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Bullpups Shine at State Track Meet, Muehler Claims 3200m Title

Boys finish 11th, girls 12th as McPherson athletes earn multiple medals at Cessna Stadium

Treg Fawl

02 Jun 2025 • 2 min read

MHS Track Team Competes at the State Tournament at Cessna Stadium in Wichita. Photo Credit Head Coach John Montgomery - @CoachJMonty on X - The 4x800 Team of Ethan Elder, Kayden Friesen, Tripp Pelzel, and Caleb Muehler take 2nd and break the school record with a time of 7:56!

WICHITA, Kan. — The McPherson High School track and field teams capped their outstanding season with impressive performances at the Class 4A State Championships at Cessna Stadium, with the boys finishing 11th and the girls claiming 12th place in the team standings over the two-day competition. The Bullpups were led by standout distance runner Caleb Muehler, who captured the state championship in the 3200 meters on day one, while freshman Ellie Herrera delivered a breakthrough performance with a second-place finish in the high jump to highlight McPherson's medal winners. Day one also saw Ethan Elder claim third place in the 3200m and Lexi Patterson finish seventh in the same event, while Andi Buschbom secured sixth place in the long jump.

Day two brought even more success for the Bullpups, as the boys' 4x800 relay team of Ethan Elder, Kayden Friesen, Tripp Pelzel, and Muehler delivered a spectacular second-place finish while setting a new school record with a time of 7:56. Muehler continued his dominant meet by adding a third-place medal in the 1600 meters and an eighth-place showing in the 800m, while Elder contributed a 13th-place finish in the 800m. Karsen Burris claimed fourth place in the javelin for the girls, and Arihanna Koehn added a seventh-place performance in the 100m hurdles after finishing 13th in the 300m hurdles on day one.

The Bullpups demonstrated remarkable depth throughout both days of competition, with numerous athletes contributing to the team scores. Additional notable performances included Caden Wenderott's 10th place in discus and 13th in shot put, Dylan Hall's 15th place in discus, Brynn Littlejohn's 13th place in shot put, and Kayden Friesen's 15th place in the 400m. The relay teams also performed admirably, with the girls' 4x800 team of Patterson, Kayla Porter, Izabel Backhus, and Ada Prose finishing 12th, while the 4x400 team of Koehn, Backhus, Maryn Sandbo, and Buschbom placed 16th and the 4x100 squad of Tylee Wilson, Buschbom, Amara Dossett, and Adri McLeod earned 15th place. McLeod also competed individually, finishing 15th in the 200 meters to round out the Bullpups' comprehensive showing at the state championships.