By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Highland Park senior star Tre Richardson went four for four in his individual events in Thursday's Class 5A track and field regional at the Olathe District Athletic Complex while Shawnee Heights junior distance ace Jackson Esquibel pulled off the distance triple to pace city athletes.
The top four regional placers in all 18 events qualified for state, which will be contested in and around Wichita State's Cessna Stadium next Friday and Saturday.
Highland Park senior Tre Richardson tuned up for next week's state track meet with four Class 5A regional wins Thursday at Olathe. [File photo/TSN]
Shawnee Heights junior Jackson Esquibel won three gold medals in Thursday's Class 5A regional meet at Olathe, winning the 800, 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs. [Submitted photo]
Richardson, the defending 5A state champion in the 200-meter dash and a multi-time state medalist, won the 100 and 200-meter dashes, the long jump and triple jump while Esquibel, a returning state medalist, won the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meters.
Richardson clocked a winning time of 10.49 seconds in the 100 and 21.83 in the 200 and soared 23 feet, 3.50 inches in the long jump and 45-8.50 in the triple jump.
Esquibel started his day with a win in the 1,600 in 4:23.02 and won the 800 in 1:59.55 and the 3,200 in 9:42.42
Other city boys individual regional winners included Shawnee Heights sophomore Tyler Wedl in the pole vault (12-0) and T-Bird junior Alex Dittman in the javelin (155-5) while Seaman won the 4x800 relay (8:19.23).
Shawnee Heights' boys qualified for state in 12 of 18 events while Seaman qualified for state in eight events and Highland Park five.
Seaman senior Bethany Druse won a Class 5A regional title in the 800 meters Thursday night and also helped the Vikings to a win in the 4x800 relay. [File photo/TSN]
Seaman senior Bethany Druse, the reigning 5A state champ in the girls 800, won Thursday's 800 in 2:15.46 and also helped the Vikings win the 4x800 relay in 10:15.01.
Other girls regional champs included Shawnee Heights senior Ta'Mijha Nichols in the 100-meter dash (11.96), Seaman senior Leah Spurlock in the 3,200 (12:15.13) and Heights senior Brynne Liedtke in the pole vault (9-6).
Seaman qualified for state in 14 events while Shawnee Heights qualified in six and Highland Park in two.
Class 6A regional at Wichita
Washburn Rural's boys won six events in Thursday's Class 6A regional at Wichita Heights, led by junior double gold medalist Josh Sulzen-Watson.
Sulzen-Watson won the discus with a throw of 157 feet, 7 inches and the javelin at 174-11 while the Junior Blues also got individual wins from junior Collin Rausch in the pole vault (15-0) and junior Jamond Lane in the shot put (49-4.50) while the Junior Blues won the 4x400 relay (3:24.73) and the 4x800 relay (8:26.13).
Washburn Rural's boys qualified for state in 12 events while Topeka High qualified in four events.
Washburn Rural sophomores Payton Fink and Rylee Ismert won regional titles in the girls 3,200 and 1,600 meters Thursday at Wichita. [File photo/TSN]
Rural's girls swept the titles in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters, with sophomore Rylee Ismert winning the 1,600 (5:23.12) and sophomore Payton Fink taking the 3,200 (11:35.03), and the Junior Blues also won the 4x800 relay by more than 10 seconds (9:52.09).
The Junior Blues also got a win from freshman Morgan Ray in the javelin (118-2).
Topeka High sophomore Aubreona Torres-Hill won a Class 6A regional title in the 300 hurdles Thursday night at Wichita. [File photo/TSN]
Topeka High sophomore Aubreona Torres-Hill also captured an individual regional championship, winning the 300 hurdles (48.56).
Washburn Rural's girls qualiied for state in eight events while Topeka High qualified in four events.
Class 5A regional at Andover
Topeka West senior distance star Lenny Njoroge posted a pair of regional championships in Thursday's Class 5A regional at Andover, winning the 1,600 meters in 4:20.01 and the 3,200 in 9:27.57.
opeka West senior Lenny Njoroge won Class 5A regional titles in the boys 1,600 and 3,200 Thursday at Andover. [File photo/TSN]
The Charger boys also got a win from sophomore Alesecio Batson in the triple jump with a personal-record jump of 48 feet, 11 inches.
On the girls side, West senior Ala'Jah Brooks won the 400-meter dash in 57.26.
Topeka West qualified for state in four boys events and three girls events.
