06/01/2026
Eagles Soar at State Track & Field Championships
Ellinwood capped another outstanding season with an impressive showing at the state track and field meet in Wichita, highlighted by individual champions, personal records, and a girl's team fourth-place finish.
Day one was headlined by senior Gabe Martinez, who cleared a personal-best 13-0 in the pole vault to earn 5th place. The mark represented an incredible 1-foot, 6-inch improvement from where he began the season and was a fitting finish to his high school career.
Distance runner Ryan Pohlman turned in one of the grittiest performances of the meet in the 3200 meters. Pohlman sliced 13 seconds off his personal best, battling to the finish line in a loaded field to place 9th, missing the medal stand by just 0.16 seconds.
On the track, freshman Avery Panning advanced through preliminaries in the 300-meter hurdles, while sophomore Reagan Wirtz qualified for the finals in the 200 meters. The girls' 4x400-meter relay team of sophomores Reagan Wirtz, Lexi Thomas, Ayla Ritchie, and Eleanor Joiner also secured a spot in the finals.
Day two belonged to Wirtz. She opened the day by lowering her own school record in the 100-meter dash, qualifying for the finals in 12.11. She followed that performance with a state championship, capturing the gold medal in the event.
Wirtz then added another gold medal in the long jump, soaring 18' 7½" to claim her second state title of the meet. She wasn't finished yet, adding eight more team points with a runner-up finish in the 200 meters, clocking a season-best 25.05.
Panning made her first state finals appearance, finishing 9th in the 300-meter hurdles.
In the distance events, Eleanor Joiner placed 10th in the 800 meters with a time of 2:26.97. Both Joiner and Pohlman competed in highly competitive 1600-meter fields, with Joiner finishing 12th in 5:43.02 and Pohlman placing 15th in 4:52.50.
The girls' 4x800-meter relay team of Lexi Thomas, Avery Panning, Ayla Ritchie, and Eleanor Joiner delivered a season's best 10:04.53, earning 5th place.
The final race of the evening was the 4x400-meter relay final. Wirtz, Thomas, Ritchie, and Joiner battled to a 4th-place finish, earning crucial team points. Their effort pushed the Eagles into 4th place overall in the team standings, capping an exceptional weekend for Ellinwood Track & Field.
