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:
• Washburn Rural senior Isaiah Terry won his heat in the 400 meter race in 48.64 seconds and qualified for the final on Saturday.
• The boys 4x400 relay team from Washburn Rural also won their heat and will race in the final on Saturday. Juniors Draden Chooncharoen and Liam Morrison along with seniors Ben Buesing and Isaiah Terry finished with a time of 3:22.01.
• The girls 4x100 relay team from Washburn Rural ran a 50.36, with juniors Maddie Blanco, Adriana Raul, Emme Blanco and senior Molly Worley qualifying for the 4x100 Sunflower Showdown.
The Sunflower Showdown rewards the top nine schools from Kansas that do not qualify for the final to compete for the Sunflower Showdown trophy.
• The boys 4x100 relay team from Silver Lake finished in a time of 43.28 seconds. Juniors Braxton Rupp, Evan Schied, Joel Miller and senior Trent Rollenhagen qualified for the Boys 4x100 Sunflower Showdown on Saturday.
Friday’s Results
Girls
Seaman
Distance Medley Relay - 13:28.96; 4x100 Relay - 52.03; 4x400 Relay - 4:10.08; Ryin Miller - 3200 meters - 10:21.78.
Silver Lake
4x100 Relay - 51.24.
Washburn Rural
4x1600 Relay - 21:21.47; 4x100 Relay - 50.36.
Boys
Seaman
Peyton Holmes - 110 Hurdles - 11.16; Bryce Cochran - 400 meters - 49.96; Brody Anderson - 800 meters - 1:56.32; 4x100 Relay - 43.77; 4x400 Relay - 3:31.44.
Silver Lake
4x100 Relay - 43.28; 4x400 Relay - 3:34.97.
Topeka West
Mark Wilkie - 800 meters - 1:59.12; Adrian Lehman - 3200 meters - 9:19.16.
Washburn Rural
Liam Morrison - 110 Hurdles - 15.50; 300 Hurdles - 41.84; Isaiah Terry - 400 meters - 48.64; 4x100 Relay - 44.59; 4x400 Relay - 3:22.01; Distance Medley Relay - 10:48.21.
