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Rienbolt wins 3,200 meter title, goes for 1,600 today
Fort Scott High junior Katren Rienbolt made it look easy WICHITA -- Fort Scott High junior Katren Rienbolt made it look easy Friday night at Cessna Stadium as she won the Class 4A 3,200-meter run over 15 seconds ahead of the runner-up at the Kansas State Track and Field Meet.
Rienbolt, who also won the Class 4A State title in cross-country back in October, got caught up in some traffic and was fifth in the middle of a pack after the first lap.
By the time the second lap was completed, she had the lead.
After five laps, the lead was 12 seconds. She went on to turn in a time of 11 minutes, 25.13 seconds, her best of the year by almost exactly four seconds.
"The starts are always the toughest part," Rienbolt said as she awaited the award ceremony following the race. "After the first three laps, you get into your spot and everybody shifts down to where they're going to be in the race."
Rienbolt, who finished fifth in this event last year, said she didn't really have a feel of how big her lead was becoming.
"I couldn't really hear anybody behind me but it was really windy and with everybody here, I couldn't tell where anyone was behind me. So I just kept trying to push myself. It felt really good."
Reinbolt actually lapped a runner right at the beginning of the final lap.
Kevan Bradley, a senior from Rose Hill who led that first lap, finished as the runner-up in 11:44.52. Junior Kaylee Krull of Parsons was third in 11:58.11.
Rienbolt has to be ready again today as the meet resumes. She'll be looking for her third running championship of the school year as the 1,600 meters will be run early this afternoon. She finished fourth in this event last season.
At every other meet, including Regionals, both races are held on the same day. Rienbolt prefers that but also sees how that can be to her benefit.
"I'm used, obviously, to running them in the same day," she said. "I'd prefer to run them in the same day because that's what I'm used to. But, who knows, it might be better for your time because you get more rest. I'd prefer to run them the same day but maybe that's just me."
Two other area athletes competed Friday, one in two events. Nick Woods, a Fort Scott freshman, finished 16th in discus with a mark of 124 feet, 10 inches. He fouled on his first two attempts before launching his third one down the middle. Junior Kord Ferguson of Ottawa, who's been one of the best in the state this season, won the event with a throw of 187' 4", exceeding his year's best of 186' 8.
Senior Abby Dixon competed in two events for Uniontown. She finished 10th in Class 2A javelin with a mark of 99' 10" and was 12th in discus at 93' 1'. The javelin champion is senior Madison Wolf of Bennington, who went 137' 9". The discus winner was Mauri Steimel of Stanton County, last year's runner-up, who had a toss of 118' 9".
Also in Class 2A, Northeast sophomore Kaylee Bogina, daughter of Fort Scott head girls' coach Tracey Bogina, won the State title in the 3,200 meters with a time of 11:32.70. Her best time of the season coming into the meet was 11:55.5. She will compete four races before Rienbolt this afternoon in the 1,600 meter finals.
Today's schedule for area athletes looks like this:
* -- Uniontown's Trenton Miller competes in 2A boys' discus at 9:45 a.m.
* -- Uniontown's Da'Nisha Robinson will take part in 2A girls' discus at 11:30 a.m.
* -- Fort Scott's Jillian Lattimer will go for a 4A girls' javelin medal at 1:15.
* -- The first girls' 1,600-meter final will begin at 1:20. Class 1A girls will be first, followed by 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, then 6A. Rienbolt should run sometime between 1:30 and 1:35.
* -- Fort Scott's Chris Allen will be in the final event for an area athlete, 4A boys' javelin, at 3 p.m.