Park Hill junior Brooke Boehm took tenth place in the long jump and high jump at state track and field in 2022.
Field events and relays will be the strong suit for the Park Hill track and field team this spring as the Trojans are bringing back 11 state qualifiers from last year.
Park Hill has an exceptional jumping program with Brooke Boehm and Kendrick Bell both making it to the 2022 Class 5 State Meet. Boehm made it in long jump and high jump – taking tenth place in both – while Bell made it in high jump and ended on the podium in sixth place.
Cadence Bass won state in the high jump and while he has since graduated, 2023 senior Desire Tonye-Nyemeck has the potential to be one of the top jumpers in the state. Bass, Bell and Tonye-Nyemeck were a talented trio last year in high jump so the Trojans will again be tough to beat in the event with two out of three coming back.
“We won a couple meets last year and place dsecond at districts, but in order to knock off the top teams we need contributions from our throwing and distance events,” Park Hill head boys’ track and field coach Jason Agee said. “We have some athletes that are up for the challenge.”
Jordan Smith qualified for state and placed seventh in the javelin for the Park Hill boys, while Kylie Braun lettered in the discus for the Park Hill girls. The Lady Trojans will return all four legs – Alyssa Ball, Makenzie Moretina, Cali Richards and Jamari Ervin – from the all-state fifth place 4x100-meter relay team that set the program record with their time.
Ball finished in eighth place in the 200-meter dash at state as well. Ava Sullivan, Reagan Kastner, Jordan Umstattd and Natalie Gerdes have made a name for themselves in the long distant events in recent years – along with cross-country – and will look to continue that this spring.
“Our freshman class is significantly bigger than it has been in the past,” Park Hill girls’ track and field coach Stephanie Yuen said. “The introduction of track at the middle level is giving us an entirely new group of kids that are excited. I have girls coming from multiple different sports to try out track and I’m really enjoying everyone coming together.”
Allison Gonier will look to build off her strong individual performance in wrestling where she won a state championship and translate that to the track and field in sprints and the pole vault. Grace Hodge, another pole vaulter, and Emily Pella will bring versatility to the Lady Trojans.
The Park Hill boys also have a speedy 4x100-meter relay team with James Noel, Max Filion and Manasse Ordeus but are looking for the fourth leg. August Jones in the 400-meter and Landon Julson in the 110-meter hurdles are a couple of Trojans who will look to make a state run as individuals.