By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Seaman's Aaron Merritt opted not to go out for football last fall for the first time in his high school career, putting all his dedication into getting ready for his senior track and field campaign.
Seaman standout Aaron Merritt opened his senior track season with three individual wins in Thursday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seaman Aaron Merritt clears a hurdle en route to a win in the 110-meter highs in Thursday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
That decision paid immediate dividends Thursday, with Merritt turning in three impressive individual wins and helping the Vikings notch a school record in a relay in the season-opening Topeka West Invitational at Hummer Sports Park.
"I quit football with the intention that all my energy would go towards track,'' Merritt said. "I joined the Topeka Blazers and ran for them all summer and I ran a couple of indoor meets over the winter and did pretty well in both of them.''
But Thursday's West meet was Merritt's first real test and he passed with flying colors.
"I've been anticipating this meet since I decided to quit football,'' Merritt said. "This outdoor season's going to be my season.''
Merritt opened his day with a win in the 110-meter hurdles in 14.90 seconds and he came right back to win the 100 dash in 10.77 and later in the meet he added a victory in the 200 in 22.08.
In the only event he didn't win, Merritt teamed with Jacob Anderson, Bryce Cochran and Tad McGee to set a Seaman school record in the 4x100 relay with a second-place finish in 43.23.
"I was hoping for some greatness but today blew my mind,'' Merritt said. "I thought I did awesome today.''
Now Merritt just wants to build on his great start over the rest of the 2024 season.
"From last year my progressions have gone way up and I absolutely have more in the tank if I progressed this much in the offseason,'' Merritt said.
Other meet highlights:
Seaman's Brody Anderson won the boys 800 meters title in the Topeka West Invitational for the second straight season Thursday at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seaman's Michael Hurla won the boys 300 hurdles title Thursday in the Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Seaman sophomore Brody Anderson won the boys 800 for the second straight season, clocking a time of 2:01.23 to win by more than three seconds, while the Vikings, who finished second in the team standings to Manhattan, also got an individual win from Michael Hurla in the 300-meter hurdles (42.11).
Topeka High freshman Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton (4) prepares to take the baton from teammate Jayana Washington (right) as the Trojans post a win in the 4x100 relay in Thursday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Topeka High freshman Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton made her high school debut with a pair of gold medals.
Rayton won the girls triple jump with a best of 34 feet, 4 inches and also teamed with Latrice Hysten, Keimara Marshall and Jayana Washington to win the 4x100 reay in 52.78 seconds, with Rayton running the anchor leg.
Rayton also posted a third-place finish in the long jump with a best of 16-2.
Marshall finished second in the 100-meter dash (13.21) and the 200 (27.37).
Topeka High's Malachi Murph finished second in the boys 100 (11.18) and 200 (23.05) while the Trojans' Jaxon Cowdin was the runnerup in the 110 hurdles (16.21) and the 300 hurdles (43.28).
• Highland Park's Majesty Grace recorded the Scots' lone win on the day, taking a victory in the girls 100-meter hurdles by nearly a second in 18.68. Seaman's Jaida Stallbaumer made it a sweep of the girls hurdles races with a win in the 300 lows by more than two seconds in 50.62.
• Seaman's girls took wins in two of the three relays, with Taylie Heston, Brynn Spencer, Kinley Robinson and Savannah Sampson winning the 4x800 relay in 10:44.41 and Heston, Stallbaumer, Ally Steiner and Ryin Miller winning the 4x400 event by nearly nine seconds in 4:20.94.
• Seaman's Maggie Lesmeister won the girls javelin event by more than two feet, recording a top throw of 107 feet, 11 inches.
• Manhattan won the boys team championship by a 229-130 margin over Seaman while the Indians won the girls title by a 207-148 margin over Emporia.
TOPEKA WEST INVITATIONAL
GIRLS
Team scores
Manhattan 207, Emporia 148, Seaman 123, Topeka High 77, Bishop Miege 66, Highland Park 29, Topeka West 15.
Individual results
100 -- 1. Pellant, Manhattan, 12.36; 2. Marshall, Topeka High, 13.21; 3. Steiner, Seaman, 13.44.
200 -- 1. Pellant, Manhattan, 25.48; 2. Marshall, Topeka High, 27.37; 3. Steiner, Seaman, 27.79.
400 -- 1. Smith, Emporia, 63.88; 2. Miller, Manhattan, 64.09; 3. Robinson, Seaman, 66.22.
800 -- 1. Aquino, Bishop Miege, 2:30.96; 2. Heston, Seaman, 2:37.14; 3. Van Asselt, Bishop Miege, 2:40.15.
1,600 -- 1. Aquino, Bishop Miege, 5:38.21; 2. Pickering, Manhattan, 5:40.67; 3. Spencer, Seaman, 5:53.36.
3,200 -- 1. Evans, Emporia, 12:43.81; 2. Sampson, Seaman, 13:12.58; 3. Keeley, Manhattan, 13:16.59.
100 hurdles -- 1. Grace, Highland Park, 18.68; 2. Tabares, Emporia, 19.45; 3. Eckert, Emporia, 19.55.
300 hurdles -- 1. Stallbaumer, Seaman, 50.62; 2. Barron, Manhattan, 52.92; 3. Broils, Highland Park, 53.10.
2,000 steeplechase -- 1. Roman Nose, Lawrence, 8:06.69; 2. Ruvalcaba, Emporia, 8:36.46; 3. Beatty, Emporia, 8:42.68.
4x100 relay -- 1. Topeka High (Hysten, Marshall, Washington, Rayton), 52.78; 2. Seaman, 53.31; 3. Emporia, 53.97.
4x400 relay -- 1. Seaman (Heston, J. Stallbaumer, Steiner, Miller), 4:20.94; 2. Emporia, 4:29.75; 3. Manhattan, 4:30.62.
4x800 relay -- 1. Seaman (Heston, Spencer, Robinson, Sampson), 10:44.41; 2. Manhattan, 10:52.10; 3. Emporia, 11:39.53.
High jump -- 1. Kelly, Topeka High, 4-10; 2. Kratochvil, Manhattan, 4-10; 3. Juenemann, Manhattan, 4-10.
Pole vault -- 1. Benes, Bishop Miege, 7-0; 2. Disney, Manhattan, 7-0; 3. Hafenstine, Seaman, 6-6.
Long jump -- 1. Pellant, Manhattan, 17-2; 2. Newland, Emporia, 16-3; 3. Rayton, Topeka High, 16-2.
Triple jump -- 1. Rayton, Topeka High, 34-4; 2. Newland, Emporia, 32-11; 3. Bachman, Manhattan, 31-7.75.
Shot put -- 1. Hall, Manhattan, 38-3.50; 2. Gruber, Manhattan, 32-10.50; 3. Anhorn, Manhattan, 32-3.
Discus -- 1. Gruber, Manhattan, 108-5; 2. Trujillo, Emporia, 107-2; 3. Hall, Manhattan, 106-0.
Javelin -- 1. Lesmeister, Seaman, 107-11; 2. Gruber, Manhattan, 105-9; 3. Nolan, Bishop Miege, 78-7.
BOYS
Team scores
Manhattan 229, Seaman 130, Emporia 100.5, Bishop Miege 89, Topeka High 86.5, Topeka West 43, Highland Park 2.
Individual results
100 -- 1. Merritt, Seaman, 10.77; 2. Murph, Topeka High, 11.18; 3. Rauch, Manhattan, 11.20.
200 -- 1. Merritt, Seaman, 22.08; 2. Murph, Topeka High, 23.05; 3. Peoples, Bishop Miege, 23.09.
400 -- 1. Spellman, Emporia, 51.76; 2. O'Haver, Manhattan, 52.70; 3. Batson, Topeka West, 53.64.
800 --1. Anderson, Seaman, 2:01.23; 2. Sturm, Manhattan, 2:04.31; 3. Merrill, Manhattan, 2:06.69.
1,600 -- 1. Holdren, Manhattan, 4:31.98; 2. True, Emporia, 4:37.06; 3. Bloemker, Bishop Miege, 4:48.65.
3,200 -- 1. Holdren, Manhattan, 10:01.09; 2. True, Emporia, 10:13.11; 3. Lehman, Topeka West, 10:35.36.
110 hurdles -- 1. Merritt, Seaman, 14.90; 2. Cowdin, Topeka High, 16.21; 3. Lunkins, Topeka High, 17:12.
300 hurdles -- 1. Hurla, Seaman, 42.11; 2. Cowdin, Topeka High, 43.28; 3. Dixon, Manhattan, 43.83.
2,000 steeplechase -- 1. Frye, Free State, 6:33.35; 2. Walker, Seaman, 7:17.30; 3. Gordon-Ross, Lawrence, 7:22.31.
4x100 relay -- 1. Manhattan (Morgan, Molt, Hudley, Rauch), 43.10; 2. Seaman, 43.23; 3. Topeka High, 44.00.
4x400 relay -- 1. Manhattan (Sturm, Rauch, O'Haver, Mortenson), 3:32.52; 2. Seaman, 3:42.91; 3. Emporia, 3:45.57.
4x800 relay -- 1. Manhattan (Sturm, Merrill, Vest, Witt), 8:51.83; 2. Topeka West, 8:55.41; 3. Seaman, 9:06.00.
High jump -- 1. Malone, Manhattan, 6-4; 2. Newcomer, Manhattan, 6-4; 3. Cole, Bishop Miege, 6-4.
Pole vault -- 1. Wille, Manhattan, 12-6; 2. Strawn, Manhattan, 12-0; 3. Huber, Emporia, 11-6.
Long jump -- 1. Rauch, Manhattan, 21-11; 2. Cole, Bishop Miege, 21-9.50; 3. Holmes, Seaman, 21-4.
Triple jump -- 1. Cole, Bishop Miege, 42-3; 2. Tesmer, Bishop Miege, 40-3; 3. Durtschi, Manhattan, 39-7.
Shot put -- 1. Johnson, Manhattan, 48-3; 2. Barnes, Manhattan, 43-5.50; 3. Brown, Seaman, 42-0.
Discus -- 1. Cusick, Bishop Miege, 150-9; 2. Rios, Emporia, 126-10; 3. Johnson, Manhattan, 126-4.
Javelin -- 1. Molt, Manhattan, 184-5; 2. Warren, Seaman, 145-6; 3. Moran, Manhattan, 140-5.
