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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Former Shawnee Heights star Wyatt Hubert became the second Topekan to be chosen in the 2021 NFL draft, with the Cincinnati Bengals taking the Kansas State defensive end in the seventh round on Saturday
The Chicago Bears picked Topeka High graduate Teven Jenkins, an Oklahoma State offensive lineman, in Friday's second round while Hubert becomes the second recent Shawnee Heights graduate in the NFL, with former T-Bird and Washburn University star Corey Ballentine currently with the New York Jets.
The Bengals selected Hubert with the seventh selection of the seventh round (235th overall).
Hubert, an All-Big 12 first-teamer, started 29 games at Kansas State, finishing his Wildcat career with 20 sacks and 34 tackles for loss.
Hubert continues a tradition of Shawnee Heights graduates in the NFL, with Tom Dinkel and Troy Wilson both playing in the Super Bowl and Ballentine being selected in the sixth round of the 2019 draft.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Sophomore Jeremiah Smith led the way with a hand in four of Shawnee Heights' six event wins as the the T-Birds claimed the boys team championship in Friday's Shawnee Heights Invitational track and field meet.
Smith won individual titles in the 100 (10.95 seconds) and the 200-meter dashes (22.15) and the 110-meter high hurdles (14.74) and also ran on the T-Birds' winning 4x100 relay (44.02).
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Rossville and Silver Lake were two of the smallest schools in Friday's 20-school Bob Camien/Claudia Welch Seaman Relays, but the Bulldawgs and Eagles made their share of noise, combining for a pair of wins and 10 top-three finishes.
Rossville's Briar Gillum won the girls shot put with a throw of 40 feet, 7 inches and also finished third in the discus at 125-6 while Silver Lake's Carson Johnson took the gold medal in the boys 300-meter hurdles in 41.67 seconds.
Silver Lake's Brogen Renfro posted top-three finishes in three events, taking second in the boys triple jump (43-9) and the 200 (22.76) and third in the 100 (10.91), while Rossville's Woodrow Rezac was the runner-up in the boys 100 (10.89).
Rossville's Amelia Foster placed third in the girls 400 (59.91) and third in the 800 (2:24.94) while Silver Lake's Cameron TenEyck was third in the boys 1,600 (4:41.61).
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
There's no doubt that Bethany Druse's favorite event is the 800 meters.
But the Seaman sophomore distance star knows the only way she's going to reach her true potential in that event is by pushing herself in other events.
So that's why Druse ran 5 kilometers throughout cross county season, pushing herself to a ninth-place state finish, and that's why she put herself through the difficult 1,600 meters/800 double in Friday's Bob Camien/Claudia Welch Seaman Relays.
Continuing an outstanding season in her first high school track and field campaign, Druse won the 1,600 in a personal-best 5 minutes, 19.90 seconds and came back later to take the 800 in 2:22.64.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
With the biggest meets of his track and field season coming up, Washburn Rural senior Sam Shonka was looking to take a step up in the Bob Camien/Claudia Welch Seaman Relays.
But not even Shonka could have predicted what transpired Frday, with the Junior Blue standout destryoing his previous personal record en route to a gold-medal performance.
"I came into this knowing that there was going to be a guy jumping 6-5, so honestly I wasn't even preparing to win,'' Shonka said. "I was just preparing to better myself.''
Entering the meet with a season-best of 6 foot, 1 inches, Shonka cleared six heights from 5-8 to 6-6 on six straight attempts to win the event by two inches over Rowden Paul of Olathe North.
"I found a new mark and it just happened to work brilliantly,'' Shonka said.