Top 5 Boys State Track Performances

Sorry for the delay on this posting my Top 5 Male Performances as I had promised. Even though it is a month past the meet I am going to follow through with my promise of posting this Top 5. Without further adu, the Top 5 Male performances of the 2010 State Track Meet (according to me).

5. Andrew Etheridge – Wichita Northwest

Etheridge’s junior year state track meet in 2009 was a nightmare. He clipped the last hurdle in the 110-meter hurdles and had to settle for second. Then in the 300’s he did not finish despite having the second fastest qualifying time.

In his senior year this season, Etheridge would not be denied. All season long he positioned himself as the premier sprint hurdler in the state of Kansas. This season he posted the fourth-best time in Kansas state history in the 110’s. He stepped onto the track for the final with nemisis Meshach Kennedy of Derby, who was the beneficiary of Etheridge’s clipped hurdle, next to him, and he proceeded to blow the field away with a time of 14.22.

Later in the day Etheridge would go on to stomp the field by over a second in the 300-hurdles to secure his second gold medal and end his high school track career right.

4. James Wilson – Abilene

James Wilson is one of the more underrated track athletes of the last few years. All the kid did in his sophomore and junior years is win the 1600-meter titles in surprising fashion. As a sophomore nobody saw him coming. As a junior he was recovering from stress fracture and had very little base mileage but still pulled out the win.

This year Wilson had the base mileage to do damage, but was still overlooked in the 3200. It was set up to be Evan Landes of Mulvane’s year. He was nipped at the line in Cross Country and seemed to be the best 3200-meter man in 4A. What was forgotten was Wilson’s 1600-meter speed and he used it in the last lap to put Landes away and win the title.

Then in the 1600, Wilson was the defending champion but not the favorite. Brendan Soucie of Osawatomie had the best 4A time coming in, but Wilson’s performance is the reason why I try to never choose against a defending champion. Wilson does not have the raw footspeed of Soucie, as would be proven later in the 800, but Wilson had the heart and gutted out a great win and ran a 4:23.02.

Soucie and Wilson met up again later in the 800, but Soucie was superior and won by four seconds. Wilson still ended up claiming second place and finished fifth as a team by himself.

3. Kurt Pauly – Garden Plain

Kurt Pauly had a target on his back all year long and that is no doubt. He was a the two-time defending champion in the 3A 400-meter dash. He is the record holder in that event. He won three individual gold medals as a junior. He was the key to Garden Plain’s team title in 2009. Kurt Pauly was 3A Boys Track and Field heading into 2010.

Pauly had some rough races early as he uncharacteristically lost some races in the 400, which was something he had not done in a long time. In the end racing Trinity’s Morgan Burns virtually every week and going to the KU Relays paid off. The Garden Plain star won his three gold medals in the 100, 200 and 400 then capped off his career by anchoring the 4 x 400-meter relay to a first place finish.

Pauly was also dominant in his wins. He won the 100 by .25-seconds, the 400 by almost two-seconds (only .02 off of his own 400-meter record) and then won the 200 by .26-seconds. The Garden Plain star finished his high school career with seven individual golds and back-to-back 3A team titles.

2. Adam Porter – McPherson

Pauly may have had a target on his back, but McPherson’s Adam Porter had a target and a microscope. Porter established his dominance last season on the track with an 800-1600-3200 triple, which was a feat that had only been accomplished in 5A-6A by one person since 2000. Then in the Fall he won the 5A State Cross Country title, and everyone was ready to see if Porter could repeat his triple.

This season would be much tougher with a healthy Josh Munsch of Hays gunning for him in all three races. They faced off first on Friday night in the 3200. Both Porter and Munsch are better mid-distance than long and they both showed off their speed. Porter used his signature kick to beat Munsch down the homestretch, which would become a familiar theme at the 2010 Kansas State High School Track Meet.

Saturday was when the big test would come. Munsch had the fastest 1600-meter time coming into the meet, but Porter showed his veteran ability and race knowledge. He let Munsch take the lead and into the bell lap Munsch led the entire way, but Porter came up on his hip in the last 30 meters to sprint by and win the race for his second gold. Right with them though was the surprising David Thor of Bishop Carroll, who would make an appearance again in the 800.

In the 800, Porter left no doubt as to who was the best. He took the lead from the beginning and held it until the end to claim his back-to-back triple.

1. Johannes Swanepoel – Shawnee Mission South

There are great performances and then there are historically great performances. Johannes Swanepoel of Shawnee Mission South had one of those historically great performances in the javelin when he unleashed a monstorous 238-foot and 4-inch throw. That is a new Kansas State Meet record, a new Kansas All-Time Record and the third best throw by a Prep Athlete in the HISTORY of the NATION.

Just like Kearsten Peoples of Ottawa on the girls list, this feat cannot be underestimated or underappreciated. It is not very often that Kansas has such a historical accomplishment. I cannot tell you right off hand how many Kansas athletes have top-three all-time marks in any given event, but I will venture to guess that Jim Ryun and Swanepoel are two of only a small handful. Anytime a high school athlete can legitimately be mentioned in the same sentence as Ryun then they are truly historically great.

What do you think? Did I leave any deserving athletes out? Leave a comment and let me know what you think!