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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Sophomore Jeremiah Smith led the way with a hand in four of Shawnee Heights' six event wins as the the T-Birds claimed the boys team championship in Friday's Shawnee Heights Invitational track and field meet.
Shawnee Heights sophomore Jeremiah Smith had a hand in four wins, including the 110 hurdles, as the T-Birds won the boys team title in Friday's Shawnee Heights Invitational. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Smith won individual titles in the 100 (10.95 seconds) and the 200-meter dashes (22.15) and the 110-meter high hurdles (14.74) and also ran on the T-Birds' winning 4x100 relay (44.02).
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Rossville and Silver Lake were two of the smallest schools in Friday's 20-school Bob Camien/Claudia Welch Seaman Relays, but the Bulldawgs and Eagles made their share of noise, combining for a pair of wins and 10 top-three finishes.
Rossville's Briar Gillum won the girls shot put with a throw of 40 feet, 7 inches and also finished third in the discus at 125-6 while Silver Lake's Carson Johnson took the gold medal in the boys 300-meter hurdles in 41.67 seconds.
Silver Lake's Brogen Renfro wins his heat in the 200-meter dash preliminaries in Friday's Camien/Welch Seaman Relays. Renfro placed second in the 200 and the triple jump and third in the 100. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Silver Lake's Brogen Renfro posted top-three finishes in three events, taking second in the boys triple jump (43-9) and the 200 (22.76) and third in the 100 (10.91), while Rossville's Woodrow Rezac was the runner-up in the boys 100 (10.89).
Rossville's Amelia Foster placed third in the girls 400 (59.91) and third in the 800 (2:24.94) while Silver Lake's Cameron TenEyck was third in the boys 1,600 (4:41.61).
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
There's no doubt that Bethany Druse's favorite event is the 800 meters.
But the Seaman sophomore distance star knows the only way she's going to reach her true potential in that event is by pushing herself in other events.
So that's why Druse ran 5 kilometers throughout cross county season, pushing herself to a ninth-place state finish, and that's why she put herself through the difficult 1,600 meters/800 double in Friday's Bob Camien/Claudia Welch Seaman Relays.
Continuing an outstanding season in her first high school track and field campaign, Druse won the 1,600 in a personal-best 5 minutes, 19.90 seconds and came back later to take the 800 in 2:22.64.
Seaman sophomore Bethany Druse (right) duels with Olathe North's Shea Johnson during Friday's 1,600-meter run in the Camien/Welch Seaman Relays. Druse won the 1,600 in 5:19.90 and came back to double up in the 800 in 2:22.64. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN].
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
With the biggest meets of his track and field season coming up, Washburn Rural senior Sam Shonka was looking to take a step up in the Bob Camien/Claudia Welch Seaman Relays.
But not even Shonka could have predicted what transpired Frday, with the Junior Blue standout destryoing his previous personal record en route to a gold-medal performance.
"I came into this knowing that there was going to be a guy jumping 6-5, so honestly I wasn't even preparing to win,'' Shonka said. "I was just preparing to better myself.''
Washburn Rural senior high-jumper Sam Shonka (left) celebrates after clearing 6 foot, 6 inches to win the event in Friday's Camien/Welch Seaman Relays. [Photo by Rick Peterson]
Entering the meet with a season-best of 6 foot, 1 inches, Shonka cleared six heights from 5-8 to 6-6 on six straight attempts to win the event by two inches over Rowden Paul of Olathe North.
"I found a new mark and it just happened to work brilliantly,'' Shonka said.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka High product Teven Jenkins had to wait longer to hear his name called in the 2021 NFL Draft than most draft forescasters thought he would.
But when the Chicago Bears traded up to pick the Oklahoma State star offensive lineman in Friday's second round with the 39th overall selection, Jenkins made history in his hometown, easily becoming the highest-ever NFL draft pick from Topeka or Shawnee County.
Most draft prognosticators had Jenkins going in Thuesday's first around, with some 11 mock drafts predicting that the Bears would pick Jenkins with the 20th overall pick, but his name was not called until early second.
"You know coming into yesterday my agent let me know there's a strong possibility for the first, but he made sure I definitely wouldn't get my hopes up for everything because there was a strong possibility of going second also," Jenkins said in a teleconference.
Topeka High graduate and former Oklahoma State standout Teven Jenkins (73) became Shawnee County's highest-ever NFL Draft selection on Friday when the Chicago Bears picked Jenkins with the No. 39 pick overall. [Photo/okstate.com]
