Litchfield Freshmen Girls Shine, Roach Doubles Up at Home Five-Team Track Meet

The Litchfield varsity track and field teams delivered a series of spectacular individual performances on Thursday afternoon, hosting a five-team meet that featured standout efforts from both seasoned seniors and emerging freshmen. While the Waverly boys and Pana girls claimed the overall team championships, the hometown Purple Panthers secured a pair of strong third-place finishes on the backs of multiple gold-medal efforts.

For the Litchfield girls, the afternoon belonged to the freshman class. First-year athletes dominated the sprint and hurdle events, racking up individual victories across the board. Ava White put on a clinic in the hurdles, sweeping the competition by winning the 100-meter hurdles in 17.89 seconds and the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 51.25. Lana Cress matched that energy in the sprints, taking the 100-meter dash title in 13.12 seconds, while fellow freshman Maggie Schwab claimed gold in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:12.15.

The dominance of the Litchfield girls extended to the relay events, where they secured victories in the 4×100, 4×200, and 4×400. The 4×100 team, featuring freshmen Harley Foulk and Cress alongside sophomores Jada Carroll and Kilee Hoover, sprinted to a first-place finish of 51.35 seconds. Foulk also proved her versatility by winning the long jump with a leap of 4.41 meters.

On the boys’ side, senior Alec Roach anchored Litchfield’s efforts with a pair of individual titles. Roach blazed to a victory in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.37 seconds and followed it up by winning the high jump, clearing a personal-best 1.83 meters.

Sophomore Lukas Paine also had a stellar afternoon for the Litchfield boys. Paine commanded the 800-meter run, crossing the finish line first with a personal-best time of 2:10.96. He also earned a second-place finish in the 400-meter dash and helped guide the 4×400 relay team—which included Andrew Boston, Jaxon Ray, and Nolan Engstrom—to a first-place time of 3:46.58.

In the throwing events, Litchfield’s strength was well-represented by senior Riley Ayres and sophomore Braedyn Knapp. Ayres earned a second-place finish in the shot put with a personal-best throw of 12.00 meters, while Knapp grabbed second in the discus with a toss of 37.50 meters. Freshman pole vaulter Jaylen Komor also secured a runner-up finish, clearing 3.05 meters.

Ultimately, the Waverly boys took the meet title with 102 points, narrowly edging out Pana (94). The Litchfield boys finished third with 78 points, followed by Jacksonville ISD (43) and Nokomis (12). In the girls’ division, Pana claimed the championship with 86 points, followed by Waverly (79) and Litchfield (68). Nokomis (46) and Jacksonville ISD (10) rounded out the team standings.

Game Summary

Score by Team

Scoring Drives (Event Victories)

• Boys Events:

  • Alec Roach wins the 200 Meters (22.37a).

  • Lukas Paine wins the 800 Meters (2:10.96a).

  • Alec Roach wins the High Jump (1.83m).

  • 4×400 Relay B Team (Paine, Boston, Ray, Engstrom) wins (3:46.58a).

• Girls Events:

  • Lana Cress wins the 100 Meters (13.12a).

  • Maggie Schwab wins the 400 Meters (1:12.15a).

  • Ava White wins the 100m Hurdles (17.89a) and 300m Hurdles (51.25a).

  • Harley Foulk wins the Long Jump (4.41m).

  • 4×100 Relay B Team (Foulk, Cress, Carroll, Hoover) wins (51.35a).

  • 4×200 Relay (Schwab, Warchol, Braasch, Boden) wins (2:00.70a).

  • 4×400 Relay (Carroll, Boden, Braasch, Warchol) wins (4:39.57a).

Individual Statistics (Top Litchfield Finishers)

• BOYS TRACK: Alec Roach (1st, 200m, 22.37a); Lukas Paine (1st, 800m, 2:10.96a; 2nd, 400m, 54.19a).

• BOYS FIELD: Alec Roach (1st, High Jump, 1.83m); Riley Ayres (2nd, Shot Put, 12.00m); Braedyn Knapp (2nd, Discus, 37.50m); Jaylen Komor (2nd, Pole Vault, 3.05m).

• GIRLS TRACK: Lana Cress (1st, 100m, 13.12a); Maggie Schwab (1st, 400m, 1:12.15a); Ava White (1st, 100m Hurdles, 17.89a; 1st, 300m Hurdles, 51.25a).

• GIRLS FIELD: Harley Foulk (1st, Long Jump, 4.41m).