Kansas Relays

Top Preps Set for Kansas Relays

Top Preps Set for Kansas Relays

Apr 16, 2015 by Meg Bellino
Top Preps Set for Kansas Relays


The 2015 Kansas Relays feature an auto qualifying race for the adidas Dream Mile and Dream 100. MileSplit's Johanna Gretschel breaks down some of the top prep talent that will compete in Lawrence this weekend.

Girls Mile
Defending champion Stephanie Jenks (Linn-Mar, IA) is back and looking to score her third consecutive invitation to the adidas Dream Mile. Jenks was a two-time All-American at NBN Indoors 2015 in the Mile and 5k and has charged straight into the outdoor season with seasonal bests of 4:35.77 for 1,500m (equivalent to about a 4:54 Mile), 9:51.23 for 3k and 2:14.38 for 800m. Jenks, last year's Dream Mile runner-up, will face her biggest challenge from Hannah Long (Eureka, MO), who is very sharp early on in the season. Long ranks US #3 for 1,600m at 4:45.67 and US #12 for 3,200m at 10:24.15, both of which were solo efforts. Jenks' PR for the Mile is slightly faster at 4:42.68, but Long is running very fast right now.

Boys Mile
Ben Barrett (Norman North, OK) is fresh off a state record run in the 3,200m, as he became the first Oklahoma prep to break 9 minutes for the distance with his 14th place, 8:57.97 run at the Arcadia Invitational to rank US #15. He owns a PR of 4:12.89 in the Mile and will be challenged to dip under the 4:10 mark by Thomas Pollard (Gibert, IA), who owns a PR of 4:08.28 from last outdoor season. Both athletes have raced somewhat sparingly since Foot Locker Nationals in the fall, where Pollard placed 12th and Barrett was 31st.

Boys Discus
A loaded field includes US #2 ranked Carlos Davis (Blue Springs, MO), who has thrown for an astounding 193-7 this year - as well as his brother, Khalil, a standout himself with a 177-3 seasonal best. US #4 Willie Morrison (Leavenworth, KS), the NBN Indoors Champion in the Shot Put, has thrown for 190-7 this year. Not to be overlooked is Jeff Ast (Andale, KS), who owns the nation's best mark in the javelin this year at 226-2, which stands as more than 16 feet ahead of the US #2 and ranks fourth-best in Kansas prep state history.

Boys Shot Put
Many of the same faces return from the discus for the shot put, headlined by New Balance Nationals Indoor Champion Willie Morrison (Leavenworth, KS). He owns the US #2 on the outdoor national leaderboard at 68-9. Carlos Davis (Blue Springs, MO) owns a PR of 57-4.