The Emporia High track and field teams will send athletes in 11 events to next weekend’s State Track and Field Championships in Wichita. The Spartans and Lady Spartans qualified for state during their regional meet in Andover on Thursday.
Emporia High was led by Paige Newland, who claimed regional championships in the long jump (17-7.75) and the triple jump (38-11). Newland will have a chance to defend her state championship in the triple jump next Friday night at 6:30 p.m. Newland will look to improve on a fifth place finish at state last year in the long jump at 3 p.m. next Saturday. RJ Tabares picked up a pair of runner-up finishes in the hurdles. He ran 14.56 in the 110m, breaking his school record from the Centennial League Championships. He also ran a 39.93 in the 300m hurdles. Harley Smith qualified for state in three events. Smith was the regional runner-up in the 100m (12.38) and finished third in the 400m (1:00.01) and the 200m (26.28). Garrett LeBlanc will be making a second consecutive trip to state in the triple jump, finishing third (43-0). Emma Beatty qualified for state in the 1,600m (5:24.78). The boys 4x100m relay team of Harry Trelc, LeBlanc, Tabares and Brody Duncan finished third (43.32). Chance Duncan finished second in the discus (160-9).
Three Emporia High athletes finished fourth in their respective events and will have to be among the next four best marks/times across all four regionals to qualify for state. Duncan finished fourth in the javelin (165-7),Kaylee DeWitt finished fourth in the 300m hurdles (48.26) and Koby Le finished fifth in the discus (139-9).
The Emporia High boys finished fifth with 60 points while the girls finished sixth with 68 points.
The running prelims for Emporia High will be Friday afternoon. KVOE will provide updates throughout next weekend’s state championships beginning at 9 a.m. next Friday and Saturday.
