By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Being a diver and a hurdler is an extremely rare combination for a high school athlete, but it's one that works well for Washburn Rural senior Marquel Russell.
Russell was a two-time city champion in one-meter diving and placed 13th in the Class 6A state meet for the Junior Blues' swimming and diving team this winter.
Washburn Rural senior Marquel Russell won the 110-meter hurdles and finished second in the 300 hurdles and the long jump in Thursday's Jerry Beardslee Invitational. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
And as soon as that season ended in February, Russell turned his attention to track and field, where the Rural standout is a former 6A runner-up in the 110-meter high hurdles.
About the only thing that diving and hurdling have in common is that both disciplines are hard to master and it takes a bit of a daredevil to even try, which Russell said fits his personality perfectly.
"I've been a daredevil since I was a little kid,'' Russell said Thursday during the Jerry Beardslee Invitational track and field meet at Hummer Sports Park.
Russell didn't take up diving until his sophomore season, but almost immediately fell in love with the sport.
"I had always done tumbling and stuff like that on grass and did lots of flips,'' Russell said. "Then I watched a couple of YouTube videos about diving and what really got me into diving was watching the Olympics and things like that. It's so much fun.''
Russell took up hurdling in middle school and became a state-class high hurdler his freshman season for Rural.
"I really love the hurdles,'' Russell said. "I had done the hurdles way back when I was in middle school, that's what got me into them. My freshman year I went to state and took second and that was my best year.''
Now Russell is determined to make this year his best year after having his junior track season canceled due to COVID-19.
"I want to make my senior year the best year,'' Russell said.
Russell got his season off to a solid start Thursday, winning the 110s in 15.8 seconds while also finishing second in the long jump (19-5.5) and the 300 hurdles (46.2), with Russell making his career debut in the 300s.
Both diving and running the hurdles are events that carry the risk of injury, but Russell said he doesn't concern himself with that.
"I've had a couple of fails,'' Russell said. "I just go out and do it and get it over with and if I feel like I can do it again I'll get back up and do it again.''
• Seaman freshman Taylin Stallbaumer continued her early-season success in the girls hurdles, winning the 100s in 17.4 and the 300s in 48.1. Viking senior Sean Hoffmans won the boys 300s in 43.7 and finished second to Russell in the 110s in 16.7.
• Freshman Jada Ingram made her debut for the Washburn Rural girls with individual wins in the high jump (4-8) and the 200-meter dash (28.1) while also running on the Junior Blues' winning 4 X 400 relay team (4:23.4).
• Washburn Rural senior Elle Bray won the girls 100 (13.7) and the 400 (65.5) and finished second to Ingram in the 200 (28.4).
• Seaman sophomore Bethany Druse turned in one of the most impressive individual performances of the day, running a time of 2:23.6 in the girls 800, winning by more than 14 seconds.
• Washburn Rural junior Zsamar Sipple swept the boys long jump and triple jump titles, winning the long jump at 20-10 and the triple jump at 40-3.
JERRY BEARDSLEE INVITATIONAL
BOYS
Individual results
Shot put -- 1. Sulzen-Watson, Washburn Rural, 47-10.25; 2. Rudeen, Mission Valley, 44-4; 3. Wettengel, Washburn Rural, 40-11.
Discus -- 1. Sulzen-Watson, Washburn Rural, 129-2; 2. Rudeen, Mission Valley, 119-6; 3. S. Sulzan-Watson, Washburn Rural, 118-6.
Javelin -- 1. Lewis, Mission Valley, 135-10; 2. Sell, Seaman, 126-7; 3. Hernandez, Seaman, 126-6.
High jump -- 1. Shonka, Washburn Rural, 6-1; 2. Worcester, Seaman, 6-0; 3. Rothenberger, Seaman, 5-10.
Triple jump -- 1. Sipple, Washburn Rural, 40-3; 2. Ramirez, Seaman, 38-9; 3. Bush, Seaman, 37-1.
Pole vault -- 1. Goering, Washburn Rural, 12-0; 2. Iahlf, Washburn Rural, 10-6; 3. Rosenlund, Seaman, 9-6.
Long jump -- 1. Sipple, Washburn Rural, 20-10; 2. Russell, Washburn Rural, 19-5.5; 3. Ireland, Seaman, 19-4.
4 X 800 relay -- 1. Seaman, 9:02.9; 2. Washburn Rural, 9:04.4; 3. Mission Valley, 10:15.5.
110 hurdles -- 1. Russell, Washburn Rural, 15.8; 2. Hoffmans, Seaman, 16.7; 3. Aguilar, Washburn Rural, 16.7.
100 -- 1. Rothenberger, Seaman, 11.5; 2. Van Leeuwen, Seaman, 11.6; 3. Adams, Washburn Rural, 11.9.
1,600 -- 1. Holmes, Washburn Rural, 4:43.6; 2. Rubin, Mission Valley, 4:56.5; 3. Moore, Seaman, 4:57.3.
4 X 100 relay -- 1. Seaman, 45.5; 2. Topeka High, 46.6; 3. Seaman, 46.6.
400 -- 1. Mitchell, Washburn, Rural, 54.3; 2. Santiago, Washburn Rural, 56.75; 3. Jueneman, Washburn Rural, 57.4.
300 hurdles -- 1. Hoffmans, Seaman, 43.7; 2. Russell, Washburn Rural, 46.2; 3. Aguilar, Washburn Rural, 48.9.
800 -- 1. Cina, Seaman, 2:13.8; 2. Store, Topeka High, 2:15.5; 3. Keller, Washburn Rural, 2:17.2.
200 -- 1. Rothenberger, Seaman, 24.2; 2. Adams, Washburn Rural, 24.4; 3. Sipple, Washburn Rural, 24.6.
3,200 -- 1. Rubin, Mission Valley, 10:43.9; 2. Atkins, Seaman, 10:47.7; 3. Horacek, Seaman, 10:54.1.
4 X 400 relay -- 1. Seaman, 3:50.1; 2. Seaman, 3:52.1; 3. Washburn Rural, 3:52.8.
GIRLS
Individual results
Shot put -- 1. Fast, Mission Valley, 31-6.5; 2. J. Anderson, Seaman, 30-4.25; 3. Jones, Topeka High, 30-0.
Discus -- 1. Peterson, Washburn Rural, 99-11; 2. Anderson, Mission Valley, 90-6; 3. Cannon, Misison Valley, 84-11.
Javelin -- 1. Smith, Washburn Rural, 97-4; 2. Fast, Mission Valley, 89-8; 3. Simpson, Seaman, 86-2.
High jump -- 1. Ingram, Washburn Rural, 4-8; 2. Stuewe, Seaman, 4-6; 3. Kelly, Topeka High, 4-6.
Triple jump -- 1. Tenbrink, Seaman, 28-9.
Pole vault -- 1. Rezac, Washburn Rural, 7-0; Fredrickson, Washburn Rural, 6-6; 3. Ortega, Seaman, 6-6.
Long jump -- 1. Fast, Mission Valley, 14-9; 2. Kobuszewski, Seaman, 14-8; 3. Tenbrink, Seaman, 14-1.
4 X 800 relay -- 1. Seaman, 11:37.5.
100 hurdles -- 1. Stallbaumer, Seaman, 17.4; 2. Coch, Seaman, 18.3; 3. Montgomery, Topeka High, 18.5.
100 -- 1. Bray, Washburn Rural, 13.7; 2. Osayande, Topeka High, 13.9; 3. Steinboch, Seaman, 14.5.
1,600 -- 1. Carter, Washburn Rural, 5:30.5; 2. Wagner, Washburn Rural, 5:31.6; 3. Spurlock, Seaman, 6:17.9.
4 X 100 relay -- 1. Topeka High, 56.1; 2. Seaman, 63.6.
400 -- 1. Bray, Washburn, Rural, 65.5; 2. Wright, Washburn Rural, 66.4; 3. McClenny, Seaman, 69.5.
300 hurdles -- 1. Stallbaumer, Seaman, 48.1; 2. Kobuszewski, Seaman, 56.1.
800 -- 1. Druse, Seaman, 2:23.6; 2. Bird, Washburn Rural, 2:37.9; 3. Zuniga, Topeka High, 2:49.2.
200 -- 1. Ingram, Washburn Rural, 28.1; 2. Bray, Washburn Rural, 28.4; 3. Fredrickson, Washburn Rural, 28.4.
3,200 -- 1. Allacher, Seaman, 12:52.7; 2. Schultz, Seaman, 12:52.7; 3. Pena, Topeka High, 15:07.6.
4 X 400 relay -- 1. Washburn Rural, 4:23.4; 2. Washburn Rural, 4:30.7; 3. Seaman, 4:36.8.
