By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
JACKSON ESQUIBEL, Shawnee Heights
A junior, Esquibel placed sixth in the 3,200 meters (9 minutes, 36.78 seconds) in the Class 5A state meet last season and earned TopSports.news All-Shawnee County recognition. Esquibel finished eighth individually in the 5A state cross country meet last fall and opened his 2023 track season with a win in the 3,200 at Free State.
JORDAN GARVIN, Shawnee Heights
Shawnee Heights senior Jordan Garvin ranks as one of Class 5A's top returning hurdlers ater posting a fourth-place finish in the 5A 300-meter hurdles (40.68) in the 2022 state meet. A TSN All-Shawnee County selection, Garvin clocked a best time of 40.10 seconds in the 300s as a junior.
AARON MERRITT, Seaman
Mettitt earned TSN All-Shawnee County recognition last spring as a sophomore hurdler. Merritt had a personal-best time of 15.07 last season in the 110-meter high hurdles. Merritt opened his season last Thursday in the Topeka West Invitational with a first-place finish in the 110s.
SEAN MILLER, Seaman
Miller, a senior, was a Class 5A state medalist last season, finishing eighth in the shot put with a throw of 46-1.50 at state. Miller received TSN All-Shawnee County honorable mention as a junior. Miller opened his senior season with a second-place finish in the shot put and a fourth in the discus in last Thursday's Topeka West Invitational.
Hayden senior Jake Muller was the Class 4A state runnerup in the 300-meter hurdles last spring after winning the state title as a sophomore. [File photo/TSN]
JAKE MULLER, Hayden
A four-sport athlete for the Wildcats, Muller was the runner-up in the Class 4A 300-meter hurdles (39.21) as a junior, finished seventh in the 110 high hurdles (15.43) and was part of the Wildcats' third-place 4 x 400 relay team. Muller was the 4A state champion in the 300 hurdles as a sophomore, earning All-Shawnee County honors.
Topeka West senior Lenny Njoroge placed fourth in the Class 5A 3,200 meters last season and is a three-time state medalist in cross country. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
LENNY NJOROGE, Topeka West
A senior, Njoroge took fourth in the Class 5A 3,200-meter run (9:33.36) in the 2022 state track meet and is a three-time 5A state medalist in cross country, including a career-best fourth-place finish last fall. Njoroge, who will run cross country and track at Kansas, is an All-Shawnee County pick in both track and cross country ane opened his 2023 season with wins in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters in last Thursday's Topeka West Invitational.
Highland Park senior Tre Richardson is the defending Class 5A state champion in the 200-meter dash and a returning state placer in the long jump and triple jump. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
TRE RICHARDSON, Highland Park
Also a football and basketball star for the Scots, Richardson won the Class 5A 200-meter dash in the state meet as a junior (22.32), finished second in the triple jump (46-9) and fith in the long jump (21-4). An All-Shawnee County pick, Richardson had a best time of 21.77 FAT in the 200 last season and a 21.6 hand-time. Richardson won the long jump in the season-opening Topeka West Invitational with a 22-11.50 best.
Hayden sophomore Jensen Schrickel earned three Class 4A state medals as a freshman, including a state title in the long jump. [File photo/TSN]
JENSEN SCHRICKEL, Hayden
Schrickel was a Class 4A state champion and three-time state medalist last spring as a freshman. Schrickel, an All-Shawnee County selection, won the long jump at 21-9.50 and had a best of 22-6. Schrickel finished seventh in the 400-meter dash (50.95) and was part of the Wildcats' third-place 4x400 relay team. Schrickel won the long jump in the season-opening Early Bird Invitational at Free State (21-03.50).
Shawnee Heights senior Jeremiah Smith swept Class 5A titles in the 100, 200 and the 110-meter hurdles as a sophomore in 2021 before being hampered by injury as a junior. [File photo/TSN]
JEREMIAH SMITH, Shawnee Heights
The T-Bird senior is Kansas' all-time leader in the 100-meter dash at 10.27 seconds and has run a 9.8 hand time. Smith ran a 21.82 in the 200 last season and a 14.26 in the 110 hurdles (14.2 hand time) before missing the state meet with an injury. Smith won three events in the 2021 state meet taking titles in the 110-meter high hurdles and the 100 and 200-meter dashes. The All-Shawnee County pick has signed a letter of intent with Nebraska.
JOSH SULZEN-WATSON, Washburn Rural
Sulzen-Watson earned All-Shawnee County honorable mention as a junior, qualifying for the Class 6A state meet in both the javelin and the discus. Sulzen-Watson finished second in the javelin at regionals and earned a third-place finish in regional competition in the discus. Sulzen-Watson was among the Shawnee County leaders in both events.
KORY SUTTON, Shawnee Heights
Sutton, a senior, will be looking for a breakout track season after completing a standout career in cross country last fall. Sutton helped lead the T-Birds to their third straight Class 5A state team berth in cross country and placed 19th at the state meet. Sutton was a three-time 5A state medalst and placed third in regional competition to help Shawnee Heights win the regional team title. He was sixth individually in the United Kansas Conference championships.
WALKER THOMPSON, Washburn Rural
The Rural senior was a Class 6A state medalist in the 2022 state track meet, posting an eighth-place finish in the javelin. Thompson earned TSN All-Shawnee County honorable mention as a junior. Thompson is coming off a big senior season in bowling, earning a state medal with an 11th-place individual finish and helping lead the Junior Blues to the 6A state team championship.
