Goessel’s Craig Banman holds two handfuls of state medals—the six gold and fpour silver medals he won during his career as a Bluebird. He plans to run track at KSU next year.

Goessel High School sprinter Craig Banman made his mark in one of the last races he would run in a Bluebirds uniform.

In addition to helping lift his team into second place at the Class 1A level, Banman put his name on a slice of history by trimming more than four-tenths of a second from a 30-year-old state record in the 400 meter dash.

With their new facility boosting numbers beyond the point of having to divide their squad in two, the Marion teams displayed quality in the same measure as quantity Saturday at Hillsboro.

The Marion Blue team scored 629 points to take first place, and the Marion Red team totaled another 180.5 in third place. Hillsboro scored 543.5. Herington placed fourth with 154.

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Mark Religa, of Goessel, won the green vest at the Pine Edge Golf Course putting contest on Saturday. But the Hustler Mowers $25,000 grand prize continues to elude all competitors.

With 32 entrants from as near as Newton and as far as Bella Vista, Ark., the field at the annual event approximated last year’s turnout. And, in the initial phase of the contest, the competitors set a new first: four players made 20-foot putts, forcing a playoff at 25 feet.

Religa was the only one to make a 25-footer, becoming the top seed in a final group that also included Kent Campbell of McPherson, Alan Ramsdale of Wichita, Gregg Dick of North Newton and Travis Hett of Moundridge.

To win the grand prize, one of the final five must make putts of 10 feet, 30 feet and 50 feet in succession—but none of Saturday’s final five sank even the 10-footer.

Course owner Myron Schmidt said Religa is the first in the history of the event to win a second green vest, which is awarded for the best performance in the opening round of the tournament.

Claire Overstake won four gold medals and a silver in her events. She swept the 50-meter (8.06 seconds), 100-meter (15.82) and 200-meter (32.18) dashes, won the javelin (62 feet, 2 inches) and placed second in shot put (28-0).

Her four winning marks also established records for the 50-54 age category.

Husband Grant, also competing in the 50-54 division, captured silver in the pole vault (9-6), shot put (44-8) and discus (138-8), and placed third in the 400 meters (1:15.75) and fourth in the 100 meters (14.0).

The couple are working toward the USA Track & Field heptathlon and decathlon for masters athletes Aug. 15-16 in Shoreline, Wash.

“We had three All-American performances in this meet, our first of the outdoor season, so it was a great start,” Grant Overstake said.

His shot put and discus throws and Claire’s 200-meter time bettered the All-American standards set by USATF.