Hays, Maize boys run away with top-two spots at 5A regional

WICHITA, Kan. (Catch it Kansas) - The Hays boys have used a steady presence in the field to win track meets all season. It was more of the same Thursday in Maize as the Indians scored 119 points for a Class 5A Regional title at Maize South. Maize scored 102 points for second, and Goddard-Eisenhower placed third with 76.5 points to barely edge out Hutchinson.

Indian senior Keamonie Archie entered with the all-class lead in the long jump at 24-7.5 His jump of 22-7.5 Thursday was good enough for the regional title. Hutchinson’s Terrell King won the silver at 22-2, followed by Hays’ Kyreese Groen at 22-0, and Hutchinson’s Gabe Eye in fourth at 20-10.5.

Groen took his turn atop the podium in the triple jump on a winning mark of 44-11. Teammate Chason VanDerWege won the silver at 44-5, followed closely by Eye in third at 44-3.5. Hays’ Kamani Jones qualified in the fourth and final spot at 44-2.5.

Hays also took three of the four qualifying spots in the javelin. Wyatt Waddell won on a throw of 176-1, followed by Dalton Meyers at 173-2 for the silver. Great Bend’s Matthew Moeder grabbed the bronze at 159-2, and Hays’ Wyatt Kirkpatrick took the final qualifying spot by nearly two feet at 152-4. Hays also qualified athletes in the shot put,discus, pole vault, and high jump.

Maize senior Bryce Cohoon was one of the biggest names on the track Thursday. He entered the regional ranked No. 5 all-class in the 100m dash. He followed that through with the win in 10.79. Hutchinson’s Spencer Riggs ran second in 10.91, followed by Goddard’s Micah Johnson in 10.92. Hutchinson’s Juan Ford took the final qualifying spot by 0.03 seconds in 11.19.

Cohoon entered the 200m dash as the state leader with a season best of 21.54. He matched that Thursday to win by nearly a second. Johnson took the silver in 22.32, followed by Eisenhower’s Braden Lipgens in 22.47, and Riggs in fourth in 22.64. Lipgens won the 400m dash gold in 50.93.

More speed was on display in the 4x100m relay. Hays’ team of Archie, VanDerWege, Malik Bah, and Deondre Broom ranked No. 7 all-class and led Class 5A before Thursday. The Indians cut half a second off their best time for the gold in 42.07 to move to No. 3 all-class. Maize, Hutchinson, and Goddard also qualified.

Maize South’s 4x400m team of George Papacek, Easton Grothusen, Tatum Steinhoff, and Danny Vitztum won in 3:25.94. Hays followed in 3:26.33, and Hutchinson and Eisenhower also qualified.

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