BY JIM MISUNAS
WICHITA – It was time to shine for Central Plains Oiler high jumper Alex Barton. Barton cleared 6-foot-6 to capture the 2A state high jump gold medal.
Barton capped his athletic career with an amazing triple – celebrating the Oilers’ first state football championship (2014), the Oilers first state basketball championship (2018) and the Oilers’ first state track gold medal since the school was consolidated.
“All three of my state championships were the first-ever. I’m thankful to be a part of Central Plains’ first state football champion, first state boys basketball champion and be the first state track champion at Central Plains,” Barton said. “A team state title is more fun, but an individual title it more rewarding because you feel it’s just you out there.”
Barton trailed Meade runner-up Vance Shewey (6-4) and Medicine Lodge’s Drew Honas (6-4) on misses until he cleared 6-6 to match his career-best height.
“I knew on the 6-6 jump that whoever cleared the next height would be the state champion,” Barton said.
Barton said his experience last year helped him.
“They have perfect high jump conditions – their track is really springy and they line up the standards perfectly. It’s really nice the way they do things here. It was really nice. It gave me
Barton also ran a team-best 2:02.87 leg on the third-place 3,200-meter relay (8:25.56) with Jacob McAtee (2:07.31), Grant Heldstab (2:09.43) and Anthony Oberle (2:06.05). The Oilers improved 14 seconds over their regional time.
Barton has signed a basketball scholarship with Sterling College for next year.
3A HOISINGTON – Hoisington earned a pair of 2A runner-up silver-medal finishes.
Long jumper Xavier Robinson (21-23/4) finished behind Riverton’s Jeremiah Wald (21-103/4).
Pole vaulter Maleigha Schmidt led Hoisington with a runner-up finish (10-6) to Hesston’s Kylie Klassen (10-9).
Christopher Ball was a triple-event qualifier with a fifth in the pole vault (14-0), sixth in the 110-meter hurdles (15.46) and eighth in the 300-meter hurdles (41.07).
2A ELLINWOOD – Ellinwood sprinter Drew Blake pushed for a gold medal with a runner-up finish (11.06) in the 200 meters to Stanton County’s Devin Berens (10.93). Blake posted the top qualifying time (11.09).
Madison Ward earned fourth-place in the shot put (36-31/4) and seventh in the discus (111-7).
1A PAWNEE HEIGHTS – Regan Carlson was a double event qualifier with a sixth in the 3,200 (12:59.25), seventh in the 1,600 (5:52.37).
1A OTIS-BISON — Blake Bahr placed third in the 100 meters (11.37) to spark the Cougars. The Cougars finished eighth in the 400-meter relay (46.65) with Jacob Olivarez, Jayce Kohls, Maitland and Blake Bahr.
2A CENTRAL PLAINS RESULTS
300 hurdles Q—8—McAtee, 42.45
300 hurdles FINALS—8—McAtee, 42.45
3,200m relay—3—Central Plains, 8:25.56 (Barton, McAtee, Heldstab, Oberle)
High jump—1—Barton, 6-6
4A LARNED RESULTS
High jump—10—Fischer, 5-0; 12—Leiker, 4-10
Long jump—10—Skelton, 20-2
Triple jump—16—Skelton, 39-93/4
3A HOISINGTON RESULTS
110m hurdles Q—7—C. Ball, 15.62
110m hurdles FINAL—6—C. Ball, 15.46
100m hurdles—11—Colson, 16.76
300m hurdles—10—Colson, 50.5
300m hurdles Q—8—C. Ball, 41.07
300m hurdles FINALS—8—C. Ball, 41.42
1,600m—13—Yott, 4:53.91
3,200m—11—Yott, 10:44.7
Long jump—2—Robinson, 21-23/4
Discus—4—Pedigo, 113-7
Javelin—8—Jake Curtis, 167-3
Pole vault—2—Schmidt, 10-6
Pole vault—5—C. Ball, 14-0
2A ELLINWOOD RESULTS
100m—13—Gray, 13.28
100m Q—1—Blake, 11.09
100m FINAL—2—Blake, 11.06
800m—15—Joslin, 2:12.3
1,600m—7—Erin Hammeke, 5:39.75
3,200m—7—Erin Hammeke, 12:07.84
3,200m—13—Sarah Hammeke, 13:23.67
3,200m relay—12—Ellinwood, 11:10.5 (E. Hammeke, Doll, S. Hammeke, Klepper)
Shot put—4—Ward, 36-31/4
Discus—7—Ward, 111-7
2A CENTRAL PLAINS RESULTS
300 hurdles Q—8—McAtee, 42.45
300 hurdles FINALS—8—McAtee, 42.45
3,200m relay—3—Central Plains, 8:25.56 (Barton, McAtee, Heldstab, Oberle)
High jump—1—Barton, 6-6
1A MACKSVILLE RESULTS
100m Q—4—Rein, 11.21
100m FINALS—4—Rein, 11.17
200m Q—1—Rein, 22.84
200m FINALS—3—Rein, 22.76
Long jump—2—Rein, 21-81/4
Triple jump-1—Rein, 45-11/2
1A OTIS-BISON RESULTS
100m Q—5—Blake Bahr, 11.43
100m FINAL—3—Blake Bahr, 11.37
400m relay Q—8—Otis-Bison, 46.09 (Scott, Kohls, Foust, B. Bahr)
400m relay FINAL—8—Otis-Bison, 46.09 (Scott, Kohls, Foust, B. Bahr)
1,600m relay—16—Otis-Bison, 3:53.99 (Kohls, Scott, Olivarez, Foust)
3,200m relay—15—Otis-Bison, 11:23.47 (Wiltse, Ewy, Welsh, Trapp)
Triple jump—13—Trapp, 32-31/2
Discus—7—Higgason, 140-3
1A PAWNEE HEIGHTS RESULTS
1,600m—7—Regan Carlson, 5:52.37
3,200m—6—Regan Carlson, 12:59.25
Long jump—15—Jaden Carlson, 14-3
Triple jump—11—Scott, 40-03/4
Shot put—8—Hamby, 44-10; 11—Karst, 42-111/4
Javelin—10—Karst, 149-4
1A STAFFORD RESULTS
1,600m—13—Brozek, Stafford, 5:05.89
3,200m—7—Brozek, Stafford, 10:40.3
