Litchfield Panthers Track Graphic

Litchfield Girls Command the Track; Boys Capture Five Events at Staunton Meet

The Litchfield High School track and field teams traveled to Staunton on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, and delivered a commanding performance against a deep field of competitors. Squaring off against Staunton, Pana, Southwestern, and Edwardsville Metro-East Lutheran, the Litchfield squad dominated the afternoon, highlighted by an astonishing showcase from the girls’ team, which nearly swept the track events.

The Litchfield girls proved entirely untouchable in the running events, capturing first place in the 100, 200, 800, 1600, and 3200-meter races, as well as the 300-meter hurdles and all three relays they entered.

Freshman Lana Cress set the pace early, winning the 100-meter dash in a personal-best 12.8 seconds. Fellow freshman Harley Foulk followed suit by winning the 200 meters in a personal-best 28.9 seconds. The duo then teamed up with sophomore Jada Carroll and sophomore Kilee Hoover to claim gold in both the 4×100-meter relay (53.1) and the 4×200-meter relay (1:56.3).

In the distance races, Litchfield’s youth movement continued to shine. Freshman Maggie Schwab cruised to victory in the 3200-meter run (12:34.9) and took the top spot in the 1600-meter run (5:52.1). Junior Leighton Warchol earned a runner-up finish behind Schwab in the 1600 with a personal-best 5:57.2 and brought home a gold medal of her own by winning the 800-meter run in a personal-best 2:37.7.

Freshman Ava White dominated the 300-meter hurdles, winning by over four seconds with a personal-best 56.6, and took second in the 100-meter hurdles (18.3). To cap off the track events, the girls’ 4×400-meter relay team of Hoover, White, Brooke Braasch, and Gracie Boden clocked a 4:51.1 to win by a comfortable 18-second margin.

In the field, Hoover cleared 1.60 meters to win the high jump, while Foulk secured another first-place finish in the long jump (4.15m). Sophomore Jennah Longwell had a strong showing in the throws, taking second in the shot put (9.27m) and third in the discus (25.86m).

The Litchfield boys were equally impressive, bringing home five first-place finishes and showcasing their sprinting depth. Senior Alec Roach paced the field in the 100-meter dash, winning in a season-best 11.0 seconds, while sophomore Jaxon Ray took third (11.4).

Sophomore Lukas Paine earned gold in the 400-meter dash with a personal-best time of 54.0, while sophomore teammate Andrew Boston closely followed in third (56.3). Junior Dean Gibbs added to the victory tally by winning the 800-meter run in 2:14.2.

The Litchfield boys’ 4×100-meter relay team—featuring freshman Brylan Marten, Boston, Paine, and Ray—executed sharp handoffs to win a tight race against Staunton, crossing the line in 45.9 seconds. In the field events, freshman Jaylen Komor earned a victory in the pole vault, clearing 2.90 meters, while Marten took third in the long jump (6.03m).

Other notable area performances included Southwestern’s Thor Springman winning both the 1600 and 3200-meter runs, while Pana’s throwers commanded the girls’ rings with Reagan McGlauchlen sweeping the shot put and discus. Staunton’s Braylen Brown took home first in the boys’ long jump, and Metro-East Lutheran controlled the boys’ throws with Collin Kost sweeping the shot put and discus.

Game Summary

Score by Quarters

Team Score
Litchfield N/A (Track & Field Event)
Staunton N/A (Track & Field Event)
Pana N/A (Track & Field Event)
Southwestern N/A (Track & Field Event)
Metro-East Lutheran N/A (Track & Field Event)
(Note: Official team point totals were not recorded for this meet).

Scoring Drives

  • Not Applicable – Track and Field Format

Individual Statistics

GIRLS RUNNING:

  • 100 Meters: Lana Cress (Litchfield) 12.8; Wynter Robeen (North Greene) 13.9; Inés Gracia (North Greene) 14.0.

  • 200 Meters: Harley Foulk (Litchfield) 28.9; Wynter Robeen (North Greene) 29.4; Inés Gracia (North Greene) 29.4.

  • 400 Meters: Wynter Robeen (North Greene) 1:06.8; Calista Stults (Metro-East) 1:12.6; Olivia Matesa (Staunton) 1:13.2.

  • 800 Meters: Leighton Warchol (Litchfield) 2:37.7; Marion Hemmer (Metro-East) 2:51.4; Elsah Clark (Staunton) 3:05.7.

  • 1600 Meters: Maggie Schwab (Litchfield) 5:52.1; Leighton Warchol (Litchfield) 5:57.2; Lucy Doyle (Metro-East) 6:09.4.

  • 3200 Meters: Maggie Schwab (Litchfield) 12:34.9; Lucy Doyle (Metro-East) 12:43.2; Audrey Vollintine (Southwestern) 16:42.7.

  • 100m Hurdles: Kaitlyn Peterson (Metro-East) 17.9; Ava White (Litchfield) 18.3; Kenley Cox (Pana) 19.3.

  • 300m Hurdles: Ava White (Litchfield) 56.6; Kenley Cox (Pana) 1:01.1; Reese Rimbey (Southwestern) 1:03.7.

  • Relays (Litchfield Winners): 4×100 Relay (Foulk, Cress, Carroll, Hoover) 53.1; 4×200 Relay (Foulk, Cress, Carroll, Hoover) 1:56.3; 4×400 Relay (Hoover, White, Braasch, Boden) 4:51.1.

GIRLS FIELD:

  • Shot Put: Reagan McGlauchlen (Pana) 10.33m; Jennah Longwell (Litchfield) 9.27m; Phoenix Pope (Pana) 8.92m.

  • Discus: Reagan McGlauchlen (Pana) 39.24m; Audrey Podwojski (Staunton) 27.27m; Jennah Longwell (Litchfield) 25.86m.

  • High Jump: Kilee Hoover (Litchfield) 1.60m; Bria Bushnell (North Greene) 1.50m; Kaitlyn Peterson (Metro-East) 1.40m.

  • Long Jump: Harley Foulk (Litchfield) 4.15m; McKenzie Kerr (Pana) 3.84m; Summer Coates (North Greene) 3.84m.

BOYS RUNNING:

  • 100 Meters: Alec Roach (Litchfield) 11.0; Garett Pierce (Pana) 11.2; Jaxon Ray (Litchfield) 11.4.

  • 200 Meters: Chance Stults (Metro-East) 24.7; Jayden Keith (Litchfield) 24.7; John Simons (Southwestern) 25.8.

  • 400 Meters: Lukas Paine (Litchfield) 54.0; Henry Reiseck (Metro-East) 54.2; Andrew Boston (Litchfield) 56.3.

  • 800 Meters: Dean Gibbs (Litchfield) 2:14.2; Wyatt Goeckner (Metro-East) 2:18.6; Mathias Askins (Metro-East) 2:33.1.

  • 1600 Meters: Thor Springman (Southwestern) 4:45.0; Dean Hemmer (Metro-East) 4:49.5; Aiden Green (Staunton) 4:51.8. (Litchfield: Nolan Engstrom 5:01.8, 6th).

  • 3200 Meters: Thor Springman (Southwestern) 10:17.5; Jack Shank (Metro-East) 10:20.9; Dean Hemmer (Metro-East) 10:31.0. (Litchfield: Nolan Engstrom 10:52.2, 4th).

  • 110m Hurdles: Micah Meadows (Pana) 16.5; Brice Stewart (Metro-East) 16.7; Lucas Dillon (Staunton) 16.9.

  • 300m Hurdles: Lucas Dillon (Staunton) 45.3; Kaden Matuska (Southwestern) 47.9; Nathanael Coates (North Greene) 50.6.

  • Relays (Litchfield Winners): 4×100 Relay (Marten, Boston, Paine, Ray) 45.9.

BOYS FIELD:

  • Shot Put: Collin Kost (Metro-East) 14.07m; Khiry Taylor (Staunton) 12.40m; Shane Stewart (Metro-East) 12.19m. (Litchfield: Braedyn Knapp 11.64m, 5th).

  • Discus: Collin Kost (Metro-East) 39.75m; Dace Jones (Pana) 39.56m; Khiry Taylor (Staunton) 34.22m. (Litchfield: Braedyn Knapp 33.77m, 4th).

  • High Jump: Thor Springman (Southwestern) 1.75m; Ben Schilbe (Metro-East) 1.70m; Caden Cummings (Southwestern) 1.65m. (Litchfield: John Scurlock 1.60m, 4th).

  • Pole Vault: Jaylen Komor (Litchfield) 2.90m; Jason Kyle Luly (Southwestern) 1.98m.

  • Long Jump: Braylen Brown (Staunton) 6.35m; Brice Stewart (Metro-East) 6.22m; Brylan Marten (Litchfield) 6.03m.

  • Triple Jump: Brice Stewart (Metro-East) 12.34m; Derrek Ambrose (Pana) 12.23m; Evan Tanner (Staunton) 12.00m.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

Illinois roads, bridges lag behind rest of the nation

Illinois roads, bridges lag behind rest of the nation

By Sean Reed | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois’ roads and bridges continue to lag behind most of the country, ranking 37th overall in...
Bill would require boat, jet ski insurance in Illinois

Bill would require boat, jet ski insurance in Illinois

By Sean Reed | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A bill requiring anyone operating a powerful motorboat or personal watercraft to carry liability insurance passed...
Curran, GOP lawmakers seek to end home seizures over unpaid property taxes

Curran, GOP lawmakers seek to end home seizures over unpaid property taxes

By Glenn Minnis | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois Republican Senate Minority Leader John Curran is at the forefront in pushing legislation crafted to...
Illinois bill bars dangerous dog adoptions, forces behavior disclosures

Illinois bill bars dangerous dog adoptions, forces behavior disclosures

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – An Illinois proposal would require shelters and rescues to register pet microchips in a national database...
Illinois Quick Hits: Anti-abortion rally going on in Springfield

Illinois Quick Hits: Anti-abortion rally going on in Springfield

By The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Opponents of abortion are rallying at the Illinois State Capitol. Illinois Right to Life, a group opposing abortion, said buses...
Litchfield Panthers Soccer Graphic

Chloe Law’s Hat Trick, Reid’s Shutout Propel Litchfield Soccer Past Roxana, 5-0

Senior Chloe Law delivered a dominant three-goal performance to secure a hat trick as the Litchfield varsity soccer team cruised to a 5-0 non-conference victory on the road against Roxana...
Litchfield Panthers Softball Graphic

Patient Approach and Strong Pitching Power Litchfield Past Lebanon 9-1

The Litchfield varsity baseball team used a combination of dominant pitching and extreme patience at the plate to secure a 9-1 non-conference road victory over Lebanon on Wednesday afternoon. For...
Litchfield Panthers Softball Graphic

Mielke Strikes Out 11, Litchfield Uses Late Rally to Defeat New Berlin/Franklin/Waverly 3-1

A dominant pitching performance by Alexis Mielke and a clutch sixth-inning rally propelled the Litchfield varsity softball team to a 3-1 home non-conference victory over New Berlin/Franklin/Waverly on Wednesday afternoon....
Illinois lawmakers push $20M grant for after‑school programs hit by fed cut

Illinois lawmakers push $20M grant for after‑school programs hit by fed cut

By Sean Reed | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A state House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee heard testimony on a pair of bills poised to...
Illinois quick hits: Illinois lottery player wins $536 million

Illinois quick hits: Illinois lottery player wins $536 million

By The Center SquareThe Center Square Illinois lottery player wins $536 million An Illinois lottery player won $536 million in the Mega Millions jackpot. The winner, who chose to remain...
Illinois home prices surge, available units in short supply

Illinois home prices surge, available units in short supply

By Glenn Minnis | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – With home prices across the state up by 49% since 2019, Illinois Policy Institute’s LyLena Estabine...
GOP candidate counters congressman's criticism on ethanol vote

GOP candidate counters congressman’s criticism on ethanol vote

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – An Illinois Republican challenging for the state’s 17th Congressional District is pushing back after Democratic Rep....
Lawmakers push bills to close loopholes, increase penalties for child sex offenders

Lawmakers push bills to close loopholes, increase penalties for child sex offenders

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A state senator and former prosecutor says it is time to change Illinois law that allows people...
Litchfield Logo Graphic.4

Meeting Summary and Briefs: Litchfield City Council for March 5, 2026

Litchfield City Council Meeting | March 5, 2026 The Litchfield City Council met for its regular open session on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at City Hall. Mayor Jacob Fleming called...
Safe Routes to School

Litchfield Commits $60,895 for Safe Routes to School Sidewalk Project on Tyler and State Streets

Litchfield City Council Meeting | March 5, 2026 Article Summary: The Litchfield City Council authorized a joint funding agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to construct new sidewalks...