Richard Gwin/Journal-World Photo
Photo Gallery: 2005 Kansas Relays -- Saturday
Events
In the world of Kansas high school track, if there’s a place a competitor can earn respect, it’s at the Kansas Relays.
There, Free State High’s boys 800-meter relay team garnered respect after an impressive third-place finish Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
“It was huge, because we’re Free State. Nobody really knows about us, no one really gives us any respect,” said Free State’s anchor, Brian Murphy.
Relay teams in Kansas will know about Free State now; the two teams that beat the Firebirds were from Oklahoma. The race made the Firebirds the fastest team from Kansas on Saturday at a meet where most of the area’s big schools run.
Even better for Free State was the fact the team consisted of all sophomores.
Richard Gwin/Journal-World Photo Photo Gallery: 2005 Kansas Relays -- Saturday
Events
“I thought they did real well. Third place with four sophomores … I’m really happy with that,” Free State coach Steve Heffernan said. “The next few years look really good.”
Murphy got the thrill of hauling the baton across the finish line in front of a big crowd when the Firebirds decisively won their heat.
He was left in good position after Free State’s third leg. Christian Ballard throttled the Firebirds ahead to a big lead, even after they looked poised to win after solid legs by Austin Winn and Keron Toussaint. Ballard gave credit to some of his supporters who were leaning up against the railing by the track.
“When I got over there, I heard my teammates screaming to take off,” Ballard said.
The Lawrence High boys’ 400-meter team used a different source of motivation as it ran to a fourth-place finish in a section comprised solely of Kansas teams.
Richard Gwin/Journal-World Photo Photo Gallery: 2005 Kansas Relays -- Saturday
Events
The Lions ran just after Maurice Greene competed in the invitational 100, which set the tone for what they wanted to do.
“It kind of inspired me, you know. You want to run like Maurice Greene,” Lions anchor Brandon Lassiter said.
Free State’s Alysha Valencia tried to put forth a Marion Jones-like effort in the 1,600 when she ran into Jones just before the start of her race.
She finished a respectable third and tried a different strategy than the one she used in her second-place finish in the 3,200 on Friday, when she led almost the entire way. In the 1,600, she hung around the back of the lead pack and let it absorb the wind.
“I definitely learned from yesterday. My plan was to stay behind the pack,” Valencia said. “It was nice to catch someone from the back.”
De Soto’s Casey Johnson didn’t need to catch anyone from behind in the boys’ 1,600. He pulled ahead with more than a lap to go and extinguished his competition, much like he did the day before when he won the 800.
He won the 1,600 in 4:22.89.
The Free State boys’ 1,600 relay team won in similar fashion when it jumped to a huge lead early and capped off a victory in the Sunflower section of the race.
Unlike the 3,200 relay and the distance medley, Danny Schneider — who said he planned to run distance events at Kansas State — didn’t have to save his team. In the 1,600 medley, he was set up with a big lead and ran off with the victory.
Schneider said his team was pleased to get the victory because it was fairly uncertain about how it would place against in-state competition.
Lawrence High’s Amy Magnuson placed well among the best competition from anywhere in the 100 hurdles. She advanced to the Gold Zone finals, where she posted the third-best time in preliminaries.
She finished fifth in the final after posting a time of 15.35.
Magnuson said the performance was impressive because her training had been spotty due to lingering back problems.
LHS coach Scott Stidham said it would be a challenge to describe how pleased he was with Magnuson, who completed three events at the meet.
“I wish I was smart enough to use words to describe how impressed and proud I am to coach Amy Magnuson,” Stidham said. “She’s been hurt all year, and to come in here and tie or (set a personal record), is unbelievable.”
Lawrence’s Scott Penny also finished a busy weekend when he placed sixth in the discus, wrapping up a meet where he also competed in the shot put and hammer throw.
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