Pre-State Challenge Elite

The Shocker Pre-State Challenge, the high school division of the 61st annual K.T. Woodman track meet, is slated to begin Thursday night at 5:30 p.m. at Cessna Stadium. The Challenge will kick off with a bang with the meet's distance races and javelin throw. Distance stars litter the field for the 1600-meter run and 3200 elite divisions, on both the girls and boys sides. Defending Class 5A cross country champ MacKenzie Maki of Kapaun and defending Class 3A cross country champ Amanda Callaway of Belle Plaine lead the 1600 and 3200 girls fields. Perennial state cross country and track distance competitors Page Miller and Brooke Vining will also run. Defending Class 4A cross country and 3200 champ Tom O'Connell of Andover High leads the 1600 and 3200 boys fields. Defending 3200-meter champ Jake Wike of Derby and teammate and perennial medalist Neil Metler are also in the field. Other notable entries are Kapaun's Kyle Glasgow, Hutch's Cameron Sprague and Mulvane's Nikki Trooien-Smith and David Roberts. Class 6A cross country champ Brayden Barrientez will run in the 3200. Also on Thursday night, the javelin throw will be held inside Cessna Stadium. East High's Matt Byers, who threw 219'8" at the 6A state meet last spring, leads the boys field. Hutch High's Nate Dreiling, who threw over 179 feet at the Newton meet Tuesday night, is also in the field. The remaining events begin Friday morning at 9 a.m. Defending Class 6A state triple jump champ Austin Bahner of Wichita Heights will compete, as will defending 4A high jumper, J'Lynn Ledesma of Wellington. Tanya Friesen of Buhler, the defending 4A state long jump champ, is also entered.