By CHARLES SPURLOCK
Special to TopSports.news
ANDOVER -- On a sunny May afternoon, nine Class 5A schools (Andover, Andover Central, Arkansas City, Emporia, Kapaun Mt. Carmel, Newton, Seaman, Topeka West and Valley Center) competed at Andover Central in one of four regional track meets across the state on Thursday and Friday.
The top three finishers in each event qualified for the state meet next weekend in Wichita. The next four best finishers across all four regional meets will also qualify for the state meet. Those results will not be known until the regional meets at Blue Valley Northwest and Mill Valley on Friday evening.
Seaman junior Ryin Miller qualified for next week's Class 5A state track meet in Wichita in four events in Thursday's regional meet in Andover. [File photo/TSN]
Seaman junior Ryin Miller qualified in four events on Thursday.
She won the 800 meters with a time of 2 minutes, 13.98 seconds, the 1,600 meters in 5:01.64 and the 3,200 meters in 11:23.87. She was also the anchor leg of the Vikings' 4x400-meter relay team that finished third in a time of 4:06.58.
Competing in four events on the day played a role in Miller’s strategy during the meet.
“Definitely regionals are survive and advance,'' Miller said. "I wasn’t trying to run a personal best today. The goal in the mile was to do enough to move on and I did that. Also doing four events in one day is pretty rough. I’m excited for next week.”
The Seaman boys were the regional runnerup to Kapaun Mt. Carmel, amassing 80.5 points during the meet.
Local qualifiers for the state meet (Girls)
- Seaman junior Payton Alexander finished third in the javelin with at throw of 106 feet, 5 inches.
- The Seaman 4x400 relay team of Taylie Heston, Jaida Stallbaumer, Ally Steiner and Miller finished third in a time of 4:06.58
Local qualifiers for the state meet (Boys)
- Seaman sophomore Jack Esser finished third in the high jump with a clearance of 6-2.
- Seaman senior Kaden Whitehurst placed second in the triple jump with a leap of 43-6.5.
- Seaman senior Peyton Holmes finished second in the 100 meters with a time of 10.71 seconds.
- Seaman senior Bryce Cochran finished second in both the 200 meters (22.32) and the 400 meters (49.03).
- Seaman junior Brody Anderson finished second in the 800 meters in a personal best time of 1:55.26.
- Topeka West senior Adrian Lehman finished third in the 1,600 meters (4:21.14) and 3,200 meters (9:32.87).
- The Seaman 4x100 relay team of Tad McGee, Josh Hochard, Josh Brown, Holmes) finished second in a time of 43.15 seconds.
- The Seaman 4x400 relay team of Kaden Whitehurst, Anderson, Kameron Flores, Cochran) finished third with a time of 3:26.07.