By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WICHITA -- Seaman junior Ryin Miller entered the weekend with a dream and went out and made it a reality Friday and Saturday at Cessna Stadium.
Seaman junior Ryin Miller finishes off Saturday's Class 5A championship in the 1,600 meters at Cessna Stadium. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
After coming from behind to top Salina Central senior star Katelyn Rupe in Friday night's Class 5A girls 3,200 meters Miller returned on Saturday to add championships in the 1,600 and 800, raising her career state victory total to five.
"I'm so excited,'' Miller said. "That probably was like unfathonable freshman year. Like even one would just be crazy to me but that definitely one of my season goals (this spring).
"I have a whiteboard and I write down all my goals and that was like the biggest one in all caps was 'Go three for three at state,' so I'm really happy with it.''
After winning her first 3,200 title in 10 minutes, 19.53 seconds Friday night to thwart Rupe's bid for a fourth title in the event, Miller and Rupe went one-two again in the 1,600, with Miller winning in 4:57.33, and the Viking star picked up her third straight win on Saturday, taking the 800 crown in 2:11.14 to finish her season undefeated individually.
Like she had in the 3,200, Miller ran second to Rupe for most of the 1,600 before taking the lead on the final lap.
Seaman junior Ryin Miller leads the field in Saturday's Class 5A 800 meters race. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Conversely, Miller took control of the 800 from the outset, with Leavenworth sophomore Kelsie Kudzia second in 2:12.99.
"I've had the opportunity to learn from one of my past teammates (Bethany Druse),'' Miller said. "She's a great runner and just one time didn't get out hard enough and got boxed in the 800, which is really easy to do. I think the 800 is probably one of the most tactical races in track and field so I was like, 'Just get out, don't get boxed and just push it and see what happens.' ''
Miller added a fourth medal in the final 5A girls event of the night when she teamed with seniors Taylie Heston, Jaida Stallbaumer and Ally Steiner to finish fourth in the 4x400 relay in 4:03.44 as Miller moved from seventh to fourth on her anchor leg.
Other Saturday highlights:
• Washburn Rural junior Morgan Ray finished a strong second in the Class 6A javelin event with a best throw of 138 feet, 1 inch.
Washburn Rural junior Morgan Ray was the Class 6A state runnerup in the javelin Saturday in Wichita. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Ray finished second to Shawnee Mission East junior Paige Stanfield by four feet, six inches (142-7) and Ray finished second by more than five feet over Blue Valley West junior Carlie Pandjaris (132-11).
"I'm disappointed (not to win), but I have next year and from eighth (in 2024) to second is pretty good,'' Ray said. "So I'm honestly proud.''
• Washburn Rural's 4x800-meter team of senior Rylee Ismert, junior Emily Graf, senior Brooklyn Nolte and senior Payton Fink posted a runnerup finish in 6A in 9:29.84.
Olathe West won the event in 9:25.52.
Washburn Rural senior Payton Fink (middle) and junior Emily Graf (left) won multiple Class 6A state medals Friday and Saturday in Wichita. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Fink finished fifth later in the day in the 1,600 in 5:09.90 after finishing fifth in the 3,200 Friday while Graf picked up a second state medal after finishing eighth in the 3,200 Friday.
• Washburn Rural sophomore Kailyn Petersen finished fourth in the 6A discus at 124-6 after placing seventh in the shot put on Friday.
• Washburn Rural senior Molly Worley posted an eighth-place finish in the 6A high jump at 5-2 after a seventh-place finish in the 6A long jump on Friday.
• Silver Lake's Ellen Doty, Jaylie Whitehead, Ella Bolan and Ali Gerber finished sixth in the 3A 4x400 relay (4:08.14).
• Hayden senior Bella Reid placed sixth in the 4A 100 hurdles (16.23).
• Silver Lake freshman Karys Deiter took eighth in the 3A 100 hurdles (16.74).
• Rossville junior Rylee Dick finished eighth in the 2A 100 hurdles (l6.77).
