The Kansas City Metro Mile🏃♂️
Over the last two years, the KC Metro Mile has provided Kansans and Missourians with one final chance to race before they shift their sights onto their fall plans. From the Kids Mile, to the Masters, to the Elite Men’s Mile, over the course of 12 races, there is a little something for everybody. Whether your high school season hypothetically ends after league, or it continues on through the end of the month, there is a spot for you on the starting line at Rockhurst High School on June 6th. Be there, or be square!
For more information, go check out their website, and if I’ve already sold you on it, you can register here!
⚠️STATE RECORD WATCH⚠️
Over the last couple of years, the Shawnee Mission North Relays have produced state records, school records, all sprinkled in between some of the greatest performances in state history.
The slate on deck for tonight’s competition is second to none, as over a dozen state leaders are set to clash at the Shawnee Mission District Stadium.
Here are ten (of the many) Kansas athletes that are bound to impress this evening.
⚔️ Jack Guthridge, Kapaun Mt. Carmel: The Wichita-based junior has established himself as the most polished sprinter in the state, flexing his range from 100m-400m. Over 100m, Guthridge has ran slower than 10.6 just once, and as fast as 10.51, the No. 2 time ran in the state this spring. If you double that, Guthridge can stop the clock in a brisk 21.25, the third-fastest time the state has seen since 2011. He’s also the lone man under 21.4 this season. The longest event that he’s ventured to is arguably the hardest one on the track, the quarter-mile. Honestly, this might be his best event, as he’s ran a lifetime best in four-straight races, with his most recent being a 47.57 result that gave him a half-second win at the Kansas Relays. Tomorrow, he’s entered in the 100m, 200m and 400m, all while running a leg on Kapaun’s all-class leading 4x400m.
🦉 Olathe West Girl’s Distance: You would think at some point that losing star runners to graduation year-after-year would eventually catch up to you, but for another track season, that’s just not the case with West. The last two years, the Owls have broken the state record in the 4x800m, with their 2023 performance taking off an unprecedented 14 seconds from their previous best. This year, they’re chasing history again, as the relay is fully-loaded for the second time this season. Kate Miller and Bree Newport have been a part of the last two records, and what better way to end your high school career than with another record? Junior Liz Browning and senior Kalyn Willingham are joining in on the fun themselves, and are each more than capable of helping the Owls capture history once again. In order, the quartet’s lifetime PB’s are 2:10.67, 2:15.81, 2:22.11 & 2:16.05, which would combine for a a hypothetical 9:04.64. It would take a more-than-perfect day for Kelsey Carbajo’s squad to break it once again, but if we’ve learned one thing over the years, it’s that they’ll be primed to do just that.
🐆 Bryce Barkdull, Andover Central: Without a doubt, Barkdull is the G.O.A.T. of Kansas pole vaulting, doing things that no one in state history has ever done, not even his brother. Since last April, the soon-to-be Jayhawk has cleared 17 feet on 14 different occasions, breaking the state record on multiple multiple times as well. His most recent record-breaking vault came a few weeks back on his future runway, where he out-vaulted Macon’s (MO) Caelan Harland, clearing 17-7 for a school, meet and state record. Well, a rematch it’ll be, as the pair will be squaring off for the second time in three weeks. They both most likely won’t enter the competition until it’s well underway, but the trio of vaulters over 15-0 from Blue Valley Southwest will make for a fun time before things get wild.
🐴 Delia Gregory, Blue Valley North: Just like Guthridge, Gregory has an action-packed Friday ahead of her, set to run the 100m and 200m, along with a leg of both the 4x100m and 4x400m relays. The heavy workload is nothing new for Gregory, and if anything will only help her get stronger over the next three weeks. So far this season, Gregory is the lone girl under 55 over 400m, and obviously has played a key role in Blue Valley North’s state-leading marks in the 4x100m and 4x400m (state record). I’d expect nothing less than speed from her tomorrow, and with speed of that caliber typically comes wins, medals and records.
🥾 Parker Walion, Gardner-Edgerton: Even with 10 guys under 4:19 in the field, Walion is the only to break 4:11, the fastest over 1600m in both Kansas and Missouri. Walion’s huge performance came a few weeks back when he prevailed over Max Larson (SM South) and Dylan Plath (Olathe South) at the Mid Season Classic, with the trio running 4:10.7, 4:11.64, and 4:12.66, three of the fastest times in state history. After coming so close last month, there is most likely won thing on his mind heading into tomorrow’s race. Sub-4:10. Fortunately for the future Jayhawk, there are at least five other guys who want that exact same thing. Besides a fast time, there is one more thing on the line over the course of four laps, and that’s bragging rights. Rockhurst (MO) is sending over a pair of dogs in Henry Acorn (4:11.79) and Andrew Davis (4:15.37), and what would be a better cherry on top than coming into a Kansas-heavy race and leaving victorious? Don’t let them do it Parker! Walion is also set to run the 3200m and a 4x400m leg following the 1600m.
🦬 Rosjai Curtis, Shawnee Mission North: Her season started on March 22, and 42 days later, Curtis has still yet to lose in the triple jump, despite competing at big meets like the Kansas and Seaman Relays. Her 6A-leading mark of 39-8.75 will be pretty tough to beat, but the field around her isn’t going to let her walk off with her 7th win that easily. The senior is also the top seed in the long jump, with her PB of 18-10.75 making her the lone jumper of 18-10. A year ago, the defending state champion in the triple jump finished 1st and 4th in the pair of horizontal jumps, and this year she’s looking to join rare company with a sweep.
🦉 Elijah Hakim, Olathe West: Staying on the topic of jumps, Hakim is giving me flashbacks of Shawnee Heights legend Michael Hoffer. Why you ask? Because the West stud can jump in a multitude of fashions, whether it’s the long, triple or high. In the long jump, Hakim is the top seed with a mark of 22-9, coming into the competition with a solid four inches of sand behind him and the rest of the field. Last week, Hakim soared 47-0 in the triple jump, shooting him to the top of the state leaderboard as the only guy past 46-0. The vertical jump will most likely be the toughest of the three to win tomorrow, especially with Blue Valley Southwest’s Kaleb Tesmer coming in with a 6-10 PB. Hakim has cleared 6-8 this season, so I’d be relatively surprised if he’s not one of the last men standing towards the end of the competition.
🐦⬛ Val Galligan, Olathe Northwest: If you like the discus, she’s got that. If you like the javelin, she’s got that too. If you’re a fan of the shot put, just wait until I tell you she’s pretty good in that as well. Galligan is the best all-around thrower in the state in my eyes, purely based on her ability to compete and win with the best of them across all three throws. A few weeks ago at the Kansas Relays, Galligan finished 1st, 2nd and 2nd in the javelin, discus and shot, the only girl to finish within the top-three in the trio of throws. Tonight, the possibility for a trio of wins is definitely in the cards, but her teammate Kendall Yarnell and Olathe West’s Addie Cline both pose the biggest threat to perfection. In the discus, Yarnell is three feet shy, but no one has challenged Galligan more than her training partner. As far as Cline is concerned, she enters the competition with a better PB in the event (44-11.5), but Galligan got the last laugh at the Kansas Relays where she beat Cline by two feet. Even if she doesn’t win all three, Galligan is an athlete you don’t want to miss when she’s in the ring or on the runway.
🦅 Taveon Bell-Robinson, Olathe East: The senior thrower has been on an absolute tear over the last month and change, throwing lifetime bests of 194-7 and 57-2 in the discus and shot put, both comfortably making him the man to beat in 6A. In the disc, he’s the lone man in the state to eclipse the 190-0 mark, and has a solid six feet of comfort behind him. For the shot, he sits third behind a pair of 58-0 throwers in 3A, but is one of just three to throw farther than 55-10. Tomorrow will be a great opportunity to put a stamp on the regular season, and an even better chance to snag a pair of PB’s.
🏇Aurora Wessel, Shawnee Mission South: There’s one word to describe Wessel’s season this spring: historic. Earlier this season, Wessel became the 6th fastest hurdler in state history, and the first girl to break 14 seconds since 2011. Wessel’s historic 13.92 mark also propelled her to a runner-up finish at the Kansas Relays, and gave her the fastest time in the state. In the longer of the two hurdle events, the 300mH, Wessel is the second-fastest girl in the state this season after clocking 44.30 last month. Her biggest competition in both events is Wichita Northwest’s Adryana Shelby, but she won’t see her until they most likely meet again at Cessna Stadium later this month. If the wind is legal and the legs are feeling good, even more history could be in the works for the Raider legend.
The good times get rollin’ at 2:00 p.m. at Shawnee Mission North High School, and you can find the entries and schedule here.
Catching up with Ryin Miller, one of the next Kansas greats ✍️
Throughout her first year-and-a-half competing at the high school level, Topeka-Seaman sophomore Ryin Miller has more than held her own. As a freshman, she was 5th at the 5A cross country championships, before winning a United Kansas Conference title in the 1600m that spring. Last fall, Miller made a huge leap, winning six out of her nine races, three of which were city, league and regional titles. At state, she was 3rd behind the Salina Central duo of Katelyn Rupe and Kaylie Shultz, ending her second campaign with a 17:24.3 PB.
Over the winter, Miller competed in a lone indoor race, winning the 3000m at one of the many Washburn University indoor meets in 9:49.4, a tell-tale sign of what was about to happen on the outdoor oval.
In her first race of the year, Miller took off 31 seconds from her previous best in the 1600m, clocking 4:53.37, becoming just the 13th ever Kansas high schooler in history under 4:54. If that wasn’t enough, Miller followed that up with the 9th-ever sub 10:30 performance in state history, solo’ing a 10:26.64.
The next week, Miller opted for the 800m/3200m pairing, exploding for a 2:10.25 and 10:19.29 double, the No. 4 and No. 5 times that the state has ever seen.
She could have ended her season right then, right there, and it would still be labeled as one of the best seasons in recent memory.
But she wasn’t done, not even remotely.
A week later, the sophomore was set to face her biggest test of her career.
The Kansas Relays.
In one of the gutsiest, fastest and unbelievable races I’ve ever seen in person, Miller out-ran one of the deepest fields in meet history, leading 15 girls under 11:00 (five Kansans), winning in 10:13.97, the third-fastest time in state history, passing the great Emily Venters along the way. Un-shockingly, she won the 1600m the next day in dominant fashion, crossing in 4:53.74.
As a part of what will most likely be considered the greatest generation of Kansas distance running in history, Miller is one of girls at the forefront.
You aren’t only a fantastic runner, but you’re also a pretty talented soccer player. How do you balance doing both? What does your schedule look like during the spring when you’re competing in both? How will it look in the fall when it’s not soccer season?
It can be pretty challenging sometimes, balancing both. I can usually figure it out though because I love doing it, so I try to have fun so I don't get overwhelmed. My schedule is typically I go to school, I only can usually get the warm up in for track, then I go to soccer, and after soccer I get the rest of my run in, I also try to get some kind of strength training in too, not just cardio. During the fall, I still have club soccer going on, so it's kind of the same thing.
Obviously, you’ve been a great runner the last year-and-a-half, but you’ve taken an incredible jump this spring. What do you credit that to?
I would credit it to just consistency. Last winter I didn't run much during basketball season, but this winter I wanted to keep my fitness up.
Out of your three personal best performances this spring (800, 1600, 3200), which one is your favorite and why?
I would say that my mile personal best is my favorite because before this season I would have always thought that sub 5 was unobtainable for me. So to reach that is really awesome!
The 5A classification is arguably the toughest in the state. How has it been competing against some of the elite talent in the class?
5A is definitely a challenging class for sure, but I think it has some advantages too, because I think we push each other to be better and without the competition, I don't think I would be near where I am at.
Being only a sophomore, you’re still one of the younger runners in the field, yet you run with so much confidence and perform like you’re a senior. How have you adapted to running at the front and often dictating the race from the start?
I like to set the pace and get out hard, sometimes it can come back and hurt me, but it also has served me well. I also make sure I get out hard so I don't get boxed in.
Was there a point during your cross country season or winter training where you knew you were going to have a breakout season? Maybe a specific workout, race, etc?
I competed at Washburn University's indoor meet, and that's was really when I noticed I was going to have some pretty big PR’s in the outdoor season.
Out of your six wins on the grass last fall, which one are you most proud of?
I am most proud of my city win during the fall last season. That’s because It was a very challenging meet, and I ran against who I thought was most comparable to me during the fall season.
Do you have any plans to compete beyond the KSHSAA season? Maybe the KC Metro Mile or the HOKA Festival of Miles?
I have been looking into competing at Nike Outdoor Nationals, or the KC Metro Mile.
After your performance at the Kansas Relays, you’re now being mentioned with Kansas legends including Molly Born, Cailie Logue and Emily Venters. How does it feel to be talked about in the same way as those three athletes?
It's honestly surreal, I have looked up to all three of those athletes, so to even be remotely compared to them is an honor.
There are so many incredible female athletes around the world that are making an impact in every sport. Are there any athletes in particular that you look up to or idolize?
I have always loved to watch athletes like Faith Kipyegon, Mallory Swanson, Eluid [Kipchoge], and also Sydney McLaughlin.
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