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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
It's been a tough senior year for Shawnee Heights track star Jeremiah Smith, who has yet to compete this spring.
Shawnee Heights senior track star Jeremiah Smith (right) jokes with teammates during last Friday's Joe Schrag City Championship at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But the fastest 100-meter dash runner in Kansas high school history is getting closer and closer to what he is confident will be a triumphant return.
"It is pretty hard,'' Smith said. "It's been depressing all year but, you know, it's part of the journey so you just deal with it.''
The Nebraska signee won Class 5A titles in the 100 and 200-meter dashes and the 110 high hurdles as a sophomore in 2021 and recorded a Kansas all-time best of 10.27 seconds early in the 2022 season before suffering a season-ending knee injury in last year's Joe Schrag City Championship.
Smith suffered another leg injury prior to the start of the 2023 season, which has delayed his return.
"I hurt it in the offseason actually and I've just been trying to nurse it back this whole time,'' Smith said.
While Smith is obviously eager to return to action, he also wants to be smart and not take any chances.
"Last year I ran on an injury and I just made it worse, so this year I'm not going to do that,'' Smith said.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news will compile a weekly track and field honor roll for Shawnee County high schools throughout the 2023 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
BOYS
100 METERS
Hayden's Finn Dunshee (right) and Topeka High's V'Ante Peoples rank one-two in Shawnee County in the boys 100-meter dash. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Dunshee, Hayden 10.76
Peoples, Topeka High 10.96
Merritt, Seaman 10.99
Rollenhagen, Silver Lake 11.08
Heim, Washburn Rural 11.10
200 METERS
Cochran, Seaman 22.34
Peoples, Topeka High 22.53
Murph, Topeka High 22.64
Berry-Briggs, Shawnee Heights 22.71
Rollenhagen, Silver Lake 22.79
Hayden sophomore Jensen Schrickel is the Shawnee County leader in the 400-meter dash. [Photo by Sarah Carson/Special to TSN]
400 METERS
Schrickel, Hayden 50.52
Roeder, Topeka High 51.40
Roney, Washburn Rural 51.72
Benz, Shawnee Heights 51.89
Terry, Washburn Rural 52.02
800 METERS
Moore, Seaman 2:00.12
Johnson, Washburn Rural 2:00.55
Anderson, Seaman 2:01.30
Brokaw, Silver Lake 2:03.65
Stuke, Seaman 2:04.81
Topeka West senior Lenny Njoroge (left) and Shawnee Heights junior Jackson Esquibel are the Shawnee County leaders in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs. [Photo by Sarah Carson/Special to TSN]
1,600 METERS
Njoroge, Topeka West 4:17.71
Esquibel, Shawnee Heights 4:23.09
Dial, Washburn Rural 4:33.13
Johnson, Washburn Rural 4:33.46
Jowers, Seaman 4:43.66
3,200 METERS
Njoroge, Topeka West 9:20.08
Esquibel, Shawnee Heights 9:25.23
Johnson, Washburn Rural 9:51.59
Dial, Washburn Rural 9:51.97
Jowers, Seaman 10:05.32
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news will compile a weekly track and field honor roll for Shawnee County high schools throughout the 2023 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
GIRLS
100 METERS
Ta'Mijha Nichols of Shawnee Heights is the Shawnee County leader in the girls 100-meter dash. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Nichols, Shawnee Heights 12.19
Marshall, Topeka High 12.74
Steiner, Seaman 13.05
Torres-Hill, Topeka High 13.07
Ross, Silver Lake 13.22
Topeka West senior Ala'Jah Brooks is the Shawnee County leader in the girls 100 and 200-meter dashes and the long jump. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
200 METERS
Brooks, Topeka West 25.65
Nichols, Shawnee Heights 25.88
Hillebert, Hayden 26.53
Marshall, Topeka High 26.83
Fredrickson, Washburn Rural 26.91
400 METERS
Brooks, Topeka West 57.26
Hillebert, Hayden 58.49
Fredrickson, Washburn Rural 60.01
Miller, Seaman 61.85
Rottinghaus, Shawnee Heights 61.91
Returning senior state champion Bethany Druse of Seaman is the Shawnee County leader in the 800 and 1,600-meter runs. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
800 METERS
Druse, Seaman 2:16.51
Foster, Rossville 2:27.33
Fink, Washburn Rural 2:27.51
Carter, Washburn Rural 2:28.30
Ismert, Washburn Rural 2:28.92
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Audrey Appuhn
AUDREY APPUHN, Washburn Rural
Appuhn, a freshman swimming standout, was a part of four victories in her first Topeka City Championship Friday at the Capitol Federal Natatorium, helping lead Washburn Rural to its 20th straight city team championship. Appuhn won the 200-yard freestyle in 1 minute, 57.72 seconds and the 500 free in 5:11.08 and also swam on the Junior Blues' winning 200 medley relay (1:54.84) and 400 free relay (3:40.49).
Ala'Jah Brooks
ALA'JAH BROOKS, Topeka West
A senior track and field standout, Brooks won three individual titles in Friday's Joe Schrag City Championship at Hummer Sports Park. Brooks won the long jump with a best of 16 feet, 7.50 inches, won the 400-meter dash in 57.26 seconds and won the 200 in 25.65 seconds. Brooks was the only athlete to win three individual events in the city meet.
Mason Casebeer
MASON CASEBEER, Washburn Rural
A senior tennis standout, Casebeer captured a pair of singles championships last week, including earning his third Class 6A state tournament berth Friday at Wichita. Casebeer opened his week with a Centennial League title, earning a 6-0, 6-1 win over Manhattan's Advith Nataraja in the final. Casebeer followed up his league title with a regional championship Friday at Riverside Tennis Center, taking a 6-1, 6-1 win over Wichita East sophomore Bo Lu to help Rural win the regional team title by a 19-15 margin over Manhattan.
- Details
By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Seaman's girls track and field team won three of the first four events that were contested on the track, including a meet record, and added a pair of field-event wins, opening up an early lead on the Vikings' way to their second straight Joe Schrag City Championship team title by an 189.5-137.5 margin over Washburn Rural Friday night at Hummer Sports Park.
Seaman's girls track and field team picked up its second straight team title in the Joe Schrag City Championhip Friday night at Hummer Sports Park, taking an 189.5-137.5 win over Washburn Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seaman senior Bethany Druse won city titles in the 800 and 1,600 meters Friday night at Hummer Sports Park and also anchored the Vikings' 4x400 relay team to a win for the team champions. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Viking foursome of Ryin Miller, Anna Becker, Stella Appelhanz and Taylie Heston opened the track portion of the city meet with a win in the 4x800 relay in 10 minutes, 43.03 seconds and then got a one-two finish from Taylin (16.22) and Jaida Stallbaumer (16.26) in the 100-meter hurdles.
Two events later Seaman senior star Bethany Druse made a rare appearance in the 1,600-meter run and eclipsed a 34-year-old city meet record with a winning time of 5:13.49 and the Vikings were off and running.
Druse added a win in the 800 meters (2:26.61) and teamed with Heston and the Stallbaumers to win the 4x400 relay (4:12.08) while Seaman also got a victory from Anna Domann in the shot put (34 feet, 3.50 inches) and a win from Ally Trier in the javelin (125-9).
"I thought we could score 165 points and today and we ended up with 189,'' Seaman coach Rick Brading said. "Every event we were just scoring more than we though we would, but it just came down to things like Bethany running a 5:13 mile.''
Overall, Brading said it was just a fun night for the Vikings.
"It is fun to be city champs, and our kids really wanted that, and it showed,'' Brading said. "The kids responded super.''
Other girls meet highlights:
Topeka West senior Ala'Jah Brooks was a triple gold medalist in Friday's Joe Schrag City Championship at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Senior Ala'Jah Brooks won three city titles in an outstanding individual performance for Topeka West.
Brooks started things off with a win in the long jump at 16 feet, 7.50 inches and followed that up with a win in the 400-meter dash (57.26) and finished her night with a win in the 200 dash (25.65).
"I felt good today,'' Brooks said. "I ran relaxed and I think that was just the biggest thing, run relaxed, get out good and finish good.''
Brooks said she thought it was advantage getting the day off to a good start in the long jump.
"I feel like once you start good you just know you're going to finish good,'' Brooks said. "It was a good day for me.''
Next up for Brooks is next Friday's United Kansas Conference meet at De Soto, followed by Class 5A regional competition and the state meet.
"I'm looking forward to PRing (personal records), just going all out and giving it my best,'' Brooks said.
• Topeka West also got a pair of wins from senior MaKinsey Jones, who won the high jump (5-foot-2) and the triple jump (33-9) to help the Chargers finish third in the team standings.
Washburn Rural senior Madeline Carter won the city title in the 3,200 meters Friday night and finished second in the 1,600. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Team runner-up Washburn Rural got wins from Raegan Petersen in the discus (119-2) and Madeline Carter in the 3,200 (11:41.17).
• Topeka High's Keimara Marshall won the 100-meter dash in 12.74 seconds while Aubreona Torres-Hill won the 300 hurdles in 48.54.
Marshall and Torres-Hill also teamed with Choize Hysten and Marilena Zuniga to win the 4x100 relay in 50.29 seconds.
• Shawnee Heights picked up a win from Brynne Liedtke in the pole vault, with Liedtke clearing 9 feet and winning over Rural's Alexis Fredrickson on fewer misses.
JOE SCHRAG CITY TRACK AND FIELD
At Hummer Sports Park
