TOP MOMENT OF 2017: Distance Runners Steal the Year

Jan 05, 2018

Distance running dominated the top moments in Kansas track and field and cross country in 2017, based on recent voting by MileSplit readers.

Voters overwhelmingly selected the quadruple crown won by Bennington's Halle Johnson as the top accomplishment of the year. Johnson, a senior headed to Wichita State next Fall, won the class 2A 800, 1600 and 3200 meter runs at the state track and field championships in May, then followed it up by dominating the cross country state meet in October.

She is an overwhelming favorite to defend her three track titles this spring.

Kyler True of Olpe, now a freshman at Oklahoma State University, won the class 1A 1600 meter state title in an all-class record time of 4:07.17, bringing the state meet crowd to its feet. The win was voted as the No. 2 moment of 2017 by Kansas MileSplit readers.

The No. 3 moment of the year was turned in by distance runners Cailie Logue of Girard, Molly Born of Shawnee Mission Northwest and Emily Venters of Lawrence Free State.

The trio challenged the national leaders' lists twice in a two week period. At the Kansas Relays, all three broke the meet record in the 3200 meters, Logue winning in 10:09.97, Born second in 10:10.64, and Venters third at 10:16.61. At the Shawnee Mission North Invitational two weeks later, Logue won the 1600 with the best time in the U.S. at that point, 4:45.00, while Born was second at 4:48.87 and Venters third in 4:49.36. At the time, all three times ranked in the top ten in the U.S.

Logue and Venters went on to remarkable freshman college seasons. Logue was fourth in the Big 12 championships, leading Iowa State to conference and regional titles, while Venters placed 52nd at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, helping Boise State to a sixth place finish.

Shortly after the Shawnee Mission North meet, Born learned she had a stress fracture in her foot, costing her the rest of the 2017 track and field season, and later, the 2017 cross country season too. She is expected back this spring to finish her senior year.

The other top moments voted on by Kansas MileSplit readers, in the order that they received votes, include:

4) Cailie Logue of Girard caps her high school career by sweeping the 800, 1600 and 3200 at the state track and field championships.

5) St. Thomas Aquinas superstar hurdler Noah Green capped his junior year by defending state titles in the 110 meter hurdles and 300 meter hurdles at the Kansas track and field state championships.

6) Christal Mosley of Wichita Southeast and Jazmine Wright of Hutchinson staged a classic finish in the finals of the class 6A girls 400 meter run.

7) Hadley Splechter of Yates Center won three state titles at the Kansas track and field championships in May, then added the cross country title in October.

8) Junction City's girls rallied from 43 points down beginning the final afternoon to win the class 6A girls state team title.

9) Phillip Landrum of Wichita South and Kalli Anderson of Newton claimed the titles of the fastest boy and girl.

10) Andover Central's Jewell Bolden swept state titles in class 5A girls 100 meter hurdles and 300 meter hurdles, capping an undefeated season for the senior standout.