By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WICHITA -- Friday's Class 3A boys 200-meter dash final was so close that almost everybody in Cessna Stadium immediately turned their eyes to the scoreboard to find out who won the hotly-contested race, including Rossville senior Woodrow Rezac.
And after a few seconds, Rezac got the news that he was hoping for, being declared the state champion by .01 of a second over Perry-Lecompton's Hunter Hess with a winning time of 22.15 seconds.
"I really knew it was a close race and out of the corner of my eye, to be honest I thought he had me," said Rezac, who had finished a close second in the 100 earlier in the day. "I looked back on the scoreboard and it was a good feeling to see my name first. The hard work and dedication pay off when you see your name next to No. 1."
Rossville's Woodrow Rezac (3249) and Silver Lake's Brogan Renfro walk off the Cessna Stadium track after Friday's Class 3A 200-meter dash. Rezac won the 200 title in 22.15 while Renfro placed fourth. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Perry-Lecompton's Hess also had to glance at the scoreboard to get the final resul.
"Coming down (to the finish), I knew it was going to be tough to catch up to him," Hess said. "I thought I had him, but he's really fast and he deserved it. No harm done."
Rossville senior Woodrow Rezac battles for the Class 3A 200-meter dash title Friday at Cessna Stadium. Rezac won by .01 of a second in 22.15 seconds. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Silver Lake junior Brogan Renfro, who won four 3A state medals on the day, was also in the title hunt in the 200, finishing fourth.
"Right before the race, we looked at each other and said, 'We're bringing that state title back to (Highway) 24,' '' Rezac said. "After the race, (Renfro) said, 'Now you gave me something to beat.' ''
Rezac, Rossville's school record-holder in the 200, had flirted with a state title in the 100, finishing second to Holcomb's Zephyn Mason by .05 seconds in 10.74.
Rezad, who helped the Bulldawgs win the 2A state football crown last fall, set up his title bid in the 200 by qualifying No. 1 in the prelims after a so-so regional performance
"That got my confidence boosted back up," Rezac said. "I was ranked pretty close to last coming in and I had to step it up to show what I've got."
Rossville senior Woodrow Rezac stands atop the victory stand after his win in Friday's Class 3A 200-meter dash. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
In addition to his fourth-place finish in the 200 (22.27), Renfro was the state runner-up in the triple jump (44 feet, 1.25 inches), fifth in the 100 (11.02 seconds) and he teamd with seniors Ryan Sterling and Connar Adams and junior Carson Johnson on the Eagles' 4x100 relay that finished eighth (44.69).
"I'm never satisfied, got to get first," Renfro said. "I felt good, but I guess my good wasn't good enough. I have to get better."
Johnson finished third in the 300 hurdles (40.72) and seventh in the 110 hurdles (16.18) as the Eagles finished fourth as a team with 34 points.
"I feel like we out-performed ourselves," Renfro said. "I didn't think we were going to get top 10, but here we are."
Eagle junior Cameron TenEyck placed seventh in the boys 3,200 (10:10.32) and he teamed with sophomore Kamryn Kaniper, junior Kale Frehe and sophomore Mason Brokaw to take third in the 4x800 relay in 8:24.77.
Rossville junior Briar Gillum posted a top-three finish in the 3A girls shot put, taking third with a best throw of 39-4.5, and she added an eighth-place state finish in the discus (109-8).
Sophomore Amelia Foster was also a double state medalist for the Bulldawgs, taking sixth in the 3A girls 400 (61.09) and seventh in the 800 (2:26.82).
