BURLINGTON — Camryn Strickler burst onto the area track and field scene in a big way last season by qualifying for state in the 300-meter hurdles. Now the Crest sophomore is looking to do even bigger things in 2017.
If Thursday’s Southern Coffey County Invitational is any indication, the trips to Wichita are only just beginning for Strickler.
“Last year, I didn’t start running the 300 (hurdles) until the end off the season,” Strickler said. “This year, I am starting from the beginning, so I think I’ll be able to progress a lot more.”
Strickler won both the 100-meter hurdles and the 300-meter hurdles.
“It is a great feeling,” Strickler said. “I don’t think I’ve ever (won both hurdle events in the same day) in my high school career.”
In the 100-meter event, Strickler held off a late charge from a Waverly runner to take first with an 18.28 — winning by .66.
In the 300-meter hurdles, the Lancer opened up more of a margin with a 1.5-second margin over the same Waverly runner to win the event with a 52.84.
The bulk of the Lancers’ talent on the girls’ side is in the sophomore class this season and Strickler says she enjoys that because they have all grown together and should continue to improve together.
“It is a lot of fun,” Strickler said. “Especially with everyone being in my class so I can be with them all the way up through our senior year.”
One of the other talented sophomores at coach Alan Newton’s disposal is Regan Godderz.
The Lancer sprinter took sixth in the 100-meter dash with a 14.18.
Godderz and Strickler joined forces — along with senior Karlee Hammond and sophomore Brianna Benjamin — to catapult the Lancers to a third-place finish in the 4×100 relay, another event that Newton is hopeful the Lancers can go to state in this season.
The Lancers finished tied for ninth as a team with 22 points.
BOYS
While Strickler and her class of Lancer girls were the big additions to Newton’s program last season; this season, the Lancers’ premier freshman resides on the boys’ side with sprinter Billy Lyda.
Lyda’s hot start to the 2017 season continued on Thursday as he led the team in points.
Lyda began his meet in the 100-meter dash where he was just edged out by a Pleasanton runner as Lyda settled for second with a time of 11.44.
The Lancer freshman had a shot at redemption in the 200-meter dash, however, and didn’t miss.
Lyda won the 200 meters with a time of 22.91 while the Pleasanton runner took second with a 23.58.
Junior Caleb Stephens has eyes on making it back to state this season in the high jump and had a strong showing on Thursday with a runner-up finish after clearing 5’8”.
Stephens added a fifth-place finish in the triple jump with a 35’5.25”.
Senior Brendon Hammer rounded out the scorers for the Lancers by taking fifth in the shot put with a 37’4.25”.
The Lancers finished eighth as a team with 30 points.
UP NEXT
The Lancers will be back in action on Monday when they go to Mound City for the Jayhawk-Linn Invitational with events getting started at 3:30 p.m.
The Lancer junior varsity will head to Fort Scott on Tuesday for its first junior varsity meet of the year.
