Kansas had several athletes make the long trip to one of the three national championship sites across the county, and these Kansans showed Kansas could compete with the rest of the country too.
Soon-to-be freshman Aria Pearce made the trip out west to Eugene, Oregon for the Nike Outdoor Nationals, where she won not one but two national championship titles. Aria won the Emerging Elite divisions 100m (11.76) and 200m (23.95).
Manhattan Sophomore Hanna Pellant, also made the trip out west and ran in the 100m finishing in 12.40.
A second Manhattan high athlete also competed at the Nike Outdoor Nationals, Harli Omli, and Harli also brought home a Nike Outdoor National Title, winning the Emerging Elite girls 400m with a time of 56.74. Harli also made the finals of the 200m finishing in 8th place with a time of 25.09.
Andover Central junior Bryce Barkdull was in Eugene as well and brought home a 4th Nike Outdoor National title winning the Pole Vault with a vault of 16'11.5".
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Recent Shawnee Mission East graduate and BYU signee Wyatt Haughton competed in the championship boys 800m at the Nike Outdoor Nationals finishing in 9th place with a near PR of 1:51.75. Wyatt also competed in the Championship mile finishing 51st with a time of 4:19.87
KaLiyah Jordan and Olathe North graduate this spring finished 9th in the championship girls 100m in 12.07 and 16th in the 200m in 24.62.
Another recent graduate of Shawnee Mission East and Western Colorado signee Caden Peters ran the Championship Mile finishing 32nd with a time of 4:16.05.
A third Shawnee Mission East graduate and Creighton signee Blair Ptacek competed in the seldom contested Championship 5000m running a very good 15:21.94 and finishing 28th. Blair also competed in the Emerging Elite 2 mile finishing in 9:28.54 which was good enough for 15th place.
Scarlett Pearlman of Shawnee Mission East also competed in the 5000m finishing 29th with a time of 18:58.08.
Free State freshman Jonah Frye competed in the 2000m Steeplechase finishing 38th with a time of 6:39.44.
Lida Padgett a Shawnee Mission North Junior also competed in the 2000m Steeplechase finishing in 13th position with a time of 7:30.37.
Recent Topeka West graduate and Kansas University signee Lenny Njoroge competed in the Emerging Elite Boys 2 Mile finishing in 7th place with a time of 9:23.90.
Andover Central graduate Landen O'Neil also competed in the Emerging Elite 2 mile finishing in 34th place with a time of 9:38.47.
Noah Harrell competed at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in the middle school division, Noah an 8th grader at Prairie Trail Middle School finished 11th in the 100m (11.97), 6th in the 400m (PR-52.90), and 3rd in the 200m (PR-23.54).
Jordyn Harrell a Prairie Trail 6th grader finished 43rd with a 13.66 in the 100m, 44th in the 200m with a 28.34, and 14th in the long jump with a leap of 14'8.75".