By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The fact that Hayden senior Tanner Newkirk posted three victories in the three longest individual races of the night in Friday's Joe Schrag City Invitational was an outstanding achievement by itself.
The fact that the Wildcat star set city meet records in all three of his events put Newkirk in rarefied air as arguably the best individual performance in the history of the meet.
Hayden distance star Tanner Newkirk set city meet records Friday night in the 1,600, 800 and 3,200 in the Joe Schrag City Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden's Tanner Newkirk flashes the No. 1 sign after finishing off his third city record in the 3,200 meters in Friday's Joe Schrag Invitational. [Photo by Kyle Grunert/Special to TSN]
Newkirk started his busy night with a runaway win in the 1,600 meters in a personal-best time of 4:10.88 and he followed that up with a personal-best in the 800 in 1:55.69 and finished things off with a 22-second-plus victory in the 3,200 in 9:18.89, setting city meet records in all three races.
Newkirk said he decided to give the dificult triple a try to give the Wildcats their best shot at winning the city team title.
"I wanted to do it for the team,'' Newkirk said. "I wanted to get every point I can for the team to give us a chance to win city. It feels good to know that I did everything I can to help us try to reach that goal.''
Washburn Rural won its fifth straight boys city team championship in Friday's Joe Schrag Invitational at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Wildcats came up short in their title bid, with Washburn Rural claiming its fith straight city crown, but it was a still a day for the ages for Newkirk, who didn't know what any of the city records were entering Friday's meet.
"I didn't, but I was just hoping to PR and if they fell, they fell,'' Newkirk said. "On that last 3,200 I was going to coast through it, but when I heard (from the track announcer) I had a chance I was like, 'OK, we're going to grab this real quick.'
"I wish I could have gone sub-4:10 in that mile -- I definitely could have with some competition -- but I'm super-excited about the shape I'm in and that 800 just kind of came out of nowhere. I had no clue that I had that in me -- a 1:55 after a tough mile -- so I'm really happy with those two races and I'm really happy running a 9:18 after two races. And I think in all the races I have a lot more in me.''
Washburn Rural used its depth and a sweep of the throws by seniors Zach and Josh Sulzen-Watson to continue its city reign by a 138.5-126 margin over Hayden.
Zach Sulzen-Watson won the shot put with a throw of 51 feet, 7.50 inches and the discus at 163-0 while brother Josh captured the javelin title with a throw of 152-8.
The champion Junior Blues also got a win from Adrien Tibbetts in the high jump (6-2) while Rural posted top-three finishes in seven events and top-six finishes in 15 of 18 events.
"We knew this one was going to be extremely competitive,'' Rural coach Keith Wetzel said. "As we were looking at things ahead of time, Shawnee Heights was up there, Seaman's in there, Silver Lake's got a good team, Hayden's got a very good team so we knew it was going to be a very competitive meet.
"We talked all week about how it's great to win an event, but we needed those other places and that really helped us tonight being able to get even a fourth, fifth or sixth place.''
Runnerup Hayden also got wins from Jensen Schrickel in the 400 (51.05), Jake Muller in the 300 hurdles (39.72) and the 4 x 400 relay team of Ethan Florence, Muller, Ryan Rochford and Schrickel (3:29.66).
• Shawnee Heights junior Jeremiah Smith and Topeka West senior Zsamar Sipple both posted a pair of individual victories, with Sipple winning the long jump at 22-7 and the triple jump at 44-10 while Smith took the 110-meter hurdles in 14.26 seconds and the 100 dash in 10.45 seconds.
• Other city champions included Seaman's Lain Anderson in the pole vault (11-6), Silver Lake's Brogen Renfro in the 200 (22.40), Topeka West's 4 x 800 relay team of Louis Wilson, Mark Wilkie, Elijah Phelps and Lenny Njoroge (8:22.66) and Topeka High's 4 x 100 relay team of V'Ante Peoples, Jaziah Mack, Logan Murray and DyKestair Matlock (43.54).
Joe Schrag City Invitational
At Hummer Sports Park
BOYS
Team scores
Washburn Rural 138.5, Hayden 126, Topeka West 88, Seaman 83, Shawnee Heights 82, Silver Lake 71, Highland Park 44.5, Topeka High 43.
Individual results
Pole vault -- 1. Anderson, Seaman, 11-6; 2. Rausch, Washburn Rural, 11-0; 3. Hutsen, Washburn Rural, 10-0.
Shot put -- 1. Z. Sulzen-Watson, Washburn Rural, 51-7.50; 2. Otting, Hayden, 47-3; 3.Etzel, Shawnee Heights, 46-0.
Discus -- 1. Z. Sulzen-Watson, Washburn Rural, 163-0; 2. McConnell, Hayden, 135-3; 3. Moten, Shawnee Heights, 133-8.
Javelin -- 1. J. Sulzen-Watson, Washburn Rural, 152-8; 2. Cummings, Hayden, 151-4; 3. Otting, Hayden, 143-10.
Long jump -- 1. Sipple, Topeka West, 22-7; 2. Richardson, Highland Park, 22-2.50; 3. Schrickel, Hayden, 21-8.25.
Triple jump -- 1. Sipple, Topeka West, 44-10; 2. Richardson, Highland Park, 43-11; 3. Batson, Topeka West, 41-9.50.
High jump -- 1. Tibbetts, Washburn Rural, 6-2; 2. Batson, Topeka West, 6-2; 3. McGee, Seaman, 5-10.
4 x 800 relay -- 1. Topeka West (Wilson, Wilkie, Phelps, Njoroge), 8:22.66; 2. Silver Lake, 8:24.51; 3. Washburn Rural, 8:30.86.
110 hurdles -- 1. Smith, Shawnee Heights, 14.26; 2. Johnson, Highland Park, 15.30; 3. Muller, Hayden, 15.91.
100 -- 1. Smith, Shawnee Heights, 10.45; 2. Reed, Highland Park, 11.04; 3. Santiago, Washburn Rural, 11.11.
1,600 -- 1. Newkirk, Hayden, 4:10.88; 2. Esquibel, Shawnee Heights, 4:26.63; 3. Njoroge, Topeka West, 4:28.00.
4 x 100 relay -- 1. Topeka High (Peoples, Mack, Murray, Matlock), 43.54; 2. Washburn Rural, 43.78; 3. Seaman, 44.25.
400 -- 1. Schrickel, Hayden, 51.05; 2. Blankenship, Topeka High, 52.03; 3. Wilkerson, Topeka West, 52.58.
300 hurdles -- 1. Muller, Hayden, 39.72; 2. Garvin, Shawnee Heights, 40.32; 3. Johnson, Silver Lake, 41.69.
800 -- 1. Newkirk, Hayden, 1:55.69; 2. Wilson, Topeka West, 2:03.17; 3. Moore, Seaman, 2:03.79.
200 -- 1. Renro, Silver Lake, 22.40; 2. January, Shawnee Heights, 22.76; 3. Peoples, Topeka High, 22.90.
3,200 -- 1. Newkirk, Hayden, 9:18.89; 2. Njoroge, Topeka West, 9:41.41; 3. Esquibel, Shawnee Heights, 9:43.82.
4 x 400 relay -- 1. Hayden (Florence, Muller, Rochford, Schrickel), 3:29.66; 2. Silver Lake, 3:32.09; 3. Seaman, 3:33.04.
