Kansas high school boys track and field state meet recap

Between injuries and high profile losses from last year’s squad, the Olathe East High School boys track and field team’s chances of defending its Kansas Class 6A team state title appeared slim.

However, as the season progressed, the squad picked up strength and depth and made a triumphant return atop the awards podium last week.

“I told them after the league meet that it was as good of a team effort as I have seen,” Olathe East coach Michael Wallace said. “I lied. This was a much better team effort.”

The Hawks’ AJ Stephens repeated as the Class 6A individual state champion in the 110-meter hurdles in 14.33 seconds and he placed second in the 300-meter hurdles. Murad Baheyadeen, Jake Gartenberg, Steven Davis and Nathan Matters added a state title in the 3,200 relay in 8:07.46.

Olathe East had top-five finishers in four more events — Matters was third in the 800-meter run, Nicholas Skinner second in the 1,600-meter run, Matthew Thuston third in the triple jump and the Hawks’ 1,600 relay finished second.

Class 5A: High jumper endures

Even a strained Achilles tendon could not slow Blue Valley West senior Matthew Birzer in his bid for a Kansas Class 5A high jump state title.

He sustained the injury in regionals, but bounced back to leap 6 feet, 6 inches to secure the state title a week later and finished his season undefeated.

“I was freaking out the entire week since it happened, but it didn’t bother me because once I started jumping, the adrenaline was going,” Birzer said. “I felt good.”

Teammate Stuart McNutt added a state title in the 3,200-meter run, finishing in 9:31.43 for Blue Valley West.

Class 5A: Mill Valley milestone

With a pair of state titles in the 1,600- and 800-meter runs, Mill Valley senior Kurtis Loevenstien led Mill Valley to a third-place team finish in Class 5A. It was the highest team placement in program history.

Loevenstien won the 1,600 in 4:25.17 and 800 in 1:55.13, as well as contributing to a 3,200-meter relay victory. That relay team dropped nearly 13 seconds off its time to finish in 8:06.53. Other relay members were Derek Meeks, Theodore Gillespie and Garret Fields.

Class 4A: Bishop Miege second

Denvoir Griffin led Bishop Miege to a runner-up team finish in Class 2A with victories in the 100-meter dash and as a member of the 400-meter relay.

He won the 100-meter dash in 10.88 seconds and teamed with Jaden Johnson, TJ Goodwin and Danny Murphy to win the 400 relay in 43.61 seconds.

Other state champions

Olathe North’s Isaiah Simmons defended his Class 6A state title in the long jump.

SM South’s Trent Flagler won the Class 6A discus and teammate Dalton Lewallen won the shot put.

De Soto’s Travis Hodge won the Class 4A 800-meter run.

Olathe South’s Tanner Green won the 200-meter dash and ran on the state champion 1,600-meter relay.

Gardner Edgerton’s Conner McGuire won the Class 6A pole vault.

This story was originally published June 12, 2015 at 11:41 AM with the headline "Kansas high school boys track and field state meet recap."