Eisenhower’s Kitt highlights Wichita girls state track and field champions
Over the course of this season, the first throw of the competition for Stella Kitt has typically determined how her day in the shot put is going to go.
Her first throw of the Kansas high school state track and field meet was about seven feet shorter than her season-best mark. Her second throw was three feet shorter than that.
The Goddard Eisenhower, who entered with the season’s top mark in Class 5A, was in danger of missing finals completely with just one throw left in the preliminaries.
“I was kind of worried there because that’s nowhere close to where she usually is,” Eisenhower throwing coach William Bergkamp said. “You could tell she was a little nervous and maybe the state championship atmosphere was weighing on her. So I just pulled her aside and told her, ‘You’re here for a reason.’”
Kitt showed what that reason was by bouncing back with a throw good enough to qualify for finals, then “popped one” for a mark of 41 feet even to win the 5A title in shot put.
“I get in my head a lot, so it’s such a mental game with me,” said Kitt, an Emporia State signee. “I’ve really had to work on myself and remember that I have proven that I can do it, so I just need to go out there and do what I’ve been doing.”
Kitt has surprised even herself with the development she has shown in the shot put.
Last season she placed fifth in the 5A field with a mark of 37-10¾, while her teammate, Leah Wilkinson, won the state title with a throw of 41-9.
Kitt never pictured herself on that level, as she looked up to Wilkinson as a role model. But this season, Kitt proved herself worthy of being a champion with her season-best mark of 42-8 standing as the second-best throw in Kansas this season.
“Leah was a real good one for us last year and she was able to set the tone and set the standard,” Bergkamp said. “Stella was already throwing in the 37s, which was really good, but she thought 40 feet should be her benchmark. She’s improved so much and I attribute a lot of that to the work she did last year with Leah.”
After hanging the gold medal around her neck, Kitt admitted this was a scenario she never thought was possible last season.
“I never pictured myself being in this position,” Kitt said. “It’s just ... really nice.”
Hesston’s Ashley Lehman takes first step in special state performance
Before it was possible to go for a 4-gold performance on Saturday, Hesston junior Ashley Lehman had win her first gold on Friday.
Mission accomplished.
Lehman won the 3A pole vault title for the first time in her illustrious career, as she added her fifth individual state title with a personal-best clearance of 12-4 in the event on Friday.
Up next is going for gold in the 100, 200 and 400, three events she swept last season.
Lehman not only qualified for the finals in the 200 and 400 on Friday, but her 200 time of 24.64 shattered the 28-year-old 3A state meet record of 24.90 previously held by Halstead’s Stacy Keller.
Other Wichita-area state track champions
Wichita Trinity junior Emily Hein, the 3A state cross country champion, added her first state title on the track with a winning time of 11:05.39 in the 3A 3200. Her season-best time of 10:43.19 was top-10 in Kansas this season.
Arkansas City senior Kinzie Perdue successfully defended her 5A title in the high jump, clearing 5-2 on the first try to win a three-way tie with Andover Central’s Allison Saunders and Lansing’s Halle Laincz.
Hutchinson Central Christian junior Jessa Losew hit a personal-best mark of 5-8 in the high jump to win the 1A title over teammate Belle Barnett, who matched her PR with a 5-6 clearance. It is the first state title for Losew, who finished runner-up in 1A high jump in 2023.
This story was originally published May 31, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
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