Amy Hastings (Leavenworth, 2002), two-time state 6A 3200-meter champion for Leavenworth High where she competed for KSHSAA Hall of Fame coach Tamra Strano, won the 2012 USA Olympic Trials 10,000 meters in a time of 31:58.36 and in the process also her first USATF National title and a berth on the 2012 USA Team headed to the London Olympics. The USATF national runner-up in the 5,000 meters a year ago, Hastings had suffered the ultimate athletic disappointment earlier in January when she finished fourth in the Olympic Trials marathon, missing the coveted spot on the London-bound team by one position. But, not to be denied by that disappointment or the foot injury that came with it, she re-set her focus on qualifying for the London Games in either the 10,000 and/or 5,000 meters. After taking a short, but complete break from training she began her second attempt at qualifying for the USA team with a period of cross-training to protect the foot from further injury. Having met the Olympic Games A Standard qualifying time of 31:45.00 earlier this spring by covering the 10k distance in 31:19.87 she was able to enter the Trials finals with one goal in mind, placing among the top three finishers to guarantee her spot on Team USA. Leading late in the race, she was passed in the final lap, dropping to third, but she wasn’t going to be denied and stormed to front coming off the final turn and down the Hayward Field homestretch to secure the most significant win of her career. While her Trials winning time for the 10k was short of the Olympic standard, it didn’t matter. She already had the time and now the top three finish. Amy was on her way to London!
Earlier in her collegiate career at Arizona State, Amy was the USA Junior champion at 5,000 meters, and in 2006 won the NCAA Indoor championship at the same distance, among her 10 NCAA All-American honors at a collegian.
An 8-time KSHSAA 6A track and field medalist, Amy still ranks #2 on the all-time Kansas prep list at 5,000 meters, #4 A-T at 3000 meters, and #8 A-T at 3200 meters.
Isiah Young (Junction City, 2008) joined Thane Baker (Elkhart ’49) as the only Kansas prep who even competed, but never medaled in the state championships, yet has gone on to earn a spot on the USA Olympic track & feld team. Young ran track just one season for Junction City High, his senior season when, as he told Kevin Haskins of the Topeka Capital-Journal, he
"did it for something to do before graduation”. But Isiah is now a USA Olympian after finishing third in the finals of the men’s 200-meter dash at the USA Olympic Trials in a career best, but slightly windy, time of 20.16.
While his 200-meter best during his senior season (22.21) ranked #5 in Kansas and he qualified for the state meet in the 100 meters and as part of the Bluejays’ 4x100 relay, his one season of high school track wasn’t a real accurate predictor of what was to come. In his one state meet appearance, Young didn’t qualify for the 100-meter finals and the Jays’ short relay finished fourth. But, Allen Community College coach Clinton Fletcher saw untapped potential he liked, especially as Young negotiated the curve on the third leg of JC’s relay, and offered him a scholarship.
After two seasons at Allen CC, Young transferred to the University of Mississippi where he redshirted the 2011 season, before winning the 2012 Southeast Conference (SEC) 200 meters title for Ole Miss and then placing fourth in the same event in his first NCAA Outdoor meet appearance in June. But, the best was yet to come!
At the Olympic Trials, Isiah won his preliminary heat in a time of 20.38, then ran second to Maurice Mitchell, the NCAA Outdoor champion, in the semifinals in a time of 20.45. That semifinal finish that placed Young in the middle of track, in lane 5, between Mitchell and 2008 Olympian Wallace Spearmon for the finals, and from there Young came home third,
only 0.02 second behind Mitchell in second and 0.01 ahead of the fourth place finisher.
Kearsten Peoples (Ottawa, 2010) missed a spot on the USA team by 4 ¾”, throwing a career best 59’9 ½”, but finishing fourth in the Olympic Trials finals. That throw was the best fourth place distance in USA Olympic Trials women’s shot put history. The Kansas’ all-time girls’ leader in the shot put and discus, both of which she set while winning the 2010 Class 4A state titles with throws of 51’10 ¾” and 166’7”, respectively, Kearsten was an outdoor season, red-shirt freshman at the University of Missouri this past spring during which she won the Big 12 Conference discus and placed second in the shot put at the conference outdoor championships. She then threw her pre-Olympic Trials shot put season best of 58’2 ½” while finishing second at the NCAA West Regional before finishing sixth in both the shot and discus at her initial NCAA Championships.
Also advancing to finals in their Olympic Trials events were:
Luke Bryant (Clearwater, 2007) who placed 11th in the discus finals with a throw of 187’6” after qualifying 12th with a throw of 192’7”.
Kayla Wilkinson-Colgrove (Belleville, 2003) who placed 11th in the javelin with a throw of 168’5” after qualifying 8th with a toss of 171’6.
Rebeka Stowe (Olathe Northwest, 2008) who placed 13th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in a time of 10:02,82 after qualifying 14th in 9:53.67.
Other former Kansas preps competing in the USA Olympic Trials -
Tevan Everett (Wichita Heights, 2005) 800 meters (H1-4, 1:47.31); (SF2-6, 1:48.25) did not advance to finals.
Christian Smith (Pawnee Heights, 2002; 2008 Olympian) 800 meters (H2-6, 1:48.21) did not advance to semi-finals.
Todd McKown (Valley Center, 2008) 110m Hurdles (H2-7, 13.97) did not advance to semi-finals.
Lawson Montgomery (Bennington, 2008) 110m Hurdles (H4-6, 14.20) did not advance to semi-finals.
Trent Mazanec (Colby, 2006) Javelin (Q13, 234-11) did not advance to finals.
Amy Mortimer (Riley County, 1999) 1,500 meters (H3-3, 4:16.02); (SF2-7, 4:12.04) did not advance to finals.
Lauren Bonds (Hutchinson, 2005) 1,500 meters (H2-10, 4:20.75) did not advance to
semi-finals.
Amy Hastings (Leavenworth, 2002) 5,000 meters (H2-9, 15:59.05) did not advance to finals.
Natalie Morerod (Gardner-Edgerton, 2010) 400m Hurdles (H1-7, 58.85) did not advance to semi-finals.
Heather Bergman (Concordia, 2009) Javelin (Q19, 154-04) did not advance to finals.
Chandra Andrews (Liberal, 2002) Hammer Throw (Q15, 206-09) did not advance to finals.
USATF Youth Championships
University of Texas-Arlington – June 26-July 1
The 2012 USA Youth Outdoor Track & Field Championships returned to where it began in 1989 as Arlington, Texas was the first location for this event. These National Championships featured athletes between the ages 7-18 competing in six, two-year age divisions and were held on the University of Texas-Arlington Maverick Stadium track & field complex.
2012 was the first year this competition to include international athletes as a small contingent of four athletes and three coaches was approved for participation by USATF and the Brazilian Athletics Confederation in an effort to promote cultural exchange in youth athletics.
The top finisher among the Kansas preps competing was Nick Meyer (Bishop Carroll, JR), Class 5A state champion and 2012 Kansas leader, who placed second in the Young Men’s pole vault with a clearance of 15’5”, based on misses. Clayton Henderson (SM Northwest, JR) placed fifth in the Young Men’s 3,000 meters with a time of 9:09.94. Class 2A state 800-meter champion Grant Garst (Inman, JR) placed sixth in the Young Men’s 800 with a time of 1:56.83, missing his 2012 #3 ranked in Kansas season best by just 0.26 second and finished just ahead of Class 6A state 800 runner-up Jackson Barbour (SM Northwest, JR) who moved to #6 on the 2012 Kansas list as he twice lowered his season best during the meet, first to 1:57.37 in the qualifying round and then to 1:57.25 in the finals where he finished seventh.
Mackenzie Wills (Andover Central, JR) placed fifth in the Young Women’s 2k steeplechase (8:36.18) and eighth in the 3,000 meters.
YM – 400m Grant Garst (Inman) H2-3. 50.75nq; Jackson Barbour (SM Northwest) H6-2. 50.50nq
*YM – 800m 6. Grant Garst (Inman) 1:56.83; H2-1, 1:58.80q; 7. Jackson Barbour (SM Northwest) 1:57.25SB (#6KS ’12); H3-4, 1:57.37qSB (#6KS ’12)
*YM – 3000m 5. Clayton Henderson (SM Northwest) 9:09.94
*YM – Pole Vault 2. Nick Meyer (Bishop Carroll) 15-05
YW – 800 Mackenzie Wills (Andover Central) H1-8, 2:36.32nq
*YW – 3000 8. Mackenzie Wills (Andover Central) 12:04.34
*YW – 2k Steeplechase 5. Mackenzie Wills (Andover Central) 8:36.18
AAU Area 16 National Qualifying Junior Olympics
Missouri Southern State – Joplin, MO – June 29-July 1
Emily Brigham (Mill Valley), with a new all-time Kansas best in the pole vault of 13’3” leading the way, Kansas preps competing on the AAU track and field circuit were in action on the campus of Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Missouri, this past week at the AAU Area 16 National Qualifying meet.
Brigham clearance of 13’3” raised her own all-time Kansas pole vault best for a second time this summer as she came away with the Young Women’s title. Other highlights from the week for the Kansas preps were two other young ladies moving up on the 2012 state best lists. Claire Sanner (Lawrence MS), who just completed her eighth grade year, moved into the #4 position on the 2012 list for the 2,000 meter steeplechase with her Intermediate Girls’ winning time of
8:09.36, while Ashanti Hutton (Bishop Miege, FR) climbed into the #8 spot on the 200 meters list as she took home the Intermediate Girls division title with a time of 25.54.
Hutton swept the Intermediate Girls 200 and 400 while Steven Calloway (Wichita SE) swept the Young Men’s 100 and 200, and Cordell Goering (Trinity-Hutchinson) won the Young Men’s 400m Dash and 400m Hurdles.
Please note that Region 9 Intermediate Boy 2k Steeplechase winner Tristan Irish (Salina South), winner a time of 6:52.58, was overlooked as the AAU Area 16 winner of the 1500 (4:21.48), 2k Steeplechase (6:56.79), and 3,000 meters (9:26.31) at these championships in a previous version of this blog.
Kansas athletes winning Area 16 events who are now qualified for this summer’s AAU National Championships to be held in Houston, Texas, July 30 through August 4, are listed below. Not wanting to leave anyone off and not having full access to all of the club/school affiliations we have listed only Kansas winners. If we overlooked any Kansas winners we do apologize, it wasn’t intentional. A complete listing of the meet results for all age divisions can be found at
http://www.heartlandtiming.com/results/2012aaunqjoplin.htm
*IG 200 1. Ashanti Hutton (Bishop Miege) 25.54 (#8 KS ’12); 26.37q
*IG 400 1. Ashanti Hutton (Bishop Miege) 56.94
*IG 2k Stpl 1. Claire Sanner (Lawrence MS) 8:09.36 (#4 KS ‘12)
*YW 100 1. Skye Childs (Leavenworth) 12.68 (SB 12.45)
*YW High Jump 1. Maddie Estell (Mill Valley) 5-03
*YW Pole Vault 1. Emily Brigham (Mill Valley) 13-03 (#1 KS A-T KS)
*YW Shot Put 1. Morgan Gilliland (Paola) 42-04.5
*YW Discus 1. Jasmine Smith (BV North) 121-08
*YW Javelin 1. Kelsey Tenbrink (Shawnee Heights) 127-05
*YM 100 1. Steven Calloway (Wichita SE) 11.00; 11.33q (SB 10.91)
*YM 200 1. Steven Calloway (Wichita SE) 22.27; 22.79q (SB 21.83)
*YM 400 1. Cordell Goering (Trinity-Hutchinson) 50.13
*YM 400m Hurd 1. Cordell Goering (Trinity-Hutchinson) 55.12
