the Class 3A state meet on Friday and Saturday at Cessna Stadium in Wichita.
“We’ve got five kids this year in seven total events,” Larned head coach Gary Wagner said. “That’s a nice group for us.
“Of course, we’d like to have more kids than that, but we’ve had times when we just had a couple. So getting five kids there is pretty good for us.”
Josh Wise qualified in both the high jump and the triple jump.
“If he can equal his personal best (in the high jump), he has a great chance of taking home a gold medal from state,” Wagner said. “A 6-(foot)-4 jump is his personal best. He’s been really close to 6-5 a few times, and that would equal the school record as well.
“In the triple jump, he’s been real solid all year long.”
Wise had a state-qualifying jump of 6-2 in the high jump, which won him the regional crown.
“This will be my second year,” Wise said. “I was just in the high jump last year. It helps a bunch. I was pretty nervous last year. I didn’t even jump that well last year. So I want to be more prepared this year.
“I’m pretty excited, plus I have the triple jump. It was my goal (to qualify in multiple events). I tried to qualify in the long jump too, but I didn’t make it.”
Wise had a distance of 41-9 3/4 in the triple jump at the regional meet to qualify for state. The state competition for the triple jump is Friday at 1:15 p.m.
Mark Wysong qualified in the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.13 seconds.
The preliminary state races for the 200 is Friday at 12:10 p.m.
“Mark Wysong, he’s a sophomore,” Wagner said. “He qualified in the 200. That was one of our surprises. He really came on late in the year. He was league champion, and he was just the seventh qualifier out of the prelims (at the regional meet).
“He had to run on the outside lane and he qualified with fourth place. That was a nice surprise.”
Carrie Kellie qualified for two events, the long jump and triple jump.
“She went last year as a sophomore in the triple jump,” Wagner said. “She was seventh or eighth last year. She’s been real focused.
“Last year, she almost didn’t even come out. I kind of had to talk her into it. Now she just eats and breathes it. It’s what she looks forward to. She really enjoys it, and she is real focused. She set the school record a couple of weeks ago.”
Kellie reached a distance of 15-7 3/4 to qualify for the long jump and 35-1 3/4 in the triple jump.
Amanda Haberman will be competing in the shot put. She reached a distance of 34-7 1/2 at the regional meet to qualify.
“Amanda Haberman qualified last year in the shot and disc,” Wagner said. “This year, just the shot, but if she can equal her personal best or throw a new personal best at state, she’ll probably place in the top three or four. She has a really good chance to do that.
“When you get to state, that can be a big stage and that can be a bit unnerving. Hopefully, experience from last year will help her this year.”
Brittney Perez qualified for the triple jump with a leap of 33-10 1/3.
She will not be participating at state because she listed softball as a primary sport as a dual athlete for the Tribe.