Broncos travel to Colby for 4A regional
By CONOR NICHOLL
Russell senior Lance Murphy was a catcher for the Broncos baseball team last season. This spring was his first year of track and field and he didn't start throwing the javelin until about halfway through the year.
Then, Murphy was sitting around 155 feet before the North Central Athletic Association meet this past week, where he uncorked a toss of 173 feet. The throw instantly made him a state contender and a likely state qualifier this weekend at the Class 4A Colby Regional Championships. According to the McPherson College honor roll, only five Class 4A boys have thrown over 175 feet this spring.
Murphy will likely be the top javelin thrower at Colby, a regional that includes Russell, Colby, Goodland, Abilene, Concordia, Pratt and Ulysses. The field events start at 3 p.m.
"We started throwing him in shot put and discus, he is a big and strong kid," Russell track and field coach David King said. "That was just not going as we had hoped for and we as coaches knew that he played baseball and probably had a pretty good arm, so we tried him one day at practice, there was no doubt that that would be his event, so we kept him in there."
Murphy looks to be one of several Russell athletes that could qualify for state.
On the boys' side, sophomore Zach Axelson looks to make it to state in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 400 meter relay. King also looks for the 1,600 meter relay team to qualify. Freshman Ryan Zachman is a candidate in the 300-meter hurdles, while senior Lucas Scarborough (long jump) and junior Michael Cook (triple jump) have jumped well entering the regional meet.
For the girls' side, freshman Peyton Weiss (100 meters) and senior Kristi Banks should make it to Wichita. Both will also run on the 400-meter relay.
"Our (400) relays, if they have good handoffs, perform like they have at the end of the season, I don't think there is any reason why they don't have a great shot," King said.
Weiss and sophomore Danika Ginther will both triple jump, while freshman Brianne Hopper will high jump.
Axelson and Weiss, though, have achieved the best results from all season. Axelson has won multiple sprint races this season, including the 100 and 200 meters at the conference meet. He will be in the 100, 200 and 400-meter relay on Friday.
"He is our guy that stands out for how he has placed throughout the year," King said. "Weiss has placed in the top three in the sprints in every meet she has gone to."
Weiss, who will compete in the 100, 200, long jump and triple jump at regional, broke the league record in the long jump and also won the conference in that event.
"It is a pleasant surprise to have underclassmen perform as well as they are," King said. "A lot of time you expect that out of your juniors or seniors, but it is really nice to have young kids that have performed as well as we have. We have had that this year, not just one of those two athletes, but our young kids on both the guys' and the girls' side have both been doing a nice job for us this year."
Both Axelson and Weiss have run similar times all season. Axelson ran 11.0 in the 100 meters in the first meet and then about halfway through the season, he ran a 10.9, and the last couple meets he has been back at 11 seconds. Weiss has been running around 12.6 seconds all spring.
"They both started out really strong and kept that going throughout the season," King said. "On a normal year, I think they would have a really good shot and I think they have a really good shot this year, too. It would just depend on how tough this competition is and I know that it is going to be a tough one."
Colby
The Eagles are led by senior discus thrower Lissa Mazanec, second in Class 4A last season and sophomore sprinter April Gee. Gee, who qualified in the 100 meters, 200 meters and the triple jump as a freshman, looks for a similar result on Friday.
Distance runner Josh Baden, a state qualifier last season, won the 3,200-meters at the Northwest Kansas League meet in 10:29.4, the best time by over a half a minute. He also won the 800 meters (2:05.64) and the 1,600 meters (4.38.94). The 1,600 and 3,200 times both rank among Class 4A's and the area's best.
Goodland
Goodland thrower T.J. Hawkins (shot put, discus) is among the Class 4A leaders. He won conference in the discus with a throw of 158-8 and was second in the shot put. Grant Wilkens has a strong chance in the 110 hurdles and the pole vault.
