We’re continuing our KCII Top 10 Countdown of the biggest area high school sports stories of 2022-2023. At number 3 is two individual state champions emerging from local schools at this year’s Iowa track & field state championships.

The Class 1A state long jump competition belonged to the Southeast Iowa Super Conference this year in Des Moines. Winfield-Mount Union junior Cam Buffington was the 1A boys’ state champion with a top long jump of 21 feet eight inches, and Highland junior Sarah Burton brought home the gold for 1A girls as well by hitting a top mark of over 17 feet eight inches.

The Wolves had one other medal winner at state in junior Gabriel Hemsworth, who was eighth in the 400-meter hurdles, while Burton added another medal for the Huskies with an eighth-place finish in the 100-meter dash. The WACO Warriors had a pair of medal winners, includng senior Odee Shtefanchuk taking third in the discus toss, and Simeon Reichenbach, who was sixth in the long jump and seventh in the 110 hurdles.

Three relay teams won medals for the Lone Tree girls, including freshman Ava Christofferson and sophomores Avery Morarie, Rylee Shield and Vivian Zaruba taking fourth in the 4-by-200. Christofferson, Shield, Zaruba and senior Riley Krueger were fifth for the Lions in the 4-by-100, while Christofferson, Shield, Zaruba and Sophie Bell were sixth in the sprint medley.

The countdown of Top 10 area sports stories will continue tomorrow. Find the stories every day as they are announced at KCIIradio.com.