State Track Meet notables

Future Teammates Jump Off
In the class 4A triple jump, area competitors J'Lynn Ledesma from Wellington and Tanya Friesenfrom Buhler squared off. Last season at state,Ledesma was the runner-up in this event with Friesen finishingfourth.

This time around, it was different, as Friesen leaped to a state championship with a winningjump of 36-10.5. The championship was her second in the triple jump, which she also won in 2007. Friesen also defended her 2008 long jump title with another gold medal in the event at the state meet. Ledesma and Friesen willjoin sides next season as they both will compete for Wichita State.

Swanepoel Defends His Title
The 6A javelin event was expected to be a duel between Wichita East senior Matt Byers and SM South junior Johannes Swanepoel, just as in 2008. Swanepoel, defending state champion in the event, set thestate meet record at 2008 state, 221-2.

Swanepoel had lost the last match-up against Byers at the KU Relays in April, but he defended his state title with athrow of 214-5.

"I'm kind of disappointed I didn't break my record," Swanepoel said. "I am going to try and break itnext year." Swanepoel could become a three-time state champion in the event with another state title in 2010 as a senior.

Byers seemed a bit disappointed, as well, as he hung his head on one of his javelins. His best throw --208-8 -- came on his second attempt in the second flight.

The two aren't done with one another, however. They will face off againthis summer in New Mexico at a national meet.

"Matt always puts pressure on me and that is what athletics is about," Swanepoel said.

Two More Golds For Maki
Coming into the second day of the meet, Kapaun Mt. Caramel sophomore Mackenzie Maki had won the 3200 meterrun in a time of 10:53.52, nearly a minute ahead of the second-place finisher. Maki was going for a another Class 5A title in the 1600 meter race. She led for about 1400 meters of the race andwon with a time of 5:08.33.

"I wanted to break five (minutes) so bad," Maki said, in spite of winning another title in a runaway, this time by 15 seconds.

The attitude she brought to the race was what carried her, and she still has two years remaining in high school.

"I just wanted to run as hard as I could, for as long as I could," Maki added.

With a second-place finish in the 800 meter to go with her two gold medals, Maki, also the 5A state cross country champ last fall, should have a full trophy case by graduation.


Belle Plaine senior Amanda Callaway ran a 5:26.52 1600 meter race, finishing second after a year ago finishingfifth in 3A. Callaway also won the 3200 and 800 in 3A for three gold medals.

On the boys side of the 1600 meter races, Wichita Northwest junior Robbie Martinez-Garcia finished second in6A. Martinez-Garcia had the fastest time in the state coming into the event and was the defending state champion.

"I knew the competition was going to be tough," Martinez-Garcia said.

With next year approaching, he added that with Derby's Jake Wike and Campus' Braden Barrientez both graduating, he has no
worries for reclaiming his state title.

Also, defending boys class 4A 3200 meter champ, Andover senior Tom O'Connell, finished second in both the 1600 meter and 3200 meter races.

Later on in the Class 3A 400 meter dash, Garden Plain seniors Kurt Pauly and Antonio Dowdy swept the top two spots.Pauly, the defending 3A champion, won with a time of 48.32 seconds, breaking a 3A state meet record. Pauly ended the day with four gold medals, sweeping the sprints in 3A, the 100, 200 and 400 and getting his fourth gold in the 4x100 meter relay.

"We push each other back and forth, especially in practice," Dowdy said. "We both love that competitive edge."

The Pauley domination did not stop as he and his team won all four events he participated in, leading the team toa Class 3A state title.