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

U.S. colleges report $5.2B in foreign funds for 2025

U.S. colleges report $5.2B in foreign funds for 2025

By Esther WickhamThe Center Square American colleges and universities have received $5.2 billion in foreign gifts and contracts in 2025, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education. The...
U.S. farm bill drops, outlines 5-year funding

U.S. farm bill drops, outlines 5-year funding

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square The U.S. House Agriculture Committee dropped the text of the U.S. farm bill Friday, an 802-page package authorizing various nutrition, rural development and farm support...
Group: Raising minimum wage could cause drastic inflation

Group: Raising minimum wage could cause drastic inflation

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois lawmakers have proposed raising the state’s minimum wage to $27 per hour in 2032, but an...
Denver City Council members advance bill to ban ICE masks

Denver City Council members advance bill to ban ICE masks

By Chris WoodwardThe Center Square A Denver City Council committee has approved a proposal to ban law enforcement officers, including federal immigration agents, from wearing masks. The proposal from Councilmembers...
U.S. Ed Dept. investigates Puyallup wrestler’s sexual assault allegation by trans athlete

U.S. Ed Dept. investigates Puyallup wrestler’s sexual assault allegation by trans athlete

By Brett DavisThe Center Square The U.S. Department of Education is investigating the Puyallup School District for how it handled an alleged sexual assault of a female wrestler late last...
FRESH program would provide one-time SNAP cash; critics question cost

FRESH program would provide one-time SNAP cash; critics question cost

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – As new federal work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program take effect this month, Illinois...
Partial government shutdown imminent as Congress leaves town

Partial government shutdown imminent as Congress leaves town

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square Lawmakers have left town after failing to pass the Homeland Security full-year funding bill, ensuring a partial shutdown of DHS beginning Saturday. This is the...
Illinois Quick Hits: Man sentenced for robbing postal worker

Illinois Quick Hits: Man sentenced for robbing postal worker

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A federal judge has sentenced a Chicago man to four years and three months in prison for...
Sultan in Epstein files resigns, global turmoil continues

Sultan in Epstein files resigns, global turmoil continues

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square An executive of a Dubai-based company resigned on Friday after documents released by the Justice Department tied him to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Sultan...
Temporary protected status terminated for Yemen nationals

Temporary protected status terminated for Yemen nationals

By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square Yemeni nationals in the U.S. on temporary protective status will have 60 days to leave the country. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced...
Advocates argue new data center restrictions might close Illinois market

Advocates argue new data center restrictions might close Illinois market

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois lawmakers have proposed stricter regulations on data centers in the state, but an industry advocate says...
Woman wants RFK Jr. to add COVID vaccine to injury table

Woman wants RFK Jr. to add COVID vaccine to injury table

By Jessica M. DeBois | Legal NewslineThe Center Square A Florida woman who claims she was injured by the COVID vaccine sued U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary...
Illinois advocates urge senate action on SAVE Act

Illinois advocates urge senate action on SAVE Act

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois election-integrity advocates are pushing the U.S. Senate to agree with a recent House move and...
Ford returning to the Middle East as tensions rise with Iran

Ford returning to the Middle East as tensions rise with Iran

By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square A second aircraft carrier is en route to the Middle East as tensions build with Iran, according to multiple reports. The USS Gerald Ford, the...
Lemon faces federal arraignment today in St. Paul church protest case

Lemon faces federal arraignment today in St. Paul church protest case

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square Journalist Don Lemon is scheduled to appear in a Minnesota courtroom today to be arraigned on federal charges related to a protest that disrupted a...