By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
A mere three inches were the difference between a banner day and a so-so one for Washburn Rural junior Zsamar Sipple in Thursday's Centennial League track and field meet at Rural.
The Junior Blues' standout jumper was a double league champion with wins in the long jump and triple jump by a combined three inches over Highland Park sophomore Tre Richardson, helping lead Rural to a second-place team finish behind Manhattan (197.25-128).
Washburn Rural junior Zsamar Sipple had a big day in Thursday's Centennial League meet, capturing the boys long jump and triple jump titles by a total of three inches. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Sipple won the long jump with a personal-best of 22 feet, 4.50 inches, two inches further than Richardson (22-2.50), and then waged an even closer back and forth battle with Richardson in the triple jump, needing a career-best jump of 46-1 to edge his Highland Park rival by exactly an inch (46-0).
Highland Park sophomore Tre Richardson placed second in the Centennial League long jump and triple jump and won the 200-meter title Thursday at Washburn Rural. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Sipple was quick to credit Richardson, who came back to win the 200-meter dash (22.46) later in the evening, with pushing him to his big day.
"He helped me a lot,'' Sipple said. "He's pushing me to be better and better, pushing me to run faster, run harder, jump higher and keep my mind straight.''
Now Sipple wants to parlay Thursday's performance into even bigger days to come.
"I'm happy where I'm at right now, but I always know you can improve and be better,'' Sipple said. "Regionals I know there's going to be a lot of competition there, so I really need to work on my form and work on my technique.
"Today was a very good start because the competition got me hyped up and pumped up and made me push through. I need to keep that same feeling and get even better.''
Sipple was one of four Junior Blues to capture league individual titles, with senior Joel Goering winning the pole vault at 13-0, senior Sam Shonka taking the high jump crown at 6-4 and senior Marquel Russell winning the 110-meter hurdles in a personal-best time of 15.10 seconds.
Also picking up boys individual league titles were Topeka West junior Javion Lee in the 100 in 11.07 and Hayden sophomore Jake Muller in the 300 hurdles with a personal-best time of 40.26.
• City athletes combined to win 12 of 18 events in the girls division, led by triple gold medlist Victoria Reed of Topeka West and double individual winner Taylin Stallbaumer of Seaman.
Reed, a freshman, won the 100 dash in 12.63 seconds and the 400 in 59.63 and also ran a leg on the Chargers' winning 4x100 relay (59.63) before finishing second in the 200 dash (26.84) behind sophomore teammate Ala'Jah Brooks (26.53), who also ran a leg on the winning 4x100 team.
Stallbaumer won the 100 high hurdles in 16.46 seconds and came back to win the 300 lows in 49.79 while Viking sophomore Bethany Druse cracked the 2:20 mark in the 800 meters for the first time, winning in 2:19.20, and Seaman senior Megan Allacher won the 3.200 (12:13.14).
. Washburn Rural's girls, who finished second behind Manhattan by a 185.50-127 margin, picked up wins from senior Raegen Petersen in the discus (114-10) and from senior Keely Wagner in the 1,600 (5:22.33) and the Junior Blues also won the league title in the 4x400 relay (4:13.51).
West's MaKinsey Jones claimed the league title in the high jump, equaling her career-best at 5-4.
GIRLS
Team scores
Manhattan 185.50, Washburn Rural 127, Topeka West 118, Emporia 91, Seaman 72, Junction City 55, Hayden 28, Topeka High 11.50.
Individual results
Shot put -- 1. Toala, Junction City, 41-1.50; 2. Ilalio, Manhattan, 36-11; 3. Claussen, Manhattan, 35-10.
Discus -- 1. Petersen, Washburn Rural, 114-10; 2. Gruber, Manhattan, 114-4; 3. Wilkerson, Topeka West, 113-5.
Javelin -- 1. Glessner, Manhattan, 128-2; 2. Claussen, Manhattan, 118-11; 3. Weixelman, Manhattan, 111-1.
Long jump -- 1. Larson, Manhattan, 16-10; 2. Davis, Topeka West, 16-8.25; 3. Bray, Washburn Rural, 16-2.25.
Triple jump -- 1. Larson, Manhattan, 34-7; 2. Davis, Topeka West, 34-5.50; 3. Jones, Topeka West, 33-2.50.
Pole vault -- 1. Kesybounheaung, Emporia, 8-0; 2. Holthaus, Manhattan, 7-6; 3. Frederickson, Washburn Rural, 7-6.
High jump -- 1. Jones, Topeka West, 5-4; 2. Ingram, Washburn Rural, 5-2; 3. Zeigler, Washburn Rural, 5-0.
4x800 relay -- 1. Manhattan, 10:25.33; 2. Washburn Rural, 10:36.89; 3. Emporia, 10:47.23.
100 hurdles -- 1. Stallbaumer, Seaman, 16.46; 2. Prestonback, Manhattan, 16.52; 3. Widman, Manhattan, 17.11.
100 -- 1. Reed, Topeka West, 12.63; 2. Hillebert, Hayden, 12.78; 3. Larson, Manhattan, 12.82.
1,600 -- 1. Wagner, Washburn Rural, 5:22.33; 2. Willhite, Emporia, 5:31.33; 3. Knopp, Manhattan, 5:33.39.
4x100 relay -- 1. Topeka West, 50.38; 2. Manhattan, 52.37; 3. Washburn Rural, 52.76.
400 -- 1. Reed, Topeka West, 59.63; 2. Nicholson, Junction City, 62.40; 3. Wright, Washburn Rural, 63.67.
300 hurdles -- 1. Stallbaumer, Seaman, 49.79; 2. Cooper, Emporia, 50.59; 3. Arasmith, Manhattan, 50.59.
800 -- 1. Druse, Seaman, 2:19.20; 2. Carter, Washburn Rural, 2:23.64; 3. Ruvalcaba, Emporia, 2:33.22.
200 -- 1. Brooks, Topeka West, 26.53; 2. Reed, Topeka West, 26.84; 3. Nicholson, Junction City, 26.93.
3,200 -- 1. Allacher, Seaman, 12:13.14; 2. Knopp, Manhattan, 12:13.19; 3. Willhite, Emporia, 12:21.51.
4x400 relay -- 1. Washburn Rural, 4:13.51; 2. Manhattan, 4:17.48; 3. Hayden, 4:21.34.
BOYS
Team scores
Manhattan 197.25, Washburn Rural 128, Junction City 93.25, Hayden 72, Emporia 64.25, Seaman 60.75, Topeka West 39.50, Highland Park 26, Topeka High 14.
Individual results
Shot put -- 1. O’Connell, Manhattan, 60-4.50; 2. Sulzen-Watson, Washburn Rural, 50-1.50; 3. Wettengel, Washburn Rural, 45-5.
Discus -- 1. Magana, Manhattan, 169-4; 2. Sulzen-Watson, Washburn Rural, 163-7; 3. Gruber, Manhattan, 143-2.
Javelin -- 1. Moran, Manhattan, 162-0; 2. Tamura, Manhattan, 143-10; 3. Cummings, Hayden, 143-9.
Long jump -- 1. Sipple, Washburn Rural, 22-4.50; 2. Richardson, Highland Park, 22-2.50; 3. Lee, Topeka West, 22-0.
Triple jump -- 1. Sipple, Washburn Rural, 46-1; 2. Richardson, Highland Park, 46-0; 3. Moran, Manhattan, 42-6.
Pole vault -- 1. Goering, Washburn Rural, 13-0; 2. Huber, Emporia, 12-6; 3. Mercer, Washburn Rural, 12-6.
High jump -- 1. Shonka, Washburn Rural, 6-4; 2. Worcester, Seaman, 6-2; 3. Jones, Manhattan, 6-2.
4x800 relay -- 1. Manhattan, 8:23.60; 2. Washburn Rural, 8:31.86; 3. Seaman, 8:38.79.
110 hurdles -- 1. Russell, Washburn Rural, 15.10; 2. Obermeyer, Emporia, 15.56; 3. Muller, Hayden, 15.98.
100 -- 1. Lee, Topeka West, 11.07; 2. Banks, Junction City, 11.14; 3. Reed, Topeka West, 11.18.
1,600 -- 1. Harkin, Manhattan, 4:22.62; 2. Newkirk, Hayden, 4:25.54; 3. Mosier, Manhattan, 4:29.24.
4x100 relay -- 1. Junction City, 42.81; 2. Seaman, 43.57; 3. Emporia, 44.00.
400 -- 1. Dowling-Burnett, Manhattan, 51.38; 2. Bussey, Junction City, 51.70; 3. Jackson, Emporia, 52.68.
300 hurdles -- 1. Muller, Hayden, 40.26; 2. Russell, Washburn Rural, 41.34; 3. Obermeyer, Emporia, 42.45.
800 -- 1. Avila-Vargas, Manhattan, 2:04.17; 2. Mosier, Manhattan, 2:05.36; 3. Mitchell, Washburn Rural, 2:07.21.
200 -- 1. Richardson, Highland Park, 22.46; 2. Bussey, Junction City, 22.85; 3. Reed, Topeka West, 23.44.
3,200 -- 1. Atkins, Junction City, 9:48.08; 2. Newkirk, Hayden, 9:50.10; 3. Anderson, Manhattan, 10:00.14.
4x400 relay -- 1. Manhattan, 3:28.13; 2. Hayden, 3:29.89; 3. Junction City, 3:33.45.
