Staff writer
Lauren Pickens led the Peabody-Burns High School girls track team to a sixth-place finish this weekend with her three gold-medal performances at the state meet in Wichita.
Pickens blazed to three first-place finishes and collected 30 team points. She also set a Kansas track and field record by winning the 100, 200, and 400-meter races all four years of her high school career.
“Lauren picked up her 10th, 11th, and 12th gold medal,” coach Brian Lightner said, setting a high mark for school records as well. “She will go in Kansas track and field history as one of the great competitors in the sport.”
Pickens qualified for the three races and then went on to better those times — her 100 preliminary was 12.76 seconds with the race time being 12.46, 200 preliminary 26.13 seconds and finished 25.91, and 400 preliminary 59.16 and finished 58.32.
Pickens also was part of the 4x100 relay team of Beckah McCullough, Paige Lewis, and Silvia Flores, which finished 14th.
Flores competed in the long jump, earning a 14th place with a jump of 14 feet, 3 inches.
Senior Sheldon Wiebe competed in the 800, finishing 10th with a time of 2:05.11. He came in 14th in the 1600.
“Sheldon ran well in both races,” Lightner said. “He improved his performance from 16th to 14th place in the 1600 and ran a personal record time.”
This was Wiebe’s first year to qualify at state, showing improvement and dedication during the past four years, Lightner said.