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Eight is great: Tonganoxie High’s Poje qualifies in 3 events for state as Chieftains sending several to Wichita

By Shawn Linenberger - | May 26, 2021

Shawn Linenberger

Blake Poje competes Friday at a Class 4A regional in Tongaoxie. The senior qualified for state after winning the high jump, and taking third and fourth in the triple jump and long jump, respectively.

Tonganoxie will be sending eight track members to the Class 4A State Track and Field Championships in 12 events later this week in Wichita.

The THS boys team will have five qualifiers in eight events at Wichita State’s Cessna Stadium, while the girls team has three qualifiers in four events.

The Chieftains earned individual state berths Friday at a Class 4A regional at Beatty Field.

Senior Blake Poje led the way for the THS boys, winning the high jump and taking third in triple jump and fourth in the long jump.

He cleared 6 feet, 4 inches in the high jump and then hit 41-2.75 in the triple jump and 19-10.75 in the long jump.

Sophomore Eli Gilmore placed second in the 1,600 with a time of 4 minutes, 38.23 seconds and second in the 800 with a time of 2:03.68.

Senior Afton Boone placed third in the 200 with a 23.51-second finish, while senior Dallas Bond also placed third in the 110 hurdles.

Bond qualified in the hurdles with a time of 16.27.

Freshman Isaiah Holthaus is off to Wichita after taking third at regionals in the 300 hurdles with a 41.33 time.

Gilmore also placed at regionals in the 3,200 with a sixth-place finish (10:47.59).

The top four in each event qualify for state.

Sophomore Alex Lungu placed fifth in the javelin with a 137-09 throw.

The 4×400 relay team placed sixth with a 3:36.59 time.

On the girls side, senior Natalee Shepard finished second in the 200 (26.79) and third in the 100 (13.13).

Junior Emma Sunderland also won silver at regionals. She finished with a height of 5-0.

Freshman Lillie Pruitt, meanwhile, qualified in the pole vault, taking fourth place with an 8-6 height.

Freshman Kinnley Hoffhines placed fifth in the 1,600 (5:55.39), as did junior Hattie Baldock in the long jump (14-8). Freshman Bailey Poje nabbed fifth in the javelin (104-4).

And in the triple jump, sophomore Brianna Pollard placed fifth with a leap of 31-8.5.

Eudora swept the team titles Friday in Tonganoxie.

The girls scored 177 for their title, while the EHS boys won their team title with 166 points.

Eudora ran away with the girls title, finishing nearly 100 points ahead of Baldwin. The Bulldogs scored 78 for second. Holton placed third with 75, Ottawa fourth with 62, Bishop Miege fifth with 53 and Wamego sixth with 46.

Tonganoxie placed seventh with 33 points and Hayden eighth with 32.

On the boys side, Eudora had a slightly closer battle, with Miege finishing second with 104 and Hayden third with 99.

Tonganoxie finished fourth with 60 points, with Holton taking fifth (59), Wamego sixth (34), Baldwin seventh (14), Ottawa eighth (13) and Atchison ninth (5).

THS state qualifiers

GIRLS

100 meters

3.) Natalee Shepard 13.13.

200 meters

2.) Natalee Shepard 26.79.

High jump

2.) Emma Sunderland 5-0.

Pole vault

4.) Lillie Pruitt 8-6.

BOYS

200 meters

3.) Afton Boone 23.51.

800 meters

2.) Eli Gilmore 2:03.68.

1,600

2.) Eli Gilmore 4:38.23.

110 hurdles

3.) Dallas Bond 16.27.

300 hurdles

3.) Isaiah Holthaus 41.33.

High jump

1.) Blake Poje 6-4.

Long jump

4.) Blake Poje 19-10.75.

Triple jump

3.) Blake Poje 41-2.75.

State schedule

(Friday at WSU)

8 a.m.

Blake Poje (long jump)

10 a.m.

Blake Poje (high jump)

11:56 a.m.

Natalee Shepard (100 prelims)

Noon

Lillie Pruitt (pole vault)

12:44 p.m.

Dallas Bond (110 hurdles prelims)

1 p.m.

Natalee Shepard (200 prelims)

2 p.m.

Emma Sunderland (high jump)

Blake Poje (triple jump)

2:34 p.m.

Dallas Bond (110 hurdles finals, if qualified)

2:42 p.m.

Natalee Shepard (100)

3:46 p.m.

Eli Gilmore (1,600)

5:42 p.m.

Isaiah Holthaus (300 high hurdles)

6:22 p.m.

Eli Gilmore (800)

6:42 p.m.

Natalee Shepard (200 finals, if qualified)

6:50 p.m.

Afton Boone (200)