OTTAWA — Maggie Wilson captured her third straight Kansas Class 4A Regional Track Meet pole vault championship Friday. Wilson qualified for her fourth consecutive state track meet in winning the title at Ottawa High School.
The Iola High senior won the event with a vault of 11 feet. Taking fourth, and also qualifying for the state meet, was Wilson’s teammate Breanna Stout. Stout, a sophomore, cleared a height of 6 feet.
Wilson and Stout were among seven Iola High athletes punching a ticket to this weekend’s Kansas All-Class State Track and Field Championship meet in Wichita.
Wilson finished third in the Class 4A girls’ pole vault a year ago. A concussion suffered during practice the week of the state meet prevented Wilson from competing as a sophomore. She took the sixth-place state medal as a freshman.
Senior Charles Apt is the lone Mustang qualifier. Apt finished fourth in the javelin with a throw of 156 feet, 6 inches. Apt was throwing with an injured elbow.
Kirstin McGuffin, a senior, claimed the bronze medal in the girls’ discus at the regional Friday. She threw the discus 107 feet. Fellow senior Katlyn Cleaver made the finals and finished sixth at 100’3”.
Kelsey Larson, a junior, qualified for the second straight year in the 400-meter dash. She was fourth in 1:02.94 at the regional. Larson finished eighth a year ago at the state meet.
Junior Kendra Taiclet worked through a hip problem to place fourth in the 100-meter high hurdles in 16.66 seconds. Taiclet also placed fourth in the 200-meter dash qualifying for state. Taiclet and Larson both posted a time of 27.48 seconds in the 200 but Taiclet had the edge in the photo finish.
Wilson, Larson and Taiclet are going back to state in the 4×100-meter relay race. They were on the seventh-place medal relay last year. The three combined with sophomore Chanel Coyne to take third at the regional in 52.23 seconds.
Senior Molly Maxwell ran seventh in the 100-meter high hurdles in 17.02 seconds. Maxwell, who has landed a spot on the Kansas State University cheer squad for next year in Manhattan, finished her high school career taking ninth in the high jump, clearing the bar at 4’8”.
Wilson ran fifth in the 100-meter dash in 13.45 seconds. Larson and McGuffin made the finals in the javelin, finishing sixth (106’10”) and seventh (101’1”) respectively. Freshman Darci Collins was ninth in the shot put event with a toss of 30’2”.
For the Iola boys, the 4×800-meter relay team placed fifth in 8 minutes, 56.92 seconds. Members of the relay team were junior Christian Kauth, Apt, freshman Tyler Powelson and junior Mikal Bossell. Bossell, Apt and C. Kauth combined with sophomore Jacob Harrison for 11th place in the 4×400-meter relay race in 3:54.59.
Senior Drew Shepherd was eighth in the pole vault and freshman Michael Wilson was ninth. Both cleared 11 feet. Sophomore Stephen McDonald was 10th in the discus with a throw of 110’1” and C. Kauth placed 14th in the triple jump with a leap of 36’111⁄2”.
In the 300-meter intermediate hurdles, freshman Adam Kauth was eighth in 44.87 seconds. Freshman Jeremy Spears was 10th in the 3200-meter run in 11:34.32 and junior Roman Yocham placed 15th in the 1600-meter run in 5:28.73.
The state meet is Friday and Saturday at Wichita State University’s Cessna Stadium. Qualifying races for Class 4A are on Friday afternoon. A complete schedule for Iola and other area athletes at the state meet will be in Wednesday’s Register.
Wilson is 4A regional pole vault champ
