As a junior, Grandview’s Dapo Akinmoladun was edged out by Ezekiel Elliott from John Burroughs in the 110-meter high hurdles at the Missouri Class 3 state championship. There’s no shame in that. Elliott is a top-notch athlete with incredible speed who has verbally committed to play football at Ohio State. Still, it became a festering internal wound for Akinmoladun. “There was a lot of disappointment when he lost to Ezekiel as a junior,” Bulldogs coach Andy Leech said. “Coming into his senior year, he made a commitment, ‘I’m going to out-train, out-work him and dominate him.’” Akinmoladun, who signed with Nebraska and was selected as the Missouri Gatorade boys track and field athlete of the year, made good on that ...
Boys Track and Field
Baseball
The Star’s 2012 Scholar-Athletes, ACE to Oak Park
The Star's 2012 Scholar-Athletes, ACE to Oak Park
Adonis Saunders is The Star’s All-Metro boys track and field athlete of the year
Most days during his lunch period as a senior, Adonis Saunders wasn't enjoying ...
Liberty 3,200 champion not short on stamina
Liberty senior C.T. Smith has a favorite shirt that he likes to wear ...
Oak Grove senior needed something extra...and found it
For his final high school track meet, Oak Grove senior Tyler Banks needed a full tank. Banks ran seven races last Friday and Saturday at the Missouri Class 3 state championships in Jefferson City….
Grandview boys, Lee's Summit North girls claim state track titles
JEFFERSON CITY | On Saturday, Grandview junior Dapo Akinmoladun experienced the agony of near-misses throughout his time at Dwight T. Reed Stadium. He was second in the 110-meter hurdles and second…
Three KC-area athletes break through with state track titles
JEFFERSON CITY | Track and field athletes such as Raytown South senior Marquise Cushon and Lee’s Summit West juniors Evan Boehm and Brittany Kallenberger have taken separate paths to get to the…
Mill Valley's Garton goes out a winner in javelin at state
WICHITA | Macauley Garton remembers the spectacular scene last season when Shawnee Mission South’s Johannes Swanepoel set a state record on the final javelin throw of his high school career.In…
Five things to watch at Kansas state track and field
Today and Saturday1 Foursome among nation’s elitePerhaps the brightest star this weekend in Wichita will be Washington senior Le’Tristan Pledger, who owns the nation’s seventh-fastest 100-meter…
Juggled lineup puts Cass Midway girls over top in state track
The beginnings of the Cass Midway girls’ Missouri Class 1 state track and field championship can be traced back several weeks and many decisions ago. Before last weekend in Jefferson City, Coach…
Gardner Edgerton senior breaks Kansas pole vault record
Casey Bowen took a deep breath and focused on the target. This would be his last chance of the day to make history, so he wanted to be relaxed. Bowen, a Gardner Edgerton senior, had …
Olathe South's Murphy wins two events at 6A regional track meet
Erin Murphy surprised even herself Friday by winning championships in both the high jump and 300-meter hurdles during the Kansas 6A regional track and field meet at the Olathe District Activity…
Track athletes get a day in the sun
The 61st Shawnee Mission North Relays are history.The final tuneup before the three most important meets of the season — league, regional and state.The Sunflower League meet is Friday at SM North,…
STATE TRACK: Have run, be comfortable, win titles
Everything about Kearney senior Joe Windsor’s weekend at the Missouri state track and field meet last weekend in Jefferson City centered around his two tenets — having fun and being comfortable. So…
JOHNSON COUNTY: State track and field boys recap
With good reason, Shawnee Mission South senior Johannes Swanepoel’s performance in the Kansas 6A boys javelin event drew much of the attention in the field events of the Kansas high school…
MISSOURI STATE TRACK: Southland notebook
Lee’s Summit West senior Liga Blyholder leaves her high school as one of the most decorated athletes in school history. A key member on two cross country state championship teams, Blyholder earned…
Olathe East sweep leads Kansas state track title parade
WICHITA | Four of Kansas’ track and field team champions, which were crowned Saturday at Wichita State University’s Cessna Stadium, hail from the metro, but it’s hard to pick the most impressive…