Introducing the 2021 Wichita Eagle All-Metro high school boys track and field team
The Wichita area featured some of the best high school track and field athletes in Kansas this season and that star power is highlighted on The Wichita Eagle’s 2021 All-Metro boys track and field team.
The All-Metro squad consists of a total of 20 selections: 16 of the top (nine track, seven field) athletes, three top relays and a top coach from Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties, based heavily on performance at the state meet and state-wide rankings.
Heights senior sprinter Elijah Mosley was named the All-Metro Boys Athlete of the Year after winning a pair of Class 6A state championships this season. Below are the complete All-Metro selections (the girls team can be found here):
Tylen Ashihi, El Dorado junior sprints
One of the state’s fastest quarter-milers, Ashihi completed his meteoric rise this season with a Class 4A state title in the 400 with a time of 49.59. He also finished runner-up in the 200 finals (22.66). He finished with the fourth-fastest 400 time in Kansas this season.
Ashton Barkdull, Andover Central junior pole vault
In his first year of ever doing the pole vault, Barkdull finished with the fourth-best mark (14-6) in the state and won the Class 5A state championship. He also finished second in the 400 (50.11) and had the seventh-best time in that event in the state this season.
Garrett Denning, Campus junior hurdles
A breakout star this season, Denning capped off his junior season with a Class 6A state championship in the 300 hurdles (40.26). He also finished seventh at state in the 110 hurdles.
William Doolittle, Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior throws
The junior became one of the best state’s overall throwers this season, as he won the Class 5A state title in the discus (179-8) and finished runner-up in the shot put (54-1.75). Both of his season-best marks finished top-5 in Kansas this season.
Erik Enriquez, Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior distance
It may not have ended in a state championship, but Enriquez delivered one of the best performances in the Class 5A state meet with his third-place run of 9:13.82 in the 3200. Not only was that time faster than the meet record, but the Wichita State track signee also narrowly missed out on being a top-20 time in Kansas history.
Jacob Hanna, Maize senior jumps
It was a memorable senior season for Hanna, who ended his career as the Class 5A state champion in the high jump (6-6) and 300 hurdles (38.83). The Illinois-Springfield (NCAA Div. II) basketball signee ran a season-best time in the 300 hurdles at state, which ended as the state’s No. 1 time this season.
Tayton Klein, Andover junior jumps
One of the top overall athletes in the area, Klein blossomed into one of the best long jumpers in the state this season. He won the Class 5A state title in the long jump (21-8.5) with his season-best mark of 23-9.75 ranking No. 2 in Kansas. He also reached the open finals in the 100 and 200 at the state meet.
Owen Lang, Andover Central sophomore hurdles
In his first season of high school track, Lang proved to be one of the state’s top 300 hurdlers. He finished with a season-best time of 39.33 at the Class 5A state meet to finish third in the race and post the fourth-fastest time in the state this season.
Riley Marx, Andale sophomore throws
A two-time state champion in his first state meet, Marx won the Class 4A state titles in the javelin (194-7) and the discus (150-3). That javelin mark was his best of the season and finished the spring as the second-best javelin throw in Kansas this season.
Ty McPhail, Andale senior pole vault
The Louisville track signee cemented his legacy as one of the state’s best pole vaulters of all-time and the top one to come from an illustrious program at Andale. McPhail logged a career-best mark of 16-6.25, which was the seventh-best mark all-time, and won the Class 4A state title with a 15-9 mark.
Elijah Mosley, Heights senior sprints
A two-time state champion this season, Mosley pulled off the double of winning the Class 6A titles in the 200 (21.68) and 400 (49.12). He ended his career as one of the all-time best quarter-milers in Kansas history with his career-best time of 47.61 ranking No. 8 all-time in state history. On top of finishing with the state’s best time in the 400 this season, Mosley finished with the second-fastest times in the 200 (21.68) and the 800 (1:54.41) and one of the top 100 times (10.75).
Malachi Mullens, Goddard senior jumps
One of the state’s best triple jumpers, Mullens capped off an undefeated season with the Class 5A state championship in the event with a mark of 46-7.5 — just off his season-best mark of 46-10.25, which was the third-best jump in Kansas this season.
Arden Rex, Garden Plain senior sprints
Arguably the MVP of the Class 2A state meet, Rex went home with three gold medals and a silver in his final season at Garden Plain. Rex won the 200 (22.51), the triple jump (44-4) and the javelin (182-8), while finishing runner-up in the 400 (51.91).
Sawyer Schmidt, Augusta junior distance
There was no doubt who the top long distance runner was in Class 4A this season after Schmidt laid down a dominant performance at the state meet, doubling up as a state champion in the 1600 (4:23.44) and the 3200 (9:37.23) and winning those races by a comfortable margin.
Isaac Schmitz, Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior throws
Along with teammate William Doolittle, also an All-Metro selection, Schmitz formed the best throwing duo in the state. He finished with a season-best mark in the discus (172-10) at the Class 5A state meet to take third overall and with the seventh-best discus throw in Kansas this season.
Zach Trotter, Clearwater senior distance
Trotter honed in on the 800 race at the Class 4A state meet and it paid off with a season-best and school-record performance of 1:57.27 to win the race by a full three seconds. He also nearly pulled off a gold performance as the anchor for Clearwater’s 1600-meter relay team, instead settling for a runner-up finish in a season-best 3:28.15.
East 400-meter relay team
The City League champions rose to the occasion at the Class 6A state meet, ripping off a time of 42.74 to win the state title by a comfortable margin. The team consisted of junior Justin Bell, senior Adama Faye, junior Tobi Osunsanmi and junior Travon Manuel.
South 1,600-meter relay team
There may not have been a more surprising winner at the Class 6A state meet than the Titans, as they come from the first heat and generally out of nowhere to win the state title with a time of 3:28.14. The team consisted of junior Dameion Beaver, senior Shahid Harris, senior Raziel Patton and senior Serapis Artis.
Andover 3,200-meter relay team
The sheer will power and kick from Sam McDavitt delivered the Class 5A state title to Andover, as the senior ripped off a 1:54 anchor leg to punctuate the Trojans’ season-best time of 8:05.27. The team also consisted of junior John Hippisley, junior Carter Champlin and sophomore Kaden Hauck.
Andrew Bergkamp, Garden Plain coach
The Garden Plain boys nearly doubled up the rest of the field to win the program’s fourth team state championship with 73 points at the state meet. The Owls were led by senior Arden Rex, who won three gold medals and a silver, and Jack Haukap, who won the shot put title. Garden Plain also had runner-up finishes by Will Tice (javelin) and Luke Hillman (shot put).
All-Metro second team
Asher Brown, Remington senior distance
Tanner Cash, Clearwater senior throws
D.J. Dingle, Heights sophomore hurdles
Adama Faye, East senior sprints
Kenyon Forest, Newton junior throws
Doug Grider, Halstead senior throws
Jack Haukap, Garden Plain senior throws
Aiden Kendall, Newton senior throws
Eyan Knipp, Bluestem junior jumps
Andrew Lathem, Bishop Carroll junior pole vault
Andrew Leck, Rose Hill senior distance
Travon Manuel, East junior sprints
Sam McDavitt, Andover senior distance
Max Middleton, Andover junior hurdles
Nathan Seck, Andale junior jumps
Coby Smith, Eisenhower senior hurdles
Carter Wagner, Rose Hill junior jumps
Andover 400-meter relay team
Andover 1,600-meter relay team
Kapaun Mt. Carmel 3,200-meter relay team
Justin Hill, Andover coach
All-Metro third team
Serapis Artis, South senior sprints
Julius Bolden, Northwest senior jumps
Bryce Cohoon, Maize sophomore sprints
Nick Herrman, Collegiate senior throws
Andrew Howard, Campus junior hurdles
Beau Kerschen, Andale junior throws
Jackson Kraus, Andale sophomore throws
Jared McDavitt, Andover senior sprints
C.J. Meyer, Collegiate sophomore distance
Noah Meyer, Andale senior pole vault
Raziel Patton, South senior distance
Marion Ponds, East senior jumps
Tyrus Smith, Circle sophomore sprints
Brock Stupka, Andover Central junior hurdles
Henry Thengvall, Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior distance
Will Tice, Garden Plain junior throws
Isaac Whitson, Campus junior jumps
Cheney 400-meter relay team
Clearwater 1,600-meter relay team
Berean Academy 3,200-meter relay team
Tyler Ryan, Andale coach
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