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Seaman's Miller, Rural 4x1,600 relay pace city contingent Friday in Kansas Relays
By CHARLES SPURLOCK
Special to TopSports.news
LAWRENCE -- There are two things you can count on in the springtime in Kansas - the Kansas Relays and a rainstorm. Both occurred on Friday as the 2025 Kansas Relays began at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence.
Seaman junior Ryin Miller won the girls 3,200 meters title Friday in the Kansas Relays. [File photo/TSN]
Several local athletes competed on Friday with many more joining the fray on Saturday.
Highlighting the performance for the city contingent were Washburn Rural's girls 4x1,600-meter relay and Seaman junior distance star Ryin Miller.
The Rural 4x1600 relay was victorious over 22 other schools, with seniors Emily Graf, Payton Fink, Brooklyn Nolte and Rylee Ismert winning in 21 minutes, 21.47 seconds.
The race established a school record for the Junior Blues.
Miller continued her outstanding season with a victory in the girls 3,200 meters in a time of 10:21.78 -- a new personal best this season.
“I felt really good about the race and I went in with a different tactic,'' Miller said. "I normally like to get out to the lead from the start, but I wanted to switch it up to see how I felt and how it worked.
"I was really happy with it and I think it worked out really well.”
Other Friday highlights:
Seaman's Ryin Miller adds second individual Kansas Relays title
By CHARLES SPURLOCK
Special to TopSports.news
LAWRENCE -- After Friday’s exciting races to kick off the Kansas Relays, the performances on Saturday did not disappoint.
Seaman junior Ryin Miller, anchoring the Vikings' 4x400 relay, won the 1,600-meter run Saturday in the Kansas Relays, her second win in as many days. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
Seaman junior Ryin Miller picked up where she left off on Friday. In what might have been the race of the day, Miller won the 1600-meter run in a personal-best time of 4:46.03, which is the 16th fastest in the United States this year.
Her strategy was different from Friday’s race.
“I had planned to lead and get out in front from the start, but I could tell that we were going hot, so I decided to let the girls lead,'' Miller said.
As the final lap began, Ryin and the eventual second-place finisher -- senior Elyse Wilmes of Father Tolton Catholic School in Columbia, Mo. - took the lead from senior Kinley Wolfe of Cherry Creek High School of Colorado.
With about 300 meters remaining, Miller made her move and took a brief lead over Wilmes. However, Wilmes immediately responded and took a 10-15 meter lead going into the final 200 meters. As both runners arrived at the top of the stretch, Miller began her amazing charge and overtook Wilmes right before the finish to win by 0.3 seconds.
“I had watched the lead runner (Wilmes) in the 800 on Friday and knew she had a good kick, so I thought if I went early, it would take a little from her kick, but she brought it,'' Miller said. I just hung on, telling myself that I could do it, and in the last 100, I gave it all I had and luckily it was enough.”
Other Saturday highlights:
• The girls 4x800 team from Washburn Rural -- seniors Emily Graf, Payton Fink, Brooklyn Nolte and junior Kenzie Maddox -- finished in 5th place with a time of 9:44.07.
• Washburn Rural senior Isaiah Terry finished in 3rd place in the final of the 400 meters in a time of 48.41.
Washburn Rural senior Isaiah Terry finished third in the Kansas Relays 400 dash and helped the Junior Blues take fourth in the 4x400 relay. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
• The boys 4x400 relay team from Washburn Rural -- juniors Draden Chooncharoen and Liam Morrison along with seniors Ben Buesing and Terry finished 4th with a time of 3:22.21.
Washburn softball to host No. 5-ranked Bronchos in Friday twinbill
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University softball is back home Friday to host No. 5-ranked Central Oklahoma in a 4 p.m. doubleheader.
Following the twinbill with the Bronchos, the Ichabods will wrap up the regular season against Emporia State on April 26, with WU celebrating Senior Day.
Senior first baseman Jaden LaBarge leads Washburn softball with seven home runs and a .533 slugging percentage. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods (29-18 overall, 11-9 MIAA) split a pair of doubleheaders last weekend at Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri.
Washburn has already assured itself of an eighth straight winning season and senior first baseman Jaden LaBarge said the goal now is for the Ichabods to do everything they can to put themselves in position to make an extended postseason run.
"As long as our defense stays really focused and hitters can just keep swinging the bat and not swing at pitches outside of their zones I think that we have a really great chance of making it farther than we are expected to,'' LaBarge said.
LaBarge leads the Ichabods with seven home runs and a .533 slugging percentage.
The Bronchos are 40-7 and 17-3, splitting a road MIAA doubleheader with Central Missouri on Thursday.
