Kansas Relays - adidas Dream Mile & 100 Qualifier Previews

Can the two distance stars Josh Evans and Stephanie Jenks from Linn-Mar High School in Marion, Iowa make it a clean sweep of the high school mile races at the Kansas Relays and earn their way to the adidas Dream Mile? We preview the four high school events with tickets to New York City for the adidas Grand Prix in mid June on the line in Lawrence, Kansas this weekend between the 100 and 1600 for the boys and girls, which is part of the adidas Golden Stripes tour.

 

Kansas Relays HS Preview: Girls 100 - Boys 100 - Girls 1600 - Boys 1600

MileSplit will be on-site at the Kansas Relays with photo and video coverage of the high school races.

 

More on the 2014 Kansas Relays

 

Kansas Relays - HS Girls 100 Preview

In the girls 100 meter dash at the Kansas Relays, Pine Creek (CO) junior Alleandra (Ally) Watt will be the strong favorite to win with a personal best of 11.41 from last spring and current season best of 11.85. Watt won the Colorado state title last spring in the 100 and was a state runner-up last spring in the 400 and 200. She was two spots away from representing the USA in the World Youth Championships in the 400 at the trials last summer (53.78 best). She entered this spring as #7 on the MileSplit All-American Watch List in the 100 meter dash. Watt had the sixth fastest nationally this past indoor season in the 60 meter dash at 7.43.

Top challengers for Watt in the fast section of the 100 meter dash will be two other sub 12 second girls in the field including Missouri 4A state champion sprinter Ashley Henderson of Hazelwood Central High School (11.84 PR) and arguably the fastest girl in the city of Chicago in Ebony McClendon (11.92 PR) of Brooks College Prep. McClendon flirted with a sub 7 second time in the 55 meter dash for most of the winter before finally getting under the time and joining a short list of the nation's elite with a 6.98 clocking at the Chicago Public Schools Indoor Championships. McClendon finished fourth in the finals of the 100 meter dash at the Illinois State Outdoor Championships last May and started venturing into the 11 second range during the summer track and AAU season.

Meanwhile, Ashley Henderson started out as a sub 12 sprinter in the 100 as a freshmen with a 11.97 clocking back in 2011 as a ninth grader and has remained under 12 the past two seasons including her first state title last outdoor season with a 11.95 performance in the finals of the Missouri 4A state meet. She is looking for her first sub 12 second performance of her senior year and potentially pull off a shocking win over Colorado's best in Watt at the Kansas Relays. She ran her season best of 12.31 in the 100 meter dash in win at the Charlie Beck Invitational and is the top returnee from last year's Kansas Relays when she turned in a runner-up 11.96 showing at KU. 

 

Kansas Relays - HS Girls 100m Dash Field

1 Amanda, Alexander Park Hill - 13.17 PR
2 Anderson, Sabrina North Kansas City - 13.19 PR
3 Annelus, Anglerne Grandview - 12.15 PR
4 Baron, Heide Pine Creek - 12.59 PR
5 Baron, Madelyn Pine Creek - 12.82 PR
6 Bright, Kennedy St. Teresa's Academy - 12.20 PR
7 Brown, Irea Grandview - 12.44 PR
8 Clayton, Marriah Basehor-Linwood - 12.74 PR
9 Cody, Maya Lutheran South - 12.14 PR
10 Cook, Christy Bishop Hogan - 12.50 PR
11 Darby, Jacque Olathe-South - 12.52 PR
12 Davis, Tristian Kansas City-Piper - 12.40 PR
13 Dillon, Amanda Har-Ber - 12.20 PR
14 Harmon, Jordyn Emporia - 12.59 PR
15 Henderson, Ashley Hazelwood Central - 11.84 PR
16 Hoins, Jaysa Superior - 12.97 PR
17 Howie, Mackenzie Pine Creek - 12.57 PR
18 Hutchinson, Imani Raytown South - 12.64
19 Knight, Jody Bentonville - 12.24 PR
20 Mahone, Taylor Bentonville - 12.16 PR
21 Maples, Raianna Topeka - 12.39 PR
22 McClendon, Ebony Brooks College Prep - 11.92 PR
23 Miles, Givonne Kansas City-Schlagle - 12.86 PR
24 Moore, Makayla Blue Springs South - 12.32 PR
25 Nash, Mekeba Smith-Cotton - 13.06 PR
26 Needham, Taylor Cheney - 12.45 PR
27 Regimand, Sarra Olathe-South - 13.53 PR
28 Riner, Reegan Topeka-Seaman - 12.85 PR
29 Roepke, Brandi Jo Valley Heights - 12.46 PR
30 Rolle, Alexis Bentonville - 12.63 PR
31 Shupe, Lindsay Minneapolis - 12.71 PR
32 Sirls, Adrianna Kansas City-Washington - 12.97 PR
33 Smith, Sierra Atchison - 12.36 PR
34 Spivey, Marcya Hazelwood Central - 12.77 PR
35 Stone, Morgan Jackson - 13.61 PR
36 Thomas, Jasmine Olathe-East - 12.01 PR
37 Vaughn, Kiera Shawnee Mission West - 12.86 PR
38 Von Leggett, Jade Raytown South - 12.63 PR
39 Watson, Makenna Clinton - 12.90 PR
40 Watt, Ally Pine Creek - 11.41 PR
41 Weiss, Breanna Olathe-South - 12.87 PR
42 Williams, Grace Olathe-South - 12.92 PR
43 Wurts, Megan Olathe-North - 12.51 PR
44 Yeargin, Latiyera Topeka - 12.47 PR
45 Zombo, Sharee North Kansas City - 12.25 PR

 

Kansas Relays - HS Boys 100 Preview

It will be a border state battleground in the boys 100 meter dash at the 2014 Kansas Relays between Missouri state champion Michael Wells of Cleveland NJROTC High School in St. Louis and Kansas state champion Joe Reagan of Seaman High School in Topeka. They are dead even with their all-time fastest in the 100 with both bringing 10.43 personal bests from last spring.

Not much difference in their season best times either with Wells clocking a 10.90 in the Festus Early Bird Invite at the end of March, while Reagan was a few ticks faster last week in a 10.86 victory at the Topeka Relays. The last time that Wells and Reagan raced each other was last summer in the AAU circuit at the area qualifier and national championship meet with the advantage going to Wells in a 2 to 1 win-loss record.

Behind them in the field, there is a tight pack of guys in the 10.6s to 10.8s range who are looking to breakthrough with a win at the Kansas Relays including Deron Thompson (10.64 PR) of Wichita Northwest High School in Kansas, Cameron Booty (10.87 PR) of Jenks High School in Oklahoma, and Jaymes Kelly (10.62 PR) of Grandview High School in Missouri.

Thompson seems like the best bet to potentially mix it up with Wells and Reagan as he has consistently been clocking times under 11 seconds for the past 2 years, but also look out for Nebraska state champion Simon Wiedel of Thayer Central High School in the race with a 10.84 PR.  

Kansas Relays - HS Boys 100m Dash
1 Adams, Isiah Kansas City-Turner - 11.04 PR
2 Allison, Jalen Papillion-LaVista - 11.10 PR
3 Beecher, Scott Medicine Lodge - 11.27 PR
4 Booty, Cameron Jenks - 10.87 PR
5 Bowers, Stephen Papillion-LaVista - 10.77 PR
6 Box, DaJuane Olathe-East - 11.04 PR
7 Bridges, Xavier Fillmore Central - 11.94 PR
8 Calaway, Seth Monroe - 11.39 PR
9 Campbell, Cody Emporia - 11.22 PR
10 Corbin-Jackson, Malik Topeka 
11 Dempsey, Devin Wichita-Kapaun-Mt Carmel - 10.94 PR
12 Evans, Kyle Olathe-East - 10.95 PR
13 Evans, Parker Olathe-East - 11.10 PR
14 Gillen, Tyler Kearney - 10.79 PR
15 Green, Tanner Olathe-South - 11.04 PR
16 Harris, Xavier Topeka - 11.26 PR
17 Jackson, Demarco East St. Louis - 11.52 PR
18 Kelly, Jaymes Grandview - 10.62 PR
19 Kingsley, Jacob Kearney 
20 McGill, Elijah Fort Osage - 10.94 PR
21 Millett, Marvin Ritenour - 11.25 PR
22 Moore, Antonio Kansas City-Wyandotte - 11.09 PR
23 Moorehead, Irving Ritenour - 11.35 PR
24 Napper, Josh West Franklin - 11.31 PR
25 Nguyen, Tai Mill Valley - 11.14 PR
26 Omollo, Lincoln Shawnee Mission West - 11.14 PR
27 Payne, Cade Lamar - 11.07 PR
28 Peters, Daniel Cheney - 11.41 PR
29 Radel, Jaylon Gardner-Edgerton - 11.00 PR
30 Reagan, Joe Topeka-Seaman - 10.43 PR
31 Saunders, Dion Kansas City-Piper - 11.23 PR
32 Schadler, Ryan Hesston - 10.96 PR
33 Silva, Jeff Olathe-South - 11.13 PR
34 Smith, Elijah Valley Heights - 11.32 PR
35 Spears, Michael Grandview - 11.24 PR
36 Thomas, Sam Olathe-Northwest - 11.02 PR
37 Thompson, Adam Glendale - 11.19 PR
38 Thompson, Deron Wichita-Northwest - 10.64 PR
39 Ty, Brett Jenks - 10.81 PR
40 Wells, Michael Cleveland Njrotc - 10.43 PR
41 Wiedel, Simon Thayer Central - 10.84 PR
42 Wilbur, Dresden Olathe-South - 10.83 PR
43 Williams, Jordan North Kansas City - 10.89 PR
44 Woods, J.D. Lawrence - 11.38 PR
45 Zimmerman, Derek Freeman - 11.17 PR

 

Kansas Relays - HS Girls 1600 Preview

Rebekah Topham is one of the nation's fastest milers that no one knows about. The Griswold (IA) junior Topham has run 4:48 in the mile and run a swift 4:28 in the 1500. Part of the reason is that she is often overshadowed in her own state by Linn-Mar High School sophomore Stephanie Jenks. Once again Jenks stands in her way to national recognition as the second seed to her for the Kansas Relays high school girls 1600 on Saturday. Jenks owns a PR of 4:44 in the event from her remarkable race last June for fourth place in the adidas Dream Mile as a ninth grader and ran under 4:50 at the New Balance Nationals Indoor in March despite doubling back on tired legs from the 5K (16:37 PR runner-up performance) two days before.

Topham is hoping that if she can't beat Jenks at the Kansas Relays, she can at least be pulled along to a fast enough time to earn herself an invitation for the adidas Dream Mile in New York City with Jenks. They do not get the chance to race against other in championship season in Iowa with Topham being in 1A and Jenks at a 4A school, so they look forward to any major mid-season invitational opportunities to face off. Last year, Topham earned an invitation to the Brooks PR meet indoors and took advantage of that trip running her lifetime best in the mile at 4:48 for fourth place against a national class field. She is the top returnee from last year's Kansas Relays 1600 meter race when she finished 4th in 5:02. 

Fourth place should be much faster in the 2014 race as after the two Iowa stars Jenks and Topham is three more sub 5 milers in Jessica Parker of Neenah High School in Wisconsin, Jill Whitman of Cor Jesu Academy in Missouri, and Sydney Billingsley of University High School in Illinois. Parker has won the past two Wisconsin state titles in the 1600 with a 4:59 victory at the indoor state meet two weeks ago and last June running her PR of 4:56 in the her state outdoor championship. This is a big trip and race of Parker who has not traveled too often out of her state to face competition, so it will be interesting to see if she can stick with Jenks and Topham to pulled along to a time approaching 4:50.

Jill Whitman has run under 5 minutes once with a 4:56 race at her 2013 outdoor sectional race, but the Cor Jesu Academy senior Whitman was very close to her second sub 5 race two weeks ago in a 5:00.59 win at the Holt Invitational. The Kansas Relays should be the perfect race for Whitman to go under 5 again and potentially best that 4:56 PR from last May.  

Meanwhile, Sydney Billingsley has been among the top level runners in her state of Illinois for the past two years but is looking for that sub 5 magic again from her sophomore year state outdoor prelims race in the 1600. She has a lot of momentum from the indoor season in which she won the unofficial state indoor season ending meet at the Illinois Top Times invite with a 5:06 win in the 1600.

 

Kansas Relays - HS Girls 1600m Run
1 Adam, Katie Ell-Saline - 5:25 1600
2 Adams, Kristen Francis Howell - 5:11 1600
3 Barber, Grace Jenks - 5:09 1600
4 Billingsley, Sydney University (Normal) - 4:59 1600
5 Brown, Maddie Jenks - 5:19 1600
6 Cambell, Ann St. Teresa's Academy - 5:11 1600
7 Cofer, Bailee Op-St. Thomas Aquinas - 5:08 1600
8 Dietsch, Haley Op-St. Thomas Aquinas - 5:19 1600
9 Downey, Emily Op-St. Thomas Aquinas - 5:14 1600
10 Drum, Chelsea Jackson - 5:17 1600
11 Florsheim, Haley Shorewood - 5:18 1600
12 Florsheim, Morgan Shorewood - 5:10 1600
13 Franklin, Olivia Kearney - 5:21 1600
14 Geiger, Grace Op-St. Thomas Aquinas - 5:13 1600
15 Griffith, Tabitha Farmington - 5:16 1600
16 Griffiths, Courtney Winfield - 5:22 1600
17 Harrell, Lauren Maranatha Academy - 5:18 1600
18 Hopfinger, Abbey Op-St. Thomas Aquinas - 5:21 1600
19 Huckabee, Micah Cabot - 5:16 1600
20 Jenks, Stephanie Linn-Mar - 4:44 Mile
21 Klausen, Grace Blue Springs South - 5:06 1600
22 Kroeker, Kaleigh Pine Creek  - 5:03 1600
23 Laabs, Jessie Neenah - 5:14 1600
24 Laurenzo, Sammy Liberty North - 5:09 1600
25 Lee, Nicole Clinton - 5:03 Mile
26 Logue, Cailie Girard - 5:11 1600
27 Manning, Hope Maranatha Academy - 5:21 1600
28 Parker, Jessica Neenah - 4:56 1600
29 Puvogel, Jordan Hiawatha - 5:17 1600
30 Raynor, Jade Kickapoo - 5:37 Mile
31 Redwine, Hayley Norman - 5:15 1600
32 Sanner, Claire Lawrence-Free State - 5:18 1600
33 Schroeder, Alaina Manhattan - 5:09 1600
34 Sughroue, Molly McCook 
35 Sullivan, Bailey Lawrence-Free State - 5:08 1600
36 Topham, Rebekah Griswold - 4:48 Mile
37 Weber, Emily Fossil Ridge - 5:20 1600
38 Whitman, Jill Cor Jesu Academy - 4:56 1600
39 Williams, Kennadee Lee's Summit West - 5:02 1600
40 Zitting, Arnica Francis Howell - 5:17 1600

 

Kansas Relays - HS Boys 1600 Preview

With over a half dozen guys having mile or 1600 personal bests at 4:15 or faster, the Kansas Relays boys 1600 should be the best race at that distance across the country right smack dab in the dead center of the nation. The field will be led by the two favorites in guys pushing to run a winning time under 4:10 between Josh Evans of Linn-Mar High School in Iowa and Spencer Haik of Glendale High School in Missouri.

Evans was last year's Drake Relays 1600 meter winner with a 4:10 PR and actually improved upon that performance in the post-season by running a 4:10 for the full mile at the Midwest Distance Festival. A state cross country champion in the fall, Evans is looking to secure passage to the adidas Dream Mile after failing to qualify for the Foot Locker Nationals (16th at FL Midwest Regional) and Nike Cross Nationals (8th at the NXN Heartland Regional) in the fall post-season. A win at Kansas Relays would automatically propel him to an opportunity to race against the country's top prep milers at the adidas Grand Prix on June 14th.

Article: Haik aims to earn Golden Stripes ticket

The 2013 Drake Relays champ will facing off with the returning 2013 Kansas Relays champ Spencer Haik from Glendale High School in Springfield, Missouri. Haik won last year at KU with a time of 4:11.76, which remained his personal best until last weekend when he popped a time of 4:10.99 at the Hillcrest Invitational. Haik has some closing wheels as shown last year when he doubled to win the 800 meter run at the Kansas Relays in a time of 1:55.84. Evans matches him with a 1:55 800 PR as well. Another notable victory for the two-time Missouri 4A 1600 meter outdoor state champ came in the post-season last May at the Festival of Miles with a 4:12.23 mile. 

It should be a very evenly matched and close race between Evans and Haik as well as a fast one too with the guys behind them to keep the pace honest on and on their toes. Arkansas state champion Brendan Taylor of Little Rock Catholic especially is one to respect and not sleep on. Last time we saw Taylor race was at the Texas Relays as he unleashed a swift kick off the final turn to claim the 1600 meter title there in 4:14.66. Last June, Taylor ran a time not far off Haik in the post-season last June with a 4:13.88 mile win at the Music City Distance Carnival in Tennessee.

Noah Kauppila is looking to bounce back from a disappointing DNF in the Arcadia Invite 3200 last weekend in Cali (after running his lifetime best of 8:54 in the 2012 Arcadia Invite) with a redeeming race in the 1600 at the Kansas Relays. Kauppila has many great races to recall including winning the Missouri state title in cross country and the 3200 last outdoor season, while qualifying for the Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego this past fall. The Marquette High School senior has twice run 4:13 for 1600 meters and two weeks ago posted a season opener of 4:17 in the event. 

Blue Springs junior Stephen Mugeche is coming off a big PR drop of 9 seconds at the Arcadia Invitational as one of the 20 guys that broke 9 minutes there in 18th place at 8:58.87. Next on his list is to drop that 4:15 1600 PR from last spring's Missouri State Outdoor Meet after running back to back 4:18's to open his 2014 outdoor season. Mugeche is considered more of a 3200/5K type, but looking to prove that he has the strength to hang with the likes of strong closers Haik and Evans.

Another state champion caliber runner to consider in the field is Sam Guinn of Blue Valley Northwest with a 4:16 personal best in the 1600. Guinn won the Kansas 1600 state title last spring as well as finishing a state runner-up in the 3200. He opened up his spring last week with the exact time he finished last spring in winning the Kansas state 1600 title in 4:19, so indicates he is ready to push for a time under 4:15 certainly in the 2014 outdoor season.

After running a 4:15 1600 PR at major altitude last weekend, Liam Meirow of Summit High School in Colorado is looking forward to coming down in elevation this weekend to the plains of Kansas and see if he can prove those altitude conversions true with a time drop. A Colorado state cross country champion in the fall, Meirow ran a 4:18 mile last spring for third place at the Golden West Invitational in California, but his recent win at the Mullen adidas Runners Roost Invite indicates he may be ready for even another performance breakthrough. 

 

Kansas Relays - HS Boys 1600m Run
1 Burchstead, Ben Shawnee Mission North - 4:24 1600
2 Callaway, Caden Scandia-Pike Valley - 4:20 1600
3 Clauss, Gabe Omaha Northwest - 4:26 1600
4 Conn, Alex Beloit - 4:24 1600
5 Cook, Nathan St. Dominic - 4:27 Mile
6 Doran, Thomas Omaha Creighton Prep - 4:35 1600
7 Embry, Luke Op-Blue Valley North - 4:30 1600
8 Epp, Hans Nebraska Christian - 4:35 1600
9 Evans, Josh Linn-Mar - 4:10 Mile
10 Fambrough, Jason Raymore-Peculiar - 4:23 1600
11 Finestead, Alex Olathe-North - 4:27 1600
12 Galanes, Gavin Francis Howell - 4:28 1600
13 Ganahl, Kevin Marquette - 4:30 1600
14 Guinn, Sam Op-Blue Valley Northwest - 4:16 1600
15 Haik, Spencer Glendale - 4:10 1600
16 Hanna, Josh Winfield - 4:22 1600
17 Henry,, Will Oak Park - 4:31 1600
18 Hodgson, Dylan Washington - 4:26 1600
19 Kauppila, Noah Marquette - 4:12 Mile
20 Law, Reno Millard South - 4:20 Mile
21 Mehl, Joshua Leoti-Wichita County - 4:28 1600
22 Meirow, Liam Summit - 4:15 1600
23 Melgares, Chris Manhattan - 4:26 1600
24 Miller, Zac Central (St. Joseph) - 4:25 Mile
25 Montoya, Pedro Ellinwood - 4:32 1600
26 Mugeche, Stephen Blue Springs - 4:15 1600
27 Nownes, John Omaha Creighton Prep - 4:36 1600
28 Osen, Riley Winfield - 4:26 1600
29 Penrod, Zach Raytown - 4:25 1600
30 Polerecky, Jack Omaha Creighton Prep - 4:26 1600
31 Pudenz, Kyle Park Hill - 4:18 1600
32 Shurtz, Mitchell Wichita-Northwest - 4:30 1600
33 Skwarlo, Stan Lawrence-Free State - 4:24 1600
34 Staub, Chris Jenks - 4:24 1600
35 Taylor, Brendan LR Catholic - 4:13 Mile
36 Tostrud, Noah Monroe - 4:26 1600
37 Tully, Matt LR Catholic - 4:34 1600
38 Wendt, Nate Millard South - 4:31 1600
39 Wickeron, Nathan Olathe-North - 4:28 1600
40 Zack, Bryan Op-St. Thomas Aquinas - 4:31 1600