Introducing the 2021 Wichita Eagle high school girls track and field All-Metro 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 girls 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.
Andale senior thrower Katelyn Fairchild was named the All-Metro Girls Athlete of the Year after winning a pair of Class 4A state championships and breaking the state meet record in the javelin this spring. Below are the complete All-Metro selections (the boys team can be found here):
Annabeth Baalmann, Andale junior pole vault
Baalmann carried on the strong tradition in the pole vault program at Andale by winning the Class 4A state championship by clearing 11 feet. Her season-best mark of 11-1 ranked fifth-best in the state this season.
Allison Catlin, Garden Plain senior hurdles
After winning the state title in the 100 hurdles as a sophomore, Catlin doubled up as the Class 3A state champion in the 100 hurdles (15.65) and the 300 hurdles (46.07) as a senior. The Nebraska Wesleyan (NCAA Div. III) track signee also ran a leg on Garden Plain’s gold 400-meter relay team.
Kimalee Cook, Circle senior sprints
Cook successfully defended her state title in the 100, winning the Class 4A title this spring with a time of 12.33. The Southern Nazarene (NCAA Div. II) basketball signee, who finished her career with three track titles, also finished runner-up in the 200.
Karsen Dunham, Douglass senior jumps
The senior saved her best performance of her career for her final meet, as Dunham won the Class 3A state championship in the triple jump with a season-best mark of 36-9.75. The Bethel (NAIA) track signee finished with the 11th-best mark in triple jump in Kansas this season.
Zoie Ecord, Maize junior distance
While she didn’t end up with a state championship, Ecord helped produce two of the most exhilarating distance race finishes at the state meet. She came less than a tenth of a second away from winning the Class 5A 800 (2:21.40) and two tenths away from winning the 1600 (5:04.98).
Katelyn Fairchild, Andale senior throws
Fairchild put on a show in her last state track meet, breaking the state meet record in the javelin (170-0), winning the Class 4A shot put title (42-2.5) and finishing runner-up to her sister in the discus (132-10). Fairchild, a Texas A&M track signee who recently competed in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, ended her career with the second-best javelin throw (175-4) in Kansas history, the top shot put throw (45-0) this season and the second-best discus throw (150-0) this season.
McKenzie Fairchild, Andale sophomore throws
The Fairchild family dominated the Class 4A state meet, as McKenzie and her sister, Katelyn, combined to sweep the top-two places in all three of the throwing events. McKenzie won the state title in the discus with a season-best throw of 140-0 for the fourth-best mark in Kansas this season, while she finished runner-up to her sister in the javelin (159-2) and shot put (40-6).
Brooke Hammond, Garden Plain junior sprints
The star of the Class 2A state meet, Hammond won four golds for the Owls this spring. She was the favorite to win the 100 (12.27) and the 200 (25.65), but surprised even herself by winning the 400 title (1:00.79) out of the first heat. She also ran the anchor leg on Garden Plain’s title-winning 400 relay team (49.97) that broke the school record.
Jalea Hoddy, Valley Center senior distance
Hoddy blossomed into one of the top 800 runners in the state as a senior, winning the Class 5A state title in dramatic fashion with a lean at the finish line. The Fort Scott Community College track signee won with a season-best time of 2:21.33.
Hope Jackson, Bishop Carroll junior distance
After coming close to winning as a freshman, Jackson broke through on the track as a junior in a big way with taking home a pair of Class 5A state titles. Jackson proved she is one of the state’s top distance runners and won the 1600 (5:04.75) and the 3200 (10:59.77) in times that finished top-7 in the state for this season.
Kennadie Jinkins, East junior hurdles
Whether it was in a straight line or over hurdles, Jinkins proved she is one of the fastest girls in the state. She won the Class 6A state title in the 300 hurdles (46.68) and picked up three other medals along the way — second in the 100 hurdles (15.12), third in the 200 (25.70) and fourth in the 100 (12.38).
Torrance Lovesee, Bluestem senior jumps
One of the state’s top athletes showed why at the Class 2A state meet, as Lovesee picked up four individual medals and won the state title in the triple jump (36-8). The UTEP volleyball signee also finished fifth in the long jump, seventh in the shot put and seventh in the discus. Her season-best mark of 144-0 in the discus was the third-best throw in Kansas this season.
Samantha Marx, Andale senior throws
Marx teamed up with her cousins, Katelyn and McKenzie Fairchild, to sweep 1-2-3 at the Class 4A state meet in the javelin. The Wichita State track signee had the fifth-best javelin throw (145-7) in Kansas this season and finished third in Class 4A. She also took fifth in the discus and 10th in the shot put.
Taryn St. Clair, North sophomore jumps
The high jump specialist made her debut at the state meet a special one, winning the Class 6A championship by clearing 5-4. The sophomore finished the season with the best high jump (5-8) in Kansas this season.
Hayley Trotter, Clearwater sophomore distance
In her first season of high school track, Trotter made her mark as one of the state’s top 800 runners. The sophomore won the Class 4A state title in dominant fashion, winning by nearly four seconds with a season-best time of 2:28.84 for the sixth-best in Kansas this season. She also took third in the 1600.
Caryn Yoder, Hesston junior sprints
The 100 was her race all season and the Hesston junior rose to the occasion on the biggest stage, winning the Class 3A state championship with a season-best time of 12.32.
Andale 400-meter relay team
The Andale 400-meter relay team was one of only a handful to crack 50 seconds at the state meet, as the team of sophomore Camryn Winter, junior Cali Kerschen, senior Lainee Eck and freshman Elizabeth Reichenberger won the Class 4A state title in a time of 49.89.
Andover Central 1600-meter relay team
The Jaguars finished with the area’s fastest time this season at 4:03.91, which was the sixth-fastest in Kansas this season. Andover Central’s team of senior Allyson Harris, junior Brittany Harshaw, senior Mackenzie Scheidel and junoir Ellen Geoffroy took second at the Class 5A state meet in a time of 4:07.43.
Kapaun Mt. Carmel 3200-meter team
It was a dominant performance from the Crusaders to win the Class 5A state championship in a season-best time of 9:38.37, which was the fourth-fastest time in Kansas this season. The Kapaun team consisted of freshman Julia Berends, senior Mason Bina, junior Kelsey Bruening and sophomore Addie Curtis.
Tyler Ryan, Andale coach
The dynasty has continued under Ryan’s tutelage, as the Andale girls program has won the last four team state championships. The Indians won the Class 4A team state title with 137.5 points and nearly doubled up the field. There were 12 girls that won individual medals at the state meet and three state champions in senior Katelyn Fairchild (javelin and shot put), junior Annabeth Baalmann (pole vault) and sophomore McKenzie Fairchild (discus).
All-Metro second team
Aneesa Abdul-Hameed, Derby senior sprints
Makenzie Block, Eisenhower junior hurdles
Teagan Brennan, Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior throws
Kaylee Brown, Maize South sophomore throws
Kelsey Bruening, Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior distance
Addie Curtis, Kapaun Mt. Carmel sophomore distance
Lilian Diaz, Maize senior pole vault
Ellen Geoffroy, Andover Central junior sprints
Sophia Gimino, Kapaun Mt. Carmel sophomore throws
Allyson Harris, Andover Central senior jumps
Cali Kerschen, Andale junior hurdles
Hayley Loewen, Newton junior jumps
Deanna Miller, Southeast senior sprints
Evan Nordhus, Bishop Carroll sophomore hurdles
Asha Regier, Newton senior jumps
Sydney Rich, Maize South senior sprints
Alexa Rios, Maize South senior distance
Andover Central 400-meter relay team
Andale 1600-meter relay team
Valley Center 3200-meter relay team
Eric Rockers, Garden Plain coach
All-Metro third team
Maycee Anderson, Augusta senior jumps
Sydney Anderson, Andover sophomore distance
Jordan Bell, Heights junior throws
Megan Boeding, Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior hurdles
Kieran Burke, Maize South junior throws
Karynne David, Heights freshman sprints
Jenna Elliott, Trinity Academy senior distance
Lillian Harris, Kapaun Mt. Carmel sophomore sprints
Brittany Harshaw, Andover Central junior jumps
Serenity Jackson, South junior sprints
Callie Knudson, Derby senior throws
Kaleigh O’Brien, Halstead sophomore distance
Clarissa Rowland, Andale sophomore pole vault
Akeir Sacles, East junior jumps
Maddie Schrandt, Andale sophomore sprints
Haley Thrush, Rose Hill senior jumps
McKinlee Walker, Andover freshman hurdles
Garden Plain 400-meter relay team
Bishop Carroll 1600-meter relay team
Andover 3200-meter relay team
Marvin Estes, Kapaun Mt. Carmel coach
.jpg)