Colby Hosts Competitive Middle School Track Showcase at Dennen Field

COLBY, Kan. — May 9, 2025

by Derek White

Beneath clear skies and crisp spring winds, Dennen Field in Colby came alive Friday as middle school athletes from across northwest Kansas gathered for a full day of competition and camaraderie. The annual Colby Middle School Track Meet brought together teams from more than a dozen schools—Hays, Goodland, Weskan, Hoxie, Wallace County, Grinnell, Brewster, and others—for what proved to be one of the most competitive meets of the season.

The energy was high from the opening heats, with fans, coaches, and teammates lining the fence line and filling the bleachers to cheer on young runners, jumpers, and throwers. The meet offered a preview of the region’s rising talent, many of whom will soon make their mark at the high school level.

One of the day’s biggest stories was the dominance of Hays Middle School, whose athletes claimed victories across a wide array of events. Eighth grader Sydney Lewallen was a standout, winning the 200 meters and 400 meters with commanding times and adding a victory in the shot put to showcase her rare combination of speed and strength. Lewallen also helped anchor Hays’ winning 4x400 relay team.

For Colby, seventh grader Brynlee Kahle gave the home crowd plenty to cheer about. Kahle sprinted to second in the 200 meters and third in the 400, before helping the Eagles secure top-three finishes in two relay events. Thrower Von Tubbs delivered a highlight-reel performance, launching the javelin 99 feet, 4 inches to win the event by more than 15 feet.

Another local standout was Maleah Shinette of Goodland, who claimed gold in the eighth grade girls’ 100-meter dash and contributed to a first-place finish in the 4x100 relay. Teammate Jazmyn Branch joined her atop the sprint leaderboards and placed in the triple jump as well. Goodland's consistent placements in sprints and field events helped them earn valuable team points throughout the day.

In the hurdles, Gabby Schamberger of Hoxie was nearly untouchable, sweeping both the 100-meter and 200-meter races for seventh grade girls. Her teammate Blayke Mauck added a first-place finish in the long jump and second in triple jump to round out Hoxie’s powerful showing in the field.

The boys' races delivered equally thrilling results. Bebydson Cox of Weskan clocked an impressive 12.34 seconds to win the seventh grade 100-meter dash and followed it up with a win in the 200. In the eighth grade division, Hays' Karsten Livesay and Connor Sloan went 1-3 in the 100 meters, then helped fuel Hays’ dominance in the relays and mid-distance events.

Though the medals and times were impressive, the true spirit of the meet came through in moments between the races—teammates encouraging one another, runners pushing through exhaustion, and the shared excitement of personal bests and first-time finishes.

As the final relays wrapped up and the sun dipped behind the west bleachers, the Colby Middle School Track Meet once again proved itself as more than just a sporting event. It was a celebration of effort, growth, and the unifying power of youth athletics.

GIRLS TRACK & FIELD HIGHLIGHTS

100 Meters (7th Grade)

1. Adalyn Heyl – Wallace County – 14.19

2. Kenslie Wright – Weskan – 14.44

3. Gemma Stuart – Hays – 14.65

100 Meters (8th Grade)

1. Maleah Shinette – Goodland – 13.61

2. Aveyah Danner – Grinnell – 14.01

3. Jazmyn Branch – Goodland – 14.19

200 Meters (7th Grade)

1. Jessie Wright – Hays – 28.32

2. Brynlee Kahle – Colby – 30.06

3. Kenzie Nondorf – Hoxie – 30.47

200 Meters (8th Grade)

1. Sydney Lewallen – Hays – 27.45

2. Tinsley Wolf – Colby – 28.16

3. Maleah Shinette – Goodland – 28.76

400 Meters (7th Grade)

1. Jessie Wright – Hays – 1:03.52

2. Dynasty Connally – Hays – 1:06.33

3. Brynlee Kahle – Colby – 1:07.78

400 Meters (8th Grade)

1. Sydney Lewallen – Hays – 1:00.59

2. Tinsley Wolf – Colby – 1:04.32

3. Baylee Wagoner – Wallace County – 1:07.71

800 Meters (7th Grade)

1. Aubrey Diercks – Hoxie – 2:55.01

2. Haven Sowers – Heartland – 2:59.35

3. Kinley Tatman – Weskan – 3:03.19

800 Meters (8th Grade)

1. Alexa Cooley – Hays – 2:41.24

2. Brylie Lindenman – Hoxie – 2:42.03

3. MacKenzie Karst – Hays – 2:51.16

1600 Meters (7th Grade)

1. Mya Pfeifer – Hays – 6:01.09

2. Ranae Nichols – Triplains – 6:03.86

3. Stephanie Keim – Goodland – 6:11.92

1600 Meters (8th Grade)

1. Audrey Yarmer – Hays – 5:46.49

2. Brylie Lindenman – Hoxie – 6:01.29

3. Tye Poe – Wallace County – 6:04.85

3200 Meters (7th Grade)

1. Ranae Nichols – Triplains – 13:50.15

2. Jenna Herl – Hoxie – 14:28.13

3. Sterling Brown – Wallace County – 15:35.26

100m Hurdles (7th Grade)

1. Gabby Schamberger – Hoxie – 16.60

2. Jayla Summers – Hays – 17.79

3. Adalyn Heyl – Wallace County – 17.82

100m Hurdles (8th Grade)

1. Lendyn Melvin – Hays – 16.87

2. Kansas Tso – Hoxie – 18.30

3. Kendall Schulte – Hays – 18.35

High Jump (7th Grade)

1. Gabby Schamberger – Hoxie – 4’10”

2. Stephanie Keim – Goodland – 4’8”

3. Rebekah Taylor – Goodland – 4’6”

Long Jump (8th Grade)

1. Ella Linn – Goodland – 15’0.75”

2. Payton Riedel – Weskan – 13’9.5”

3. Miah Quenzer – Heartland – 12’9”

Triple Jump (7th Grade)

1. Jaselyn Joy – Hays – 28’7.75”

2. Blayke Mauck – Hoxie – 28’3.5”

3. Eisley Remington – Colby – 27’4.75”

Shot Put (7th Grade)

1. Piper Olofson – Hays – 30’7”

2. Campbell Scanlon – Hoxie – 30’5”

3. Von Tubbs – Colby – 29’3.5”

Javelin (7th Grade)

1. Von Tubbs – Colby – 99’4”

2. Isla Erbert – Hays – 82’4”

3. Megan Cure – Goodland – 69’11”

BOYS TRACK & FIELD HIGHLIGHTS

100 Meters (7th Grade)

1. Bebydson Cox – Weskan – 12.34

2. Elijah Spillman – Hoxie – 13.29

3. Taten Mayfield – Hays – 13.79

100 Meters (8th Grade)

1. Karsten Livesay – Hays – 12.28

2. Jagger Owens – Brewster – 12.48

3. Connor Sloan – Hays – 12.50

200 Meters (7th Grade)

1. Bebydson Cox – Weskan – 25.75

2. Brady Holecek – Hays – 26.20

3. Elijah Spillman – Hoxie – 27.00

400 Meters (7th Grade)

1. Brady Holecek – Hays – 56.26

2. Bebydson Cox – Weskan – 57.31

3. Robert Readle – Hays – 1:00.89

400 Meters (8th Grade)

1. Diego Jimenez – Hays – 56.32

2. Cannon Owens – Brewster – 56.57

3. Aidyn Wentworth – Hays – 56.92

TEAM STANDOUTS

• Hays Middle School dominated in both boys and girls events, especially in sprints, relays, and mid-distance races.

• Goodland posted strong finishes in throws and sprints.

• Colby performed best in field events and the 4x400 relay.

• Hoxie and Weskan showed strong presence across all grades in hurdles and jumps.

The meet not only celebrated athletic success but also the sportsmanship and development of young athletes preparing to move up the competitive ladder. With many athletes setting personal bests and earning medals, this Colby-hosted meet was a strong capstone to a promising middle school season.