Colby and Goodland Athletes Shine at 2025 Goodland Invitational

by Derek White

The 2025 Goodland Invitational, held Tuesday, April 15 at Goodland High School, featured standout performances from local competitors, with both Colby High School and Goodland High School athletes turning in dominant showings across multiple events. The Colby girls claimed the team championship with 197 points, while the Goodland girls finished fourth. On the boys’ side, Colby placed third overall and Goodland was close behind in fourth.

Lady Eagles Fly High

The Colby girls’ team was led by a series of field event sweeps that solidified their dominance. In the high jump, Colby swept the podium with Natalie Wederski winning at 5’2”, followed by Tatum Odell at second and Brittany Swartz in third with both clearing 4'10". In the pole vault, Korrynne Duffey soared to first with a 9’6” clearance, and Braelyn Stupka added a third-place finish.

In the long jump, Bailey McCorkle claimed gold with a leap of 17’11.5”, while teammates Blaidynn Carman, Allison Zimmerman, and Shaylee Holzmeister added to Colby’s depth in the event. In the triple jump, Colby swept again, with Swartz, Zimmerman, and Holzmeister taking the top three spots.

Throwing events also belonged to the Eagles. Kalyssa Bandy won the shot put (33’8”), with Lily McKinney and Harper Vaughn finishing just behind her. McKinney returned to win the discus (93’11”), and in the javelin, Allison Zimmerman threw a meet-best 126’5”, with Ali Flanagin and McKinney again placing high.

Colby also saw success on the track. Cora DeGood won the 1600m (6:01.89) and took third in the 400m. Ashlynn Remington earned bronze in the 100m hurdles, and Alisabeth Barton took gold in the 300m hurdles. The Colby girls 4x100m relay team also finished second (53.73).

Cowgirls Compete with Heart

The Goodland girls had strong results of their own. Lauren Linton placed fourth in the 100m and fifth in the long jump, while freshman Makenna Schick earned fourth in the 200m and triple jump. In the high jump, Marie Martin placed sixth, and Danica Dautel added team points in the 400m and javelin.

Throwing events were another strong point. Lexi Zimmerman and Bracelynn Enfield placed in the discus and shot put, while Liz Hill added depth in both. Libby Cure earned gold in the 100m hurdles and contributed in the relays and javelin.

Colby Boys Showcase Strength

The Colby boys took third in the team standings, behind strong efforts from Guy Tubbs, who won the javelin (172’2”) and placed third in the high jump. Eric Schroeder and Jack Faber finished first and second in the pole vault, clearing 13’0” and 12’6” respectively. Nathan Cates won the triple jump (40’9”) and added points in the discus.

On the track, Jordan Jones placed second in the 300m hurdles, and Cody Wright scored in both the 100m and 200m. Colby’s 4x800m relay team of Litsinberger, Metcalf, Salcido, and Rush took first in a close race.

Goodland Boys Deliver Top Moments

Goodland’s boys were led by Chayton Goodwin, who placed second in the 100m and 200m, and won the 400m with a time of 51.43 seconds. Linkon Cure swept the 110m and 300m hurdles, and helped the 4x100m relay team win in 43.65 seconds.

In the field, Omar Hernandez and Kado Romero placed first and second in the high jump, and Rhett Ihrig claimed gold in the shot put (46’3”). Goodland also placed in the discus, javelin, and long jump, showing well-rounded strength.

Looking Ahead

With strong performances from both Colby and Goodland, the Goodland Invitational served as a showcase of northwest Kansas talent. As the season progresses, both schools look poised to make noise at league and regional competition.