By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Seaman middle distance star Bethany Druse wasn't quite able to re-set her school 800 meters record in her final Bob Camien/Claudia Welch Invitational appearance Friday night.
Seaman senior Bethany Druse (middle) takes control early in Friday's 800 meters en route to a win in 2:16.51. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But the future Kansas Jayhawk had zero complaints about how her day went after claiming three gold medals and helping the Vikings finish third in 24-school meet.
The defending Class 5A state champ posted a season-best time of 2 minutes, 16.51 seconds to win her specialty by nearly seven seconds and also ran on the Vikings' winning 4x800 and 4x400 relay teams.
After warming up with the leadoff leg on the 4x800 in the first event of the finals Druse had to endure a long break on a cold, windy night before returning in the 800.
"I'm not going to lie, before my race I didn't feel the best,'' Druse said. "I don't know, I was just tired. I think I stayed out in the wind too much and that kind of made me tired. But once I was running, I was fine.''
Druse then had a quick turnaround for the 4x400 and helped Seaman post its second relay win of the night.
Druse teamed with Savannah Sampson, Taylie Heston and freshman Ryin Miller to win the 4x800 in 10:06.22 and anchored the 4x400 relay, teaming with Anna Becker, Miller and Taylin Stallbaumer to win in 4:08.95.
"It's a big meet and it's a big deal to get first at the Seaman Relays, so it was just great to win,'' she said.
With the biggest meets of the 2023 schedule coming up, Druse feels good about where she is in her preparation as she gears up for another run at a state title.
"Even though I wasn't as fast (tonight) as I was last year at this time I still feel like I have more left in the tank,'' Druse said. "So I just want to improve and get my PR.''
Washburn Rural sophomore Riley Ismert (3) used a strong stretch run to win the girls 1,600 in Friday's Bob Camien/Claudia Welch Invitational while senior Madeline Carter (right) finished a close second. [Photo by Rick Peterson//TSN]
Ismert bounces back from freak accident for 1,600 win
Wearing a battle wound from the previous week, Friday night's Bob Camien/Claudia Welch Invitational was a lot smoother sailing for Washburn Rural sophomore distance runner Rylee Ismert.
Ismert won the girls 1,600 in dramatic fashion at Seaman, coming from behind on the final lap to nip senior teammate Madeline Carter for the win in 5:21.39.
"I usually just try to stay up with the leaders because you know you'll always get a good time if you run with the leaders, and then just give it my all at the end,'' Ismert said.
The win helped Ismert put a scary accident from the Barier Breaker meet at Lawrence behind her.
Washburn Rural sophomore Rylee Ismert (3), Friday's 1,600-meter champ, is still healing from a racing injury (left shoulder) that required nine stitches. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
At Free State Ismert got tangled up early in the 3,200 and fell to the track, where she was spiked by another runner on the front of her left shoulder.
Ismert was able to get to her feet and finish her race, but realized later in the race that she was injured.
"I actually didn't feel it at first and then a couple of laps in I was like, 'What is that on my shoulder?' '' Ismert said. "I looked and I was like, 'Oh oh, that's not good.'
"I didn't really feel it for the rest of the race and then when I finished I felt all the emotions and it started hurting again.and my legs were in pain. It was kind of bad.''
The result of the mishap?
"I got nine stitches,'' she said.''
But Ismert was back at 100 percent Friday.
"I felt really good today,'' she said. "It was probably one of my best races this year, definitely.''
Other girls meet highlights:
• Topeka West senior Ala'Jah Brooks won the 400-meter dash in 59.47 seconds.
Bishop Carroll senior Evan Nordhus finished second in 60.63.
Brooks also posted a fourth-place finish in the long jump at 16 feet, 8 inches.
• Seaman senior Ally Trier and Silver Lake junior Ava Rottinghaus finished one-two in the javelin, separated by just three inches.
Trier, an Emporia State signee, won with a throw of 126 feet, 3 inches while Rottinghaus was second at 126-0.
• Seaman's Anna Domann finished third in the shot put at 35 feet, 11.50 inches.
• Seaman sophomore Jaida Stallbaumer posted a third-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles in 16.33.
BOB CAMIEN/CLAUDIA WELCH INVITATIONAL
At Seaman
GIRLS
Team scores
Olathe North 94, Great Bend 69, Seaman 63.5, Bishop Carroll 49.5, Shawnee Mission North 46, Manhattan 43.5, Lawrence 41.5, Washburn Rural 35.5, Holton 35, Shawnee Miission South 33, Junction City 31, Wamego 25, Shawnee Mission Northwest 19, Silver Lake 19, Lansing 15, Topeka West 15, Jackson Heights 14.5, Hiawatha 14, Santa Fe Trail 12, Jefferson County North 8, Leavenworth 6, Perry-Lecompton 4, Rossville 3, Highland Park 2.
Individual results
100 -- 1. Jordan, Olathe North, 11.99; 2. Hayse, Lansing, 12.35; 3. Pellant, Manhattan, 12.39.
200 -- 1. Jordan, Olathe North, 24.49; 2. Omli, Manhattan, 24.70; 3. Hayse, Lansing, 25.35.
400 -- 1. Brooks, Topeka West, 59.47; 2. Nordhus, Bishop Carroll, 60.63; 3. Morton, Hiawatha, 62.79.
800 -- 1. Druse, Seaman, 2:16.51; 2. Blachly, Olathe North, 2:23.13; 3. Adams, Wamego, 2:23.91.
1,600 -- 1. Ismert, Washburn Rural, 5:21.39; 2. Carter, Washburn Rural, 5:21.98; 3. Roman Nose, Lawrence, 5:22.46.
3,200 -- 1. Mullen, Shawnee Mission Northwest, 10:30.55; 2. Gibson, Shawnee Mission South, 11:18.95; 3. Pierce, Junction City, 11:21.94.
100 hurdles -- 1. Wessel, Shawnee Mission South, 15.40; 2. Parker, Olathe North, 15.85; 3. J. Stallbaumer, Seaman, 16.33.
300 hurdles -- 1. Premer, Great Bend, 48.24; 2. Lierz, Hiawatha, 48.25; 3. Spray, Great Bend, 48.38.
4x100 relay -- 1. Manhattan, 49.54; 2. Olathe North, 50.03; 3. Lawrence, 51.22.
4x400 relay -- 1. Seaman, 4:08.95; 2. Great Bend, 4:11.15; 3. Bishop Carroll, 4:12.97.
4x800 relay -- 1. Seaman, 10:06.22; 2. Shawnee Mission North, 10:15.01; 3. Great Bend, 10:18.08.
High jump -- 1. Platt, Lawrence, 5-2; 2. Smith, Jefferson County North, 5-2. 3. Spray, Great Bend, 5-2.
Pole vault -- 1. Phillips, Shawnee Mission North, 10-6; 2. Ginie, Olathe North, 9-6; 3. Robinson, Holton, 9-0.
Long jump -- 1. Saunders, Junction City, 17-10.50; 2. Curtis, Shawnee Mission North, 17-2.50; 3. Wilber, Wamego, 17-0.
Triple jump -- 1. Olberding, Jackson Heights, 37-3; 2. Curtis, Shawnee Mision North, 36-3; 3. Helten, Bishop Carroll, 34-6.50.
Shot put -- 1. Batton, Olathe North, 37-8; 2. Herron, Santa Fe Trail, 36-11; 3. Domann, Seaman, 35-11.50.
Discus -- 1. Setty, Shawnee Mission South, 128-11; 2. Ashcraft, Holton, 118=5; 3. Schuster, Holton, 113-10.
Javelin -- 1. Trier, Seaman, 126-3; 2. Rottinghaus, Silver Lake, 126-0; 3. Blessing, Great Bend, 119-7.
