BV North junior wins pole vault state title; other track notes

Source: The Star

ALLISON LONG | The Kansas City Star

Danny Herring of Shawnee Mission West runs in the Kansas 6A 400-meter run prelims at the Kansas state meet.

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Blue Valley North junior Landon Rosevear has come a long way in a month.

Rosevear, who had only the fifth-highest mark in the Kansas Class 6A boys pole vault entering the final day of the Kansas state track and field championships last Saturday at Cessna Stadium in Wichita, won the event with a vault of 14 feet, 6 inches. But it would have been hard to see that coming a month ago when a mishap in a meet at Shawnee Mission West cast a shadow over his future.

Rosevear, who was already wearing a helmet because of a concussion he suffered in football, needed medical attention after he hit his head when he landed in the pit after a vault attempt.

“I had to go to ICU (intensive care) and everything,” Rosevear said. “They said it was pretty scary, because I was unresponsive for two hours.”

Rosevear says he’s OK now, but he still has memory problems because of the injuries.

“I forgot half my life,” he said. “Random memories come to mind, but it’s coming back.”

Rosevear said the victory last Saturday proved to him he can accomplish anything.

“If you persevere, you can really push through it,” he said.

•SM North senior Storm Simons couldn’t have been happier after successfully defending her girls 6A 300-meter hurdles title on Saturday. Her time of 44.02 seconds was the fastest in Kansas this season, and she also won the 400 dash in 57.28.

She said she was also thrilled because teammate, Janessa Clay finished second in the 400.

“It’s great because Janessa got second, and we’ve been working hard all year,” she said.

•SM East distance coach Tricia Beaham knew it would be difficult for the Lancer girls’ 3,200 relay team to break SM South’s state record when she saw the conditions Saturday.

It was hot with low-to-mid 90s temperature almost all day, which can take its toll in a distance race. But the team of senior Allie Marquis, junior Mallory Kirby, junior Maddy Rich and sophomore Hanna Jane Stradinger gave it a good run anyway, winning the event for the second straight year in 9 minutes, 21.92 seconds, a school record by roughly nine seconds.

“When SM South won it, it was 72 degrees, overcast, perfect conditions,” Beaham said. “We knew it would be tough for us, given the conditions, so for us to get that time is pretty good.”

•Maranatha junior Keegan Williams won the 2A girls pole vault by clearing 10-6.

It marked the second straight year Williams won the event, but she insists the victory was sweeter this time, mainly because of a few drama-filled moments at the end of event when she was trying to top the 2A state meet record of 11 feet.

“I had it at 11-1 and it was really exciting,” Williams said. “Everybody was cheering me on, and I looked up in the stands and smiled.”

Williams didn’t clear the height, but she remains encouraged about her chances next season.

“I definitely think I should be able to get it next year, but you never know,” she said. “It could be raining or windy, so you have to do it while you can.”

Williams was not the only Marantha athlete to win an event. The Eagle girls’ 3,200 relay team won when St. Mary’s Colgan, which crossed the finish line first, was disqualified because of a zone violation. In a display of sportsmanship, however, the Eagles’ relay team gave the gold medals to the St. Mary’s Colgan girls.

•Blue Valley West junior Sarah Buschmann won her third gold medal in as many years when she won the girls 6A long jump with 18-5½ Saturday.

Buschmann, who took first in the triple jump in 2007 and 2008 and entered the long jump competition with the second best mark of the season, said she has been battling shin splints all season.

“It bothers you in between jumps, before jumps and after,” said Buschmann, who also took third in the triple jump. “But not when you’re jumping.”

•SM Northwest junior Erica Brand was very confident for the girls 6A discus.

It’s hard to blame her. The previous two weeks she had set personal records in the event on two occasions, plus having the best distance in the state.

But while Brand didn’t set a personal record, her throw of 151-10 was good enough for her first individual state title.

“I was confident I could throw at the level I needed to in order to win,” Brand said. “Anything over 150 (feet) would have been good enough for me.”

•Bishop Miege senior Cameron Taylor was somewhat disappointed after finishing fourth in the 5A boys high jump Friday. He had the second-longest mark in the field going into the event. He made up for that disappointment, however, by winning the long jump with 23-1.

“I’ve been working hard for four years,” Taylor said. “I wish it would have come sooner, but it’s a good feeling to get it your senior year.”

•De Soto senior Jamel Townsend finally won an individual state title, although it took a while..

He won the 4A boys long jump with 23-4. He did it by defeating Paola senior Joe Stephens, the defending state champion and an opponent Townsend said he had never beaten. Until Saturday, that is.

“I’ve faced him nine to 10 times over the past two years, and I’ve never been able to beat him,” said Townsend, who got his championship mark on his last jump. “I knew I had to put it all together to beat him.”

•Bishop Miege freshman Anna Church had never run the 800 meters before this season, so she was more than a little surprised when assistant coach Joanne Heap told her she’d be running in that event this season.

“When coach (Heap) told me to do it, I laughed at her,” Church said. “I thought I was a sprinter.”

But on Saturday, it was Heap who got the last laugh as Church won the 5A girls 800 in 2:19.74.

Afterward, Church said she knew what she would do when she saw Heap.

“I’ll probably jump on her and tell her she was right,” Church said with a laugh.

•Mill Valley junior Jasa DuMontelle has had her share of close calls in the 5A girls high jump over the years, but on Friday she could finally call herself a champion.

DuMontelle won by clearing 5-4 and admitted afterward that she wishes she could have jumped 5-6 because she jumped 5-5½ a week ago.

However, she’ll gladly take the gold medal.

“It’s really exciting, I’m happy to finally get (here),” DuMontelle said.

•St. Thomas Aquinas won the 5A 3,200 girls relay in 9:50.47.

submitted by TEREZ A. PAYLOR - 2009-06-02 14:15:02