It’s always good to come home with a first place finish. That’s what the Manhattan High Varsity boys track team did as they competed at the Salina Central relays, while the girls placed fourth.

“It was a good final tune up. We had a lot of athletes doing different things last week,” head coach Kory Cool said. “We’ve got to all come together this week with the goal of bringing a league championship back home.”

While the team has nearly dominated the season with mostly first and second place finishes from both the boys and girls, league may be a different story, as they face the Junction City girls who are defending state champions.

“In track there’s always room to improve,” sophomore Emily Stewart said. “When you compete you aren’t only competing against other people but also against yourself by trying to get a personal record each time. We support and encourage one another and that is the most important thing in track. I think our team has the most potential to bring home gold.”

The MHS girls scored a total of 69 points, falling short of beating Junction City, who scored 118 points. The MHS boys dominated the competition by scoring 117 points, beating the closest opponent by 42 points. First place finishes include Clyde King Jr., who ran the 200 meter with a time of 21.99, and sophomore Sam Hankins, who competed in javelin and threw for 210-07 feet. Hankins’ throw not only earned him first, but a place on the top of national leaderboards.

With the end of the regular season, the team looks forward to starting the postseason off strong.

“I think the whole team is ready to enter it with a sense of optimism, particularly on the boys’ side, since they have a good chance to win state,” sophomore Ella Rosenkranz said. “I think they’re also looking forward to tapering a little bit more so they can be well-rested, which will no doubt result in faster times, higher jumps, and farther throws.”

The Centennial League meet is on Thursday at Shawnee Heights.