The Southeast of Saline High School Invitational Track & Field Meet showcased standout performances from across north central Kansas on Friday, May 8, as the Beloit girls and Southeast of Saline boys claimed team championships in a loaded field of competitors.
The Beloit girls dominated the meet with 185 team points, well ahead of Southeast of Saline’s 118 points. Hoisington finished third with 88 points, followed by Salina Sacred Heart, Abilene, Bennington, Minneapolis and Smoky Valley.
On the boys side, Southeast of Saline captured the team title with 137 points, edging Beloit’s 115-point effort. Hoisington placed third with 95 points, while Minneapolis and Abilene rounded out the top five.
Beloit’s girls team delivered a balanced performance throughout the meet, highlighted by several event victories. Senior Dakota Gray won the girls 100-meter hurdles in 14.96 seconds and later added a second-place finish in the 300-meter hurdles. Bently Pruitt earned victories in the girls shot put with a throw of 40 feet, 2.5 inches and the pole vault at 10-0.
Beloit also excelled in the jumps, with Scarlett Ludwig winning the girls triple jump at 34-1.25 and Brecken Boudreaux taking first in the long jump at 17-7. Samantha Thompson led the discus competition with a throw of 124-9, while Autumn Lorenz finished runner-up in the javelin at 134-5.
Southeast of Saline’s girls squad was powered by Elliana Smith, who won the 300-meter hurdles in 46.69 seconds and captured the high jump title after clearing 5-4. The Trojans also dominated the distance races, as Piper Brown won the 3200-meter run in 11:48.67 while the girls 4×800 and 4×400 relay teams both earned first-place finishes.
Hoisington junior Marley Bittel turned in one of the top sprint performances of the meet, winning both the girls 100-meter dash in 12.20 seconds and the 200-meter dash in 25.75.
In the boys division, Southeast of Saline leaned on its speed and distance depth to secure the team championship. Jacob Bircher won the boys 800-meter run in a blistering 1:53.75 and later placed second in the 3200-meter run. Brayden Walker added another title for the Trojans by winning the 3200 meters in 9:22.62.
The Trojans also swept both boys relay titles on the track, winning the 4×100 relay in 44.21 seconds and the 4×400 relay in 3:34.51.
Malachi Hopkins delivered a huge day for Southeast of Saline, winning the boys long jump with a leap of 21-1 and claiming the 110-meter hurdles title in 15.11 seconds. Edgar Calzada added another win in the boys 400-meter dash with a time of 50.97.
Beloit’s boys squad showcased dominant field-event performances. Sophomore Griffin Johnson swept the throwing events, winning the shot put at 57-2 and the discus at 157-4. Brody Litton placed second in both events, helping Beloit pile up valuable team points.
John Lomax captured the boys javelin title for Beloit with a throw of 149-0, while Gunner Gray placed second in both the long jump and triple jump competitions.
Hoisington senior Taylen Morales cleared 14-6 to win the boys pole vault and later added runner-up finishes in the 110-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles.
Bennington’s Manny McVay sprinted to victory in the boys 100-meter dash in 11.09 seconds, while Salina Sacred Heart sophomore Leo Dorzweiler won the boys 200-meter dash and finished second in the 400 meters.
Other notable winners included Salina Sacred Heart freshman Emmy Lee, who swept the girls distance races by winning both the 800-meter run and 1600-meter run, and Minneapolis senior Oliver White, who captured the boys 1600-meter title in 4:34.91.
