Multiple records fall as Lady Buffs win 6A region championship in track and field
Garden City, Kan. (Western Kansas News) – The Lady Buffs track team dominated the 6A regional track meet in Dodge City on Friday, scoring 151 points to claim the team title and punch multiple tickets to the state track meet.
Hailey Brown led the way breaking a long-coveted school record that has stood since 1977 in the 200m dash with a blazing preliminary time of 24.83 seconds, and ultimately won the 200m with a sprint of 25.10 seconds. She also recorded impressive marks and finishes in the 100m (12.14 seconds, 1st place), the triple jump (35′ 8.5″, 1st place) and anchored the winning 4x400m girls relay team who ran a scorching 4:01.20 seconds. For context, that time comes to an average of 60.30 seconds per quarter mile split across the four legs of the relay.
Thaylee Powers also recorded a career day, crushing the 300m hurdles in 44.72 seconds, breaking Taylor Savolt’s 2018 school record. She also reached a bronze medal in the high jump and was a key leg in the champion 4x400m team.
Other state qualifiers on the girls track and field team included, Ava Luna (2nd in 400m), Brook Savolt (2nd in long jump), Cate Wiese (3rd in 1600m and 3200m), and Erin Finch, Charly Vollertsen, and Ailynn Anderson also qualified in individual field events.
For the boys team, they collected a number of state qualifiers as well, including Taran Castro who won gold in both the 800m and 1600m, Trevor Fry and Hayden Nemechek who went 2nd and 3rd in the 1600m and 3200m respectively, Ryder Carr and German Ferman who went 2nd and 3rd in the 200m respectively, Isaac Guerrero who qualified in the pole vault and Zach Kitch who qualified in the discuss.
The state track meet, starting on Friday, will be Coach Brian Hill’s final meet as the head coach of GCHS Track and Field before he departs to be the offensive coordinator at the Wichita Heights football program this fall.
