The Park Hill South girls and boys track and field teams enter the 2025 season looking for significant improvements after last year left both teams eager for more success.
The lady Panthers enter the season optimistic of improving from last year’s results, finishing in the bottom half of the standings at state. They return all three of last year’s state qualifiers, including 2024 two-time medalist LaNicia Parker.
After placing fourth in the 300-meter hurdles and fifth in the long jump at state last year, Parker enters her senior season eager to crack the top three in both events. Parker is also the defending long jump champion of the district and conference.
The Panthers also return junior 1600m state qualifier Madilynn Conklin and senior pole vault qualifier Lauren Smith, who finished second at districts. The Panthers are hoping to climb back inside the top 20 as a team this year with some talented returners looking for higher finishes.
On the boys side, the Panthers are looking to build back towards a postseason run but have their work cut out for them as they return no state qualifiers. Park Hill South has 30 senior boys in the program who have one final shot at qualifying for state.
All three of last year’s state qualifiers have graduated, including state medalists and district champions Zeshaun Ballance-Gray and Kiros Martin. The Panthers will look for others to take their opportunity.
Junior distance runner Thomas Garrett may be one of those athletes to answer the call after claiming the conference championship last year in the 1600m run and a top-three finish at districts in the 3200m run last year. Carter Zehr is South’s greatest hope in field events for his senior season, coming from a fourth-place medal at districts last year in the javelin throw.
It is Park Hill South’s goal to enter the conference tournament on May 7 and districts on May 17 competing at its peak.