By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee County girls track and field athletes came up short of winning a state championship in the 2023 state meet at Wichita, but it was still a noteworthy weekend for the local contingent.
Seaman senior Bethany Druse (1715) was a triple state medalist in Class 5A, including a second-place finish in the 800 and a third in the 4x400 relay. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Shawnee Heights senior Ta'Mijha Nichols looks up at the Cessna Stadium scoreboard after finishing second in the Class 5A girls 100 for the second straight season. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Ala'Jah Brooks (1741) finished a very close second in last weekend's Class 5A 400 meters and also finished fourth in the 200. [Photo by Kyle Grunert/Special to TSN]
Hayden junior Natalie Hillebert (left) exchanges congratulations with Andale's Maddie Schrandt after last Saturday's Class 4A girls 400-meter dash in Wichita. [Photo by Kyle Grunert/Special to TSN]
County athletes finished second in four events while 19 of 24 members of the All-Shwnee County first team went home with state medals in four different classes.
Seaman senior star Bethany Druse was the state runnerup in the Class 5A 800 meters and was a medalist in three events while Shawnee Heights senior Ta'Mijha Nichols and Topeka West senior Ala'Jah Brooks also posted second-place finishes in 5A and Hayden junior Natalie Hillebert was a state runnerup in 4A.
Druse finished second in the 5A 800 in 2 minutes, 17.29 seconds and also helped Seaman post a third-place finish in the 4x400 relay (4:06.07) and a sixth in the 4x800 relay (9:57.46).
Heights' Nichols was the runnerup in the 5A 100-meter dash for the second straight season (12.17) while West's Brooks finished second in the 5A 400 (57.77) and Hayden's Hillebert placed second in the 4A 400 (58.83). Brooks added a fourth-place finish in the 200 (25.66).
Seaman sophomore Jaida Stallbaumer finished fifth in the 5A 100-meter high hurdles (16.04) and teamed with sophomore Ryin Miller, junior Taylin Stallbaumer and Druse for the third-place finish in the 4x400 relay while senior Leah Spurlock and sophomore Taylie Heston teamed with Druse and Miller for the sixth-place showing in the 4x800 relay.
Washburn Rural sophomores Payton Fink, Rylee Ismert and Brooklyn Nolte teamed with senior Madeline Carter for a fifth-place finish in the 4x800 relay (9:52.27).
Topeka West senior Makinsey Jones finished sixth in the 5A high jump (5-0) while Shawnee Heights senior Taylor Rottinghaus took seventh in the 5A 400 (61.65).
Silver Lake junior Ava Rottinghaus placed sixth in the 3A girls javelin (126 feet, 2 inches) and ran on the Eagles' fourth-place 4x400 relay (4:11.98) while Eagle junior Kaibryn Kruger placed sixth in the triple jump (34-10).
Rossville senior Amelia Foster was also a double 3A medalist, finishing sixth in the 800 (2:24.53) and eighth in the 400 (61.37).
Hayden sophomore Rae North earned an eighth-place medal in the 4A 400 meters.
All-Shawnee County selections were picked on the basis of meeting minimum standards established by local coaches as well as coaches' recommendations and performances in postseason competition.
ALL-SHAWNEE COUNTY GIRLS TRACK
Name, school Class Events
Ala'Jah Brooks, Topeka West Sr. Sprints
Madeline Carter, Washburn Rural Sr.. Distance, relays
Bethany Druse, Seaman Sr. Distance, relays
Payton Fink, Washburn Rural So. Distance, relays
Amelia Foster, Rossville Sr. Middle distance
Alexis Fredrickson, Washburn Rural Sr. Sprints, pole vault
Taylie Heston, Seaman So. Relays
Natalie Hillebert, Hayden Jr. Sprints
Rylee Ismert, Washburn Rural So. Distance
Makinsey Jones, Topeka West Sr.. Jumps
Kaibryn Kruger, Silver Lake Jr. Jumps
Brynne Liedtke, Shawnee Heights Sr. Pole vault
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High Fr. Sprints
Ryin Miller, Seaman Fr. Distance, relays
Ta'Mijha Nichols, Shawnee Heights Sr. Sprints
Brooklyn Nolte, Washburn Rural So Relays
Rae North, Hayden So. Sprints
Ava Rottinghaus, Silver Lake Jr. Javelin
Taylor Rottinghaus, Shawnee Heights Sr. Sprints, relays
Leah Spurlock, Seaman Sr. Distance, relays
Jaida Stallbaumer, Seaman So.. Hurdles, relays
Taylin Stallbaumer, Seaman Jr. Hurdles, relays
Aubreona Torres-Hill, Topeka High So. Hurdles
Ally Trier, Seaman Sr. Throws
Honorable mention
Hayden: Hannah Cummings, Grace Funk, Avery Grunert, Reagan Huscher, Liz Moore, Bella Reid, Alexis Rutherford, Hannah Sams, Sarah Schmidt, Elliot Wrench. Highland Park: Tahtionna Broils, Ke'Ahjahnae Rice, De'Asia Sanders. Seaman: Stella Appelhanz, Ally Condray, Anna Domann, Grace Jowers, Madison Kobuszewski, Maggie Lesmeister, Ally Steiner, Hailee Townsend. Shawnee Heights: Silver Lake: Ella Bolan, Mariah Farmer, Tessa Gerber, Jaiden Wise. Topeka High: Choize Hysten, Brooklyn Jones, Georgia Kelly, Alaina Perez, Jayanna Washington, Marilena Zuniga. Topeka West: Rebecca Bearman, Azaryah Duncan, Melliah Garvin, Kiarah James, Payton Rice, Mikayla Wilkerson. Washburn Rural: Maddi Blanco, Analese Estudillo, Raegan Petersen, Morgan Ray, Molly Worley.
