Trojans clinch 3A title
Lady Trojans take second
Since winning the state title in 2001, the Trojans have come ever so close to adding a third one, only to fall just short.
Last season it was the Trojans having to play third fiddle to the champion Beloit Trojans and former Hillsboro-menace Jordy Nelson's Riley County Falcons.
After getting their state title hopes wrecked in basketball by the Minneapolis Lions two months earlier, the Trojans had one last shot to get revenge on the Lions.
On the biggest stage Friday and Saturday for Kansas State High School Track at Wichita State's Cessna Stadium, the Trojans finally got their retribution, bagging their third 3A crown.
With the aid of a pair of gold medals, Hillsboro's 48 points edged the Lions for the top spot by nine.
While Saturday marked the end for many of the boys' standouts, it was a new beginning for the Lady Trojans.
With a team of six freshmen competing at state, Hillsboro will have many more opportunities for a state title.
The talented young corps of freshman put 3A foes on notice, finishing runner-up to an experienced Garden Plain team, 62-56.
By the end of the meet, Hillsboro snagged a total of five individual gold medals, set four school records, along with nine personal bests.
"We had our best day of the season the last day of the season and you can't hope for anymore than that," said Trojan coach Dennis Boldt.
Rising to the occasion, the boys picked up a quartet of bronze medals to go along with a pair of gold.
Off a runner-up finish a year ago as a sophomore, junior Sammy Espada set a personal record with a fourth-place leap of 43-8 1/2.
"Sammy really got the ball rolling for us," Boldt said. "It was a tougher field and he did a fantastic job for us.
"We are very proud and he is excited. He'll be a state returnee for us and we'll look for big things from Sammy next year."
Enduring a rough regional that kept him out of competing for a pole vaulting title may have paid dividends for senior Caleb Marsh.
Focusing all week on his takeoff, Marsh leaped a meet-best 23 feet for first place.
"Once Caleb won the long jump, the kids realized that we could get first place," Boldt said.
Saturday also marked a day of redemption and realization for one Aaron Yoder.
Running in the middle of the pack for three laps of the 1600-meter run, Yoder kicked in the afterburners on the fourth, speeding to the finish line in a first-place school-record time of 4:32.64.
"Aaron ran a smart race," Boldt said. "His winning the 1600 was one of the greatest moments I've ever had as a coach, not to take anything away from the other kids.
"I don't think anybody will ever tell Aaron Yoder he can't do something again. He peaked at state instead of at regionals."
Aaron Yoder's fire carried over for Hillsboro's 4x100-meter relay team of Derek Mayfield, Marsh, Brodie Unrau, and Tyler Peachey.
With the 4x100 the only event on the card for Mayfield, Unrau, and Peachey on Saturday, the trio used the time to practice handoffs.
The practice paid off as the Trojan relay team secured third place with a 44.53 finish in a race where less than half a second separated the top four finishers.
There's no talking of great runners at Hillsboro without mentioning Aaron Yoder's twin, Danny.
With a pair of third place finishes in both the 400 and 800 meters (50.44, 2:02.63, respectively), Danny's 12 points put the Trojans over the hill and they never looked back.
Due to ominous weather, the 800 meters was the final race the Trojans would run with the 4x400-meter relay team of Aaron Yoder, Peachey, Marsh, and Danny Yoder still waiting.
The meet was delayed by lightning for an hour and a half and tornado sirens went off shortly afterward, canceling the meet.
The Trojans' preliminary time in the 4x400 of 3:28.70 the day before for third place was enough to capture the title.
The freshman combo of Julianne Chisholm and Hannah Marsh snagged four gold medals over the weekend.
Unfazed by the competition and experience of the other teams, the six freshmen proved they meant business at state.
Hannah Marsh began Friday with breaking her own school record of 17-11 1/2 with a first place jump of 18-1 3/4.
The Lady Trojans continued with Chisholm clinching gold medals in both the high jump and 300-meter hurdles while setting school records in the process.
Leaping 5-7, Chisholm tied the state best high jump, beating her previous record by an inch.
After Friday, the Lady Trojans were the overall front runner with 20 points.
Accompanying the duo, Jessica Heidel got off to a good start in the triple jump Saturday, setting a personal best of 32-11.
Finishing third in the 100-meter hurdles in 15.87, Chisholm crossed the line first in the 300-meters, running a meet-best school record time of 46.41, her second of the weekend.
Already with a gold medal, Hannah Marsh added a bronze with a 12.71 finish in the 100-meter run.
The biggest surprise for the Lady Trojans came in the 4x400 meter relay.
Heidel ran first leg, Kelsey Penner second, with Chisholm following in third with a 60.5 split.
Running second to Minneapolis the entire race, Hannah Marsh blazed by the Lady Lion runner the last stretch in a photo finish.
Hillsboro's winning time of 4:10.22 bumped the Lions' runner-up time by .05 seconds.
"That was one of the fastest quarters I've ever seen coaching here," Boldt said of the spectacular finish. "Our girls were determined.
"Amazing feats come from the 400-meter relay and that was one. That got us in a position to win and pulled us from fourth place to second.
"You have to appreciate what those girls have done qualifying for state as freshmen. They went head to head with good programs and finished second.
"We have a good nucleus back with state caliber athletes like Tine Frick in the hurdles and Sidney Waner in pole vault.
"This year was just the beginning for them."
