Randy Wells was one proud coach after Emporia High’s Class 5A track and field Regional had concluded Friday night at Welch Stadium. With the Spartans gathered in a circle on the turf of Jones Field right after the final event had ended, Wells enthusiastically lauded the effort they’d just put up.
Look at the results, and you’d have to agree.
A year after both the boys and girls teams took Regional titles, the Spartans finished second on both sides. In fact, in one measure — the number of athletes it qualified for State — EHS performed even better than last season. The Spartans will send 25 different athletes to State at Wichita next weekend in 26 events, bettering last year’s output of 24 different athletes in the same number of events.
Not a bad postseason performance for a team that lost plenty of key athletes off last year’s squads, including the boys team that went on to win the 2008 State title.
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