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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WICHITA -- For the second straight season Seaman junior Bethany Druse was stuck inside in Lane 1 to start Saturday's Class 5A 800 meters race.
This time Druse stayed in the same spot, jumping out to an early lead en route to her first state championship, clocking a time of 2:19.00 to post a 1.6 second-win over Spring Hill's Vienna Lahner.
Seaman junior Bethany Druse takes command early in the Class 5A girls 800 meters Saturday on the way to the state title in 2:19.00. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"Last year I got boxed in and I was in lLne 1,'' said Druse, who had finished fifth. "So when I found out I was Lane 1 this year I saw it as a second chance. My goal was to get out fast and stay fast, and I believe I did that.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WICHITA -- The way Hayden's Jensen Schrickel won the Class 4A boys long jump state title on Saturday at Cessna Stadium would have been considered a clutch performance by any age athlete.
The fact that Schrickel pulled off the unlikely accomplishment as a freshman making his first state meet appearance was even more impressive.
Jensen Schrickel
Hayden freshman Jensen Schrickel (left) competes in Saturday's Class 4A 400 meters state final. Schrickel won three state medals, including a win in the long jump. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Sitting in fourth place going into his final attempt, Schrickel moved into the lead in a very tight field with a jump of 21 feet, 9-50 inches.
"I just wanted to make it count,'' Schrickel said.
That jump put Schrickel in front of Tonganoxie's Isaiah Holthaus by an inch, but the Hayden standout still had to sweat out Holthaus' final jump.
Holthaus improved his previous best by a half inch, but his jump of 21-9 was still a half inch behind Schrickel's winning mark.
All eight of the 4A placers eclipsed the 21 foot mark, with 8.75 inches separating first from eighth.
Although he coudn't have predicted how everything was going to transpire, Schrickel said he went into Saturday feeling like he could win the title.
"I thought so, I felt good,'' Schrickel said. "When I won regionals I thought I had a good chance at it.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WICHITA -- Highland Park sophomore Victoria Reed is a state-class sprinter in the 100, 200 and 400-meter dashes, but there is no doubt that the 400 is her favorite, despite the fact that it is the longest and most grueling race of the three.
Reed added to her impressive resume in that event on Saturday at Cessna Stadium, cruising to the Class 5A state championship in a time of 58.04 seconds.
Highland Park sophomore Victoria Reed earned her first Class 5A state championship in Saturday's 400-meter dash, clocking a time of 58.04 seconds. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"To me it's a game,'' Reed said after her win. "You don't have to get out fast and stay fast. You can catch up and use different strategies. It's like a game to me.
"It's really fun to run. It's tough, but it's fun.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WICHITA -- Briar Gillum's final Class 3A state track and field meet went from heartbreak to disbelief and then finally to pure joy.
After finishing third in the 3A shot put as a junior, Gillum had her sights set on the title in Friday's competition and held the event lead for much of the competiition beffore Eureka's Abby Singhateh got off a big throw to take the state title by 4.50 inches, winning at 41 feet, 10.50 inches while Gillum was second at 41-6.
Rossville Class 3A state girls discus champ Briar Gillum stands in front of the leaderboard after delivering a school-record 135-11 throw on her final attempt in her final high school state meet. [Twitter photo/RossvilleDawgs]
It was a hard pill to swallow.
"When I lost I was really upset because it's been my dream since I started because at Rossville when you win a state championship we get our name on the wall in the gym, so I've been looking at all of those since I started throwing and I've just really, really wanted my name up there,'' Gillum said. "And of course we get to ring the bell outside the school, so I really wanted it and I really thought shot was my chance so when it didn't happen I was upset.
"I did throw good, I was proud of my throws, but the fact that I lost, it hurt a little bit.''
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural’s outstanding 2022 soccer campaign came to a close with a 2-0 loss to the Blue Valley West Jaguars in Saturday's Class 6A state championship game.
The Junior Blues were riding a six-game win streak heading into Saturday and Rural’s consistency to get to the final four eight consecutive years gave it a lot of optimism heading into the match.
Washburn Rural's soccer seniors hoist the Class 6A runner-up trophy after Saturday's 2-0 loss to Blue Valley West in the state championship game. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
Washburn Rural poses for a team picture after finishing second in the Class 6A state soccer tournament. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
“I am just proud of our girls,” Washburn Rural coach Brian Hensyel said. “There’s 36 6A teams and for the last five years our team has been the second best team in the state of Kansas. The second best soccer program is a pretty good thing to say.
“Our girls are great. Yesterday we beat one of the best teams we’ve ever beaten in Olathe Northwest. It was tough for us to get the energy going today after yesterday.”
Unfortunately for Washburn Rural, they were met with defending state champions that had previously won the last four 6A state championships.
“Blue Valley West is the gold standard,” Hensyel said. “It’s not just us that can’t beat them, nobody can beat them. They have a phenomenal program who knows how to win. Blue Valley West doesn’t make any mistakes. A lot of teams make mistakes and you’re able to capitalize on them, but they just don’t make them.”
As deeply successful as Blue Valley West’s resume is, Washburn Rural wasn’t overmatched.
