Saturday - State Track (Continued and a bit late)

On Friday after the state track meet, I made a list of medalists who had appeared in the magazine over the course of our first year of publishing. Here, it continues with a list of Saturday's medalists from the area at the 2008 state track meet:

Abby Rowland, Andale senior
Second in 4A girls pole vault
-In Game Plan Track in May, the magazine previewed the boys pole vault competition at state. As a note, we mentioned that Andale, a program traditionally strong in the pole vault, might have its best shot at winning a title on the girls side. Turns out, Rowland placed second to El Dorado freshman Jamie House, and Andale sophomore Ben Horsch had an upset win on the 4A boys side. Rowland's teammate Lizzy Schmitz placed third, further proving Andale's dominance in the event.

Jeremy Postin, Andover senior
Fourth in 4A discus
-Postin will appear in the magazine for the first time in June. Postin, who plans to throw at Florida University next year, was the state shot put champ after tearing two knee ligaments during football season in the fall.

Chris Ronen, Newton senior
Fourth in 5A javelin
-Ronen, who neared 200 feet during the regular season, threw the javelin 170'7" at the state meet. Ronen was featured with Matt Byers and Roman Belden in the May issue feature "Wingin' It".

Katie Porter, Goddard senior
First in 6A long jump
-Katie Porter, who also medalled in the triple jump at state, led the basketball portion of Picture This in the April issue. Porter and the Goddard girls basketball team made a run to the 6A state title game, falling by two points to Lawrence.

Colton Rausch, Clearwater senior
Fourth in 4A high jump
-After the mid-season basketball tournaments in January, Colton Rausch and the Clearwater boys team were poised to make a run through the regular season into the postseason. Rausch was photographed in the February feature on contenders, as Clearwater had won the Chaparral mid-season tournament.

Zack Puetz, Garden Plain senior
First in the 3A discus
-Puetz, a lineman on the football team in the fall, appeared in the August and November magazines, as the Owls marched to the 3A title. Puetz was then featured in the May issue in the Family Affair section, as he was in process to catching his dad Mitch's school record in the shot put. Puetz also won the 3A shot put, throwing further than any other at the state meet.

Jordan Voelker, Newton senior
Second in the 5A shot put
-Voelker closed out an outstanding high school athletic career with secon-place finishes in the 5A discus and shot. Also a defensive end and all-league forward on hoops team, Voelker, who was photographed in the April issue, went on top of his game. Newton teammate Evan Kaufman placed fifth in the shot, rounding a very good throwing team at Newton when you also throw Chris Ronen into the mix.

Andrea Markel, Pretty Prairie junior
Second in the 2A javelin
-Markel was featured as the Commerce Student-Athlete of the Month in the May issue. Markel is a three-sport athlete in basketball, volleyball and track, and used to play high school golf.

Jenny Welker, Pretty Prairie junior
First in the 2A 100 hurdles
-Welker, who was covered in the track season preview in the March issue, repeated as champ in the 100 hurdles.

Ryan Haswell, Andover senior
Second in the 4A 110 hurdles
-Haswell, who contributed to the Andover High boys' first-place tie with Andale, is photographed in the June issue, on stands in the second week of June.

Tanner Hageman, Cheney junior
Third in the 4A 110 hurdles
-Hageman overcame a knee injury to become the starting quarterback at Cheney this past fall only to break his collarbone mid-season. Hageman came back to have a strong basketball season, as Cheney was ranked in 4A most of the year, and medal at the state track meet. He was featured as the Kansas Orthopaedic Center Comeback Player of the Month in November.

Keith Hayes, Wichita Southeast senior
Fourth in the 6A 110 hurdles
-Hayes had the top time in the state entering the state meet and was the defending champ in the event, but a hamstring held him back in 2008. Hayes, who was photographed in the August issue and the March issue track preview, will run at KU next year.

Sierra Gant, Independent senior
First in the 3A 200
-Gant was mentioned in the March issue track preview as a returning medalist in the multiple sprint events.

Audacia Moore, Wichita Heights senior
First in the 6A 100 and 200
-Moore appeared on the cover of the March issue and will do so again in the June issue as an inset photo. Moore, who broke the state meet record with a time of 11.77 in the 100, will run at WSU on a track scholarship next year. She is a national talent.

Laura Nightengale, El Dorado senior
First in the 4A 800
-Nightengale finished up her prep rivalry with Heather Garcia of Baldwin in form. While losing to Baldwin in the 1600, Nightengale beat Baldwin handily in the 800. These girls traded off these events for three years. The November issue featured Nightengale, and she also appeared in the August issue in Spotlight.

Tom O'Connell, Andover junior
Second in the 4A 1600
-O'Connell finished ahead of fourth-place Andrew Wagner of El Dorado, who finished ahead of O'Connell at the state cross country meet in the fall.

Emilee Morris, Hutchinson senior
First in the 5A 1600 and 800
-Emilee Morris, who started out at Hutchinson as a sprinter, would fill out her role and more later on as a distance runner. Morris medalled at her final two state cross country meets and won the 1600 at the state track meet a year after medalling in the event. Morris was the Commerce Student-Athlete of the Month in December.

Colin Hagan, Kapaun senior
Third in the 5A 1600
-Hagan, who will run at Drake next year, medalled for the second year in a row in the 1600. He was photographed in the December issue as a medalist at the 5A cross country meet.

Robby Martinez-Garcia, Wichita Northwest sophomore
First in the 6A 1600
-Martinez-Garcia, who is photographed in the June magazine, which hits stands in the second week of June, is a rising star. He upset the field with his win in the 1600 as just a sophomore.

Tiffany Bias, Andover Central sophomore
First in the 4A 400 and 200
-The titles just keep coming to sophomore sensation Tiffany Bias. Bias, who also won a state basketball title this past winter as the starting point guard for the Jags, repeated as champ in both the 200 and 400. Bias was photographed in the August and April issues and will appear again in the June issue.

Kurt Pauly, Garden Plain sophomore
First in the 3A 400
-There are so many great Pauly athletes in the Conway Springs area, but there also many around Garden Plain. Kurt Pauly, mentioned in March's track preview, seems to figure as one of the up-and-comers, as he gets his first title as a sophomore. Look for Austin Pauly at Conway making some contributions in football this fall. No relation, at least recently.

Mike Flores, Maize junior
First in the 6A 400
-Mike Flores, who appeared on the cover of the March issue, repeated as the champ in the 400. He also medalled in two other events: the 200 and triple jump. His teammate Miles Ukaoma placed third in the 400 as a sophomore.

Deidra Anthony, Wichita South junior
Second in the 6A 300 hurdles
-Anthony was photographed in the March track preview. The defending champ in the event, Anthony placed second.

Zack Roberts, Newton senior
First in the 5A 300 hurdles
-Roberts, who is photographed in the June issue (on stands in second week of June) led a 300 hurdles field that was deep locally. Valley Center's Todd McKown placed second, Kyle Long of Carroll fourth, Gage McKinnis of Hutch sixth and Miguel Johns of Newton seventh.

Tyrell Everett, Wichita Heights senior
First in the 6A 800
-Everett, who ran the second-fastest 800 at the state meet, is photographed in the June issue.

Ethan Ungles, Andale senior
First in the 4A 100, 200 and 4x100 relay
-Ungles, who was photographed in the November issue in the "Game Day" feature on Hutch and Andale football, was a leading offensive threat at wideout for Andale football this past fall. A two-time titlist in football and track, in addition to his individual gold medals this spring, Ungles leads the June feature on the state track meet and appears on the cover.