Zeiner, Klenda lead Warrior track as state gold medalists

Returning two state gold-medal winners, the Marion High School track team is looking to gu back to Wichita State?s Cessna Stadium in late May to improve on its fifth-place boys? and seventh-place girls? finishes last season.

?We are truly excited about this upcoming track and field season,? coach Grant Thierolf said. ?We have a great group of seniors who have worked for six years to get to this place, where they are capable of placing each week and qualifying for state.?

The Warriors return three state qualifiers for the girls and four for the boys.

A state medalist in four events, Julia Zeiner will lead the girls? team. She is the defending Class 3A state champion in the long jump and triple jump, finished second in the 300-meter hurdles and was part of the fifth-place 4×100 team.

Seniors Kristen Steinborn and Denae Edwards ran in the 4×100 and sophomore Whitney Gordon competed in the high jump.

The other returning letter-winners for the girls are senior distance runners Bridget Lundy and Jaclyn DeForest, senior thrower Emma Hett and sophomore thrower Alex Young.

For the boys, Nick Klenda returns as the defending 3A champion in the discus with a throw of 167 feet.

Other returning medalists are seniors Tylor Neil (fourth in the triple jump), Ryan Jones and Eric Vogel (seventh place, 4×800).

Returning senior letter-winners for the boys include Parker Ash (shot put, discus), Sheldon Boone (javelin, long jump), Doug Schroeder (shot put), Drew Maddox (100, 200, long jump), Brady Hudson (high jump, triple jump, long jump) and Sam Ehrlich (shot put, javelin).

Maddox placed fourth in the long jump at regionals in 2009. Hudson was fourth in the high jump at the 2008 regionals.

Junior letter-winners include Dillon Richmond (pole vault), Connor Thierolf (javelin, shot put, discus), Michael Kilpatrick (3,200 meters), Randy Regnier (pole vault, javelin) and Colin Eurit (shot put, discus, javelin).

Sophomores Dakin Ledford (shot put, discus, javelin), Colton Johnson (pole vault, javelin, 400) and Jon Tacha (shot put, discus) earned letters in 2009.

The Warriors start their season April 6 with a Central Kansas Track League meet hosted by Herington at Marion. Events begin at 4:30 p.m. On April 9, the Warrior Invitational will begin at 3:30 p.m.

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