Runner back to form
By CONOR NICHOLL
As a sophomore, Molly Schmeidler qualified for the state track and field meet in the 1,600-meters for Thomas More Prep-Marian.
She missed out on a trip to state as a junior when she broke her wrist snowboarding and had to run with a cast.
"Last year, I expected her to be back, I fully believe that she would have been back, but it threw her off more than what people know," Monarch coach Matt Dumler said. "I fully believe that is what got her last year."
Schmeidler also didn't reach state last fall in the cross-country season. This spring, a healthy Schmeidler has nearly matched her personal records from two years ago and could be one of the Monarchs that qualify for state this weekend.
TMP-Marian, along with Norton and Phillipsburg, compete in the Class 3A Regional Championships at Lakin on Friday.
The top four finishers head to state next week in Wichita. Field events start at 3 p.m., while running finals are at 6 p.m.
Schmeidler has the top seed in the 3,200 meters and could qualify in three events, the 3,200, 1,600 and 3,200-meter relay, and complete a turnaround from her injury-plagued junior season.
"Molly is a great kid, anytime anybody can resurrect it and get back there, it is nice to see," Dumler said.
Schmeidler is one of the top area female athletes at the meet, including her teammate, senior sprinter/thrower Kim Haberman, Monarch freshman sprinter/jumper Brianna Hallagin, Norton junior distance runner Laura Lee Baird, Norton junior thrower Hayli Bozarth and Phillipsburg junior Lindsay Dusin.
The boys' side features TMP-Marian junior Drew Thomas, Norton senior Zach Bainter and a deep Phillipsburg team that includes senior Gabe Wickham. Scott City, which Panther head coach J.B. Covington considered the most talented boys' squad in Class 3A, will also be in Lakin.
"First and foremost, Scott City is loaded," Covington said. "They are the team to beat."
"They got to go there and compete," Dumler added. "That is what regionals is all about."
Schmeidler has competed all season, including a third-place finish in the 1,600-meters and second in the 3,200 meters at the Mid-State Activities Association Championships last week.
This weekend, she will try to support Haberman, one of Kansas' best track and field athletes, and give TMP-Marian a deep team at the state meet. Haberman has the No. 1 seed in all four of her events, the 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump and triple jump and is the best jumper, regardless of classification. She is expected to qualify in all four events and could win state in all four. Haberman was also the only Monarch to qualify for state last season.
Schmeidler, though, is one of several Monarch girls that could change that on Friday. Schmeidler, Hallagin (100, 200), junior Taryn Kippes (triple jump) and freshman Hayley Taylor (pole vault) are all ranked in the top four in at least one event. Dumler also believes that the girls' 3,200-meter relay team that includes Schmeidler can make it to Wichita. The relay ran 11:08 at conference last week, good for a fourth-place finish.
"Brianna is sitting in a very good position, Molly is sitting in a very good position, our 4 by 8 is sitting in a very good position," Dumler said.
Individually, Schmeidler, who has signed to run for Baker University, ranks fourth in the 1,600-meters and first in the 3,200-meters.
"She is enough of a competitor," Dumler said. "Every day this week, I have asked her, are you OK with running all three? and (she) said yeah."
Schmeidler wants to not only run all three, but set season-best times -- and continue to draw closer to her personal records set her sophomore year, before she broke her wrist.
Her 1,600-meter personal record is 5:40, but her season best is 5:53.
"I want to beat that (5:53) if I can on Friday," she said. "A 5:50 should be able to get you there (to state)."
Dumler and Schmeidler have mapped out a race plan that yields a 5;47 mile. The race plan, though, has changed from past years. Schmeidler used to be more comfortable running with people. Now, she runs against splits and times, a method that has helped.
"I think more so in earlier years, I would just try and go fast," she said. "Now we are trying for strategy-wise. ... It just helps out when I am planning the race, focusing on each lap instead of just the whole race."
In the 3,200-meters, Schmeidler has improved and was runner-up to Class 4A Ulysses' Janni Meierhoff at conference by a second. Both Schmeidler and Dumler were pleased with the performance and Schmeidler's time of 12:57.
"She only beat me by a little bit and usually I am quite behind her," she said.
"That was good to see," Dumler added. "She has got to be the person to beat."
Based on the season's results, Schmeidler should be able to qualify with a 13:25 or better. However, she would like to better her conference time and set a new season record.
"I want to try to get under 12:50 if I can," she said. "I ran a 12:40 my sophomore year. I think I can, that is my goal."
Schmeidler is also one of several Monarchs that has been impressed with Hallagin, the area's most impressive female freshman in Class 3A.
"I know that Brianna has come a long ways," she said. "She is doing really well."
Hallagin, who trained with Haberman all winter, has improved and could qualify in several events. She ranks fourth in the 100 meters (12.6) after she dropped five tenths of a second from her time in the season-opening Alex Francis meet. In the 200, Halligan also ranks fourth (26.5).
"I don't know how you cannot be pleased with the progress she has made," Dumler said.
"It helped Kim a lot to have Brianna to train with," assistant coach Ty Haas added. "They pushed each other. It is kind of nice to have. ... Across the board, if you have two kids that can pull some points at state in those (sprint) events, that is big."
Halligan has undergone several mechanical and scheduling changes throughout the spring. At first, she ran the 100, 200 and 400, but dropped the 400 about midseason to give her some more rest and recovery time.
Running-wise, Haas said Hallagin's "drive phase was probably not even existent until like two weeks ago." Haas worked with Hallagin on acceleration drills and starts out of the blocks.
"Fighting inertia," Haas said. "Your body will tie up if you don't come out right."
At conference, Hallagin delivered a brilliant start and ran a 12.64, second to Haberman's school record 12.00, 3A's best mark and the third-best time in the state regardless of classification.
"They were explosive," Haas said, "Their start, they were done with everybody else in 10 meters. Just getting her to see how critical it (the start) is at this level, very, very critical. For the first 30-40 meters, neck and neck, they were pretty close."
Hallagin had worked on running the curve repeatedly in practice. She would often start at the 150-meter mark. During the 800 meters at events (the race preceding the 200), Haas said Hallagin would start at about 120 meters, run about 60 meters and focus on leaning for about 15 meters on the curve.
"All of the forces are pulling you outward, so if you don't lean, it feels like you are the curve forever," Haas said with a laugh. "She has done a lot better."
Especially at conference.
Hallagin won 200 meters at conference in 26.54 when Haberman missed the race because of illness. Hallagin ran the curve well and even elicited a Haberman comparison from Dumler.
"Kim normally makes up the stagger by halfway through the curve," Haas said, "That is what Brianna did."
"It was almost like watching Kim as a freshman," Dumler added.
While Schmeidler and Hallagin have consistently improved, Thomas, a double state qualifier in the high jump and discus as a sophomore, comes into regional with his best results at the season-opening Alex Francis meet at Fort Hays. However, if he matches those results, he could qualify in both events again -- and move closer to fulfilling his preseason goal of placing at state.
Thomas threw the discus 144-10 and jumped six feet at the season opener, good for the third and sixth seed, respectively, at the regional. In the discus, he will face top competition, including Ellsworth junior Chris Seiler and Phillipsburg senior Keath Thomas. In the high jump, he will face Scott City senior Chance Chelemedos and Medicine Lodge junior Travis Buck, both of whom are tied for the second-best jump in 3A at 6-6. Phillipsburg juniors Dylan Frantz and Chance Keiswetter, both at 6-2, and Scott City's Bill John (6-0) are in the mix. Monarch junior Clint Barnes sits fourth in shot put (47-6).
"It can't be an off day," Dumler said, speaking not just for Thomas, but for his entire core of possible qualifiers.
Baird leads Norton
The Bluejay core revolves around Baird, one of the top distance runners. Baird is in the top 10 in the state, regardless of any classification, in the 400 and 800 meters and stands in the top 16 for the 1,600, according to the honor roll on the McPherson College Web site. However, Baird, the Mid-Continent League champion in the 800 and 1,600, is going to tested Friday, especially in the 400 meters, considered by many coaches as one of the toughest events.
"I think your middle distance and distance runs will be highly competitive," Norton coach Jason Jones said.
Baird stands third in the 400 (59.8), behind Hoisington junior Micala Jamison (58.1) and Medicine Lodge senior Cori Christensen (58.6), the second-place finisher in cross country for the fall and the defending class 3A 800-meter champion.
In the 800, Christensen is first (2:15), while Baird ranks second (2:19.2). The two are tied with the same identical mile time (5:18) and are both 17 seconds ahead of the field. Baird is also part of the Bluejays' 1,600-meter relay team that has the second seed.
"We would like to think our girls' 4 by 1 and 4 by 4 (relays) have a chance," Jones said.
Bozarth broke MCL records in the shot put and the discus and stands fourth in all classes in both events. She has a lead of over 27 feet in the discus with a season-best throw of 143-4 at the Russel Relays two weeks ago. In the shot put, Bozarth's toss of 45-3 1/2, a throw that broke a 26-year-old MCL mark, is tops by over five feet.
"Hayli is sitting really well in the throws," Jones said.
Junior Taylor Rossi, the MCL pole vaulting champ, vaulted a personal record 9-9 last Friday, best in the region by three inches -- and the leading Class 3A mark.
Senior Courtney LeClair, top 11 in the state for both hurdle events last spring, has the No. 1 seed in the 100 and 300 hurdles.
The Norton boys have their own top distance runner in senior Zach Bainter, who captured three MCL titles last Friday, including the 800 and 1,600. Bainter has rarely been beaten this season, but will face the best distance runner in the state in Scott City's Trace Kendrick. Kendrick holds all three of the best 3A times in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 and is the best 3,200 runner in all classes. Bainter, who was sick before MCL, is second-ranked in the 800 and 1,600.
Phillipsburg
There is no doubt that the Panther boys have established themselves as one the top Class 3A teams in the state, especially after they beat every MCL team but Smith Center by 74 points at the league meet last Friday.
This weekend, they will have a chance to face off against Scott City, a dominant power in the south. The Panthers are led by Wickham, sixth last season in the 100-meter hurdles and a winner of three MCL titles last Friday. He ranks in the top four of all three of his individual events, the 100, 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles. The Panthers' 400-meter relay, which won conference, also holds the top seed. The Panthers are strong in nearly every field event, with senior Ryan Swatzell posting the best long jump entering Lakin.
The high jump could be one of the more interesting events for the Panthers. Six jumpers have gone at least six feet, including juniors Frantz and Keiswetter. Keiswetter, who has only jumped at two prior meets, won the MCL title at 6-2.
"We feel like they are both capable of 6-4, 6-5," Covington said.
In the throws, senior Keath Thomas ranks in the top three in all three events, while senior Zach Wood is second in the javelin. Wood also threw over 140 feet several times at MCL, but each throw was out-of-bounds.
"Right now it is just mental," Covington said.
The girls might be without MaKenzine Weinman, who suffered a leg injury and didn't compete at MCL. If Weinman, who finished third in the 100 meters at the Goldsmith Relays earlier this spring, can go, Covington said she would only run the 400-meter relay. If she can't, junior Lexi Smith would run. Smith, though, is a second slower than Weinman, However, she did help the Panthers win the relay at MCL with a season-best time of 51.92.
"We are going to test MaKenzie out a little," Covington said before Wednesday's practice.
In individual events, junior Lindsay Dusin, who Covington said ran the best of any Panther girl at MCL, is ranked third in both hurdle events. She will also run on the 1,600-meter relay that should make it to state.
