BY BRETT MARSHALL Great Bend Panther junior Cooper Ohnmacht captured the Western Athletic Conference Track Athlete of the Year after earning 30 points at the WAC track and field championship. Ohnmacht swept the long jump (21-31/2), the triple jump (46-2) and the javelin (167-4) and tied for first in the high jump (6-0), losing a tiebreaker. Winning the WAC Track Athlete of the Year was one of Ohnmacht's goals after capturing the award his sophomore season. “The WAC award is special because it’s all the guys in our league,” Ohnmacht said. “You play them in football, basketball and then see them in track so you get acquainted with them and appreciate the friendships you make.” His final track campaign hit a snag the day before the Panthers’ first meet of the spring when he suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain. “I missed five weeks and never fully recovered from the time off or to the point where I had the same power for the jumps,” Ohnmacht said. Still, after winning the triple in his freshman and sophomore years at the 5A state meet, he managed a respectable third in his specialty with a leap of 46-91/2, missing first by 61/4 inches. He placed third (22-3) in the long jump and seventh in the javelin (171-2). “I felt pretty good at state, but things just didn’t turn out the way I wanted,” Ohnmacht said. He winds down his 3-year three-year track and field career as a premier triple jumper and competitive long jumper and javelin thrower. Ohnmacht owns career bests in the triple jump (48-3), long jump (22-101/2) and javelin (182-0). Perhaps one of the amazing aspects of his 3-year prep track career is that he never competed in middle school. “I went out for track to stay in shape for football,” Ohnmacht recalled. “The triple jump, for some reason, appealed to me and I think I learned all the techniques a lot faster than most. There’s a lot of pieces to the event but it just fit me.” Another possible influence on his recent season is that he added 25 pounds to his 6-0 frame and now weighs in at 185 pounds. “I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished because it shows all the hard work I’ve put in and all the battles have paid off,” he said. “Winning triple jump my freshman year is my favorite track memory.” Ohnmacht said he will enjoy the memories of the weekly meets where he spent considerable time with his teammates and meeting other competitors. Ohnmacht has made a verbal commitment to Kansas State University, where he is projected to be a defensive back for the Wildcats. Ohnmacht plans to graduate in December and transfer to Manhattan for the 2027 spring Wildcat football practices. Thus, his final track and field exploits have come to an end. “If I ever get the opportunity to compete in track, I’m sure I would enjoy it,” Ohnmacht said. “But football has always been the main sport. The recruiting was wild and stressful at times, but I enjoyed the process.” His final football decision came down to choosing between K-State, Wisconsin and Penn State, making the proximity of Manhattan to Great Bend and Kansas State coaches as primary factors. “I’ve got my fall high school football season to play. I’m going to try and enjoy it as much as possible,” Ohnmacht said. “It’s been a great experience to play with all the guys and play for my coaches.”