By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After winning a state championship last season as a junior, the bar is obviously set high for Topeka West standout jumper Zsamar Sipple.
Friday's performance in the triple jump in the Bob Camien/Claudia Welch Invitational at Seaman was proof that Sipple is starting to round into championship-caliber form once again with the biggest four meets of the year coming up.
Sipple won the Class 6A long jump and placed in the triple jump at state before transferring to Topeka West for his senior season.
Sipple had some ups and downs early, but enjoyed a big day Friday, sailing 46 feet, 3 inches to win the triple jump title.
Sipple's winning jump was a personal record, but he hopes that's just temporary.
"For the moment it's my best, but I'm looking to get more,'' Sipple said. "Once I locked in I was able to get that 46 and I need to lock in some more. I need to work harder, too, to get farther so colleges can see because I'm trying to get out there and get a college scholarship.
"Definitely with this 46-3 I feel if I put a little more technique in it I would have got a 47.''
Sipple also posted a fourth-place finish in a tough long jump field, posting a best jump of 22-9.
Sipple said it was a obviously a change switching schools and coaches, but he feels like he's ready to mount a late-season charge.
"It's just transitioning to different techniques and different things, what I'm not used to,'' Sipple said. "So I'm just trying to get used to these different techniques and put them into my jumps so I can get farther.''
The final two boys events, the 3,200 meters and the 4 x 400 relay were canceled due to impending storms. The girls 4 x 400 was also canceled.
Other boys meet highlights:
• Silver Lake senior Brogan Renfro was the champion in the boys 200-meter dash, running a time of 22.98 to best a field loaded with 6A competitors.
• Washburn Rural senior Zach Sulzen-Watson posted a pair of second-place finishes in the shot put and discus on Friday.
Sulzen-Watson was the runner-up in the shot put to Santa Fe Trail's Brett Schwartz with a throw of 52-3. Schwartz won the event at 52-9.25.
Sulzen-Watson posted a throw of 170-9 in the discus while Schwartz won the event at 185-9.
• Topeka West's Lenny Njoroge finished third in the 1,600 meters in 4:32.04 while Seaman's Lain Anderson finished third in the pole vault, clearing 11-6 and Seaman finished third in the 4 x 100 relay in 44.64 seconds.
Bob Camien/Claudia Welch Invitational
At Seaman
BOYS
Individual results
Pole vault -- 1. Quarles, Olathe North, 14-6; 2. Worthington, Jefferson County North, 11-6; 3. Anderson, Seaman, 11-6.
Shot put -- 1. Schwartz, Santa Fe Trail, 52-9.25; 2. Z,.Sulzen-Watson, Washburn Rural, 52-3; 3. Williams, Lansing, 49-0.25.
Discus -- 1. Schwartz, Santa Fe Trail, 185-9; 2. Sulzen-Watson, Washburn Rural, 170-9; 3. Van Camp, Cornerstone, 165-8.
Javelin -- 1. Donaher, Shawnee Mission South, 158-10; 2. Qualls, Shawnee Mission Northwest, 152-7; 3. Polley, Bishop Carroll, 151-4.
High jump -- 1. Rowden, Olathe North, 6-6; 2. Heckman, Burlingame, 6-4; 3. Bethea, Leavenworth, 6-4.
Long jump -- 1. Parrish, Olathe North, 23-4.50; 2. Acheampong, Shawnee Mission Northwest, 23-3; 3. Rowden, Olathe North, 23-3.
Triple jump -- 1. Sipple, Topeka West, 46-3; 2. Nelson, Lawrence, 45-11; 3. Acheampong, Shawnee Mission Northwest, 44-4.
4 x 800 relay -- 1. Bishop Carroll, 8:12.87; 2. Wamego, 8:12.93; 3. Manhattan, 8:31.47.
110 hurdles -- 1. Parrish, Olathe North, 14.57; 2. Holthusen, Bishop Carroll, 15.40; 3. Rhone, Leavenworth, 15.66.
100 -- 1. Parish, Olathe North, 10.69; 2. Schomaker, Manhattan, 10.78; 3. Keir, Shawnee Mission North, 10.87.
1,600 -- 1. Atkins, Junction City, 4:25.55; 2. Born, Shawnee Mission Northwest, 4:28.59; 3. Njoroge, Topeka West, 4:32.04.
4 x 100 relay -- 1. Manhattan', 43.22; 2. Olathe North, 43.24; 3. Seaman, 44.64.
400 -- 1. Parrish, Olathe North, 50.77; 2. Hansard, Bishop Carroll, 51.44; 3. Cutting, Wamego, 51.47.
300 hurdles -- 1. Parrish, Olathe North, 40.87; 2. M. Holthusen, Bishop Carroll, 41.22; 3. L. Holthusen, Bishop Carroll, 41.90.
800 -- 1. Atkins, Junction City, 1:58.91; 2. Mosier, Manhattan, 1:59.39; 3. Zimbelman, Bishop Carroll, 2:00.30.
200 -- 1. Renfro, Silver Lake, 22.98; 2. Schomaker, Manhattan, 23.43; 3. Hirschey, Manhattan, 23.87.