By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee County girls track and filed athletes came up short in their bids for state titles in the 2026 Kansas Track and Field Championships last weekend in Wichita, but the local contingent still had plenty to celebrate, including multiple top-three finishes and 13 total top-eight medal showings in four classes overall.
Washburn Rural senior Morgan Ray finished second in the Class 6A javelin event for the second straight season. [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered]
Hayden junior Sofia Harper was the Class 4A runnerup in the 400-meter dash. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Morgan Ray was the state runnerup in the Class 6A javelin at 145 feet, 1 inch, while Hayden junior Sofia Harper finished second in the 4A 400-meter dash while posting a top time of 58.83.
Washburn Rural junior Kailyn Petersen placed fourth in the Class 6A discus for the second straight season. [File photo/TSN]
Silver Lake junior Ali Gerber was a double medalist in the Class 3A state track meet. [File photo/TSN]
Silver Lake senior multi-sport star Kailyn Hanni posted a third-place finish in the 3A javelin (129-7) while Washburn Rural junior repeat 6A medalist Kailyn Petersen was fourth in the discus (133-2), Seaman freshman Baylee Ayres was fourth in the 5A high jump (5-foot-2) and Silver Lake junior Ali Gerber finished fourth in the 3A 400 (58.75) while also teaming with Eagle teammates Kinley Weber, Jaylie Whitehead and Karys Deiter to place fifth in the 4x400-meter relay (4:09.64).
Washburn Rural freshman Alyson Hinck (3) earned a pair of Class 6A state medals in her first state track meet. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural freshman Alyson Hinck posted a fifth-place finish in the 6A 800 (2:18.43) while Shawnee Heights freshman Tanesia Johnson earned medals with sixth-place finishes in both the 5A 100 and 200-meter dashes.
Washburn Rural's Ray and Petersen and senior state medalists Emily Graf and Kenzie Maddox are all all-county repeat picks along with Seaman juniors Kinley Robinson and Brynn Spencer, Topeka High senior Keimara Marshall and Silver Lake's Gerber and Deiter.
Also earning spots on the first team are Hayden junior Alana Mitchell, Silver Lake junior Addy Just and Washburn Rural freshman Clara Dillon, who all earned state medals, along with seniors Jurnee Cole of Highland Park, Jayana Washington of Topeka High and Journey Manhart of Silver Lake.
ALL-SHAWNEE COUNTY 2026 GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD
Name, school Class Events
Baylee Ayres, Seaman Fr. High jump
Jurnee Cole, Highland Park Sr. Sprints
Karys Deiter, Silver Lake So. Sprints, relays
Clara Dillon, Washburn Rural Fr. Relays
Ali Gerber, Silver Lake Jr. Sprints, jumps, relays
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural Sr. Distance, relays
Kailyn Hanni, Silver Lake Sr. Javelin
Sofia Harper, Hayden Jr. Sprints
Alyson Hinck, Washburn Rural Fr. Distance, relays
Tanesia Johnson, Shawnee Heights Fr. Sprints
Addy Just, Silver Lake Jr. Long jump
Kenzie Maddox, Washburn Rural Sr. Distance, relays
Journey Manhart, Silver Lake Sr. High jump
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High Sr. Sprints
Alana Mitchell, Hayden Jr. Long jump
Kailyn Petersen, Washburn Rural Jr. Discus, shot put
Morgan Ray, Washburn Rural Sr. Javelin
Kinley Robinson, Seaman Jr. Distance
Brynn Spencer, Seaman Jr. Distance
Jayana Washington, Topeka High Sr. Long jump
Kinley Weber, Silver Lake So. Relays
Jaylie Whitehead, Silver Lake Jr. Relays
Honorable mention
Rossville: Rylee Dick, sr. Seaman: Julia Molleker, jr. Shawnee Heights: Alexis Burns, jr. Silver Lake: Rayleigh Alonso, so.; Kayleigh Kruger, sr.; Jaiden Wise, sr. Topeka High: Ciera Hartz, so. Topeka West: Alyssa Babcock, so. Washburn Rural: Brynn Anderson, fr.; Aria Edgar, fr.; Giselle Foster, sr.; Morgan Munson, fr.; Adriana Raub, sr.; Lilliana Watkins, jr.
