If shot putter Reese Hoffa’s world season-best 71’3.75” shot heave on Wednesday at the Kansas Relays is any indication of what’s ahead, this Olympic Games year Kansas Relays could pack quite a punch.
Hoffa, the 2012 U.S. Indoor Champion and world’s 3rd ranked shot putter, bested a strong world-class field that included: 2012 World Indoor Champion Ryan Whiting; 2008 Olympic silver medalist Christian Cantwell and 2011 World Championships silver medalist Dylan Armstrong (Canada).
Known as one of track and field’s most colorful characters because of his penchant for dressing up in costumes like the “Unknown Shot Putter” during performances and taking his traditional victory lap while munching on a turkey leg, Hoffa definitely ranks high among the favorites to win the shot put gold medal at 2012 Olympic Games in London.
The 2012 Kansas Relays—established in 1923—will kick off this Wednesday (April 18) at the University of Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas.
Every year this event draws some of the nation’s top college and professional track and field athletes as well as some the region’s top high school performers. Moreover—with this being an Olympic year—you can bet your last dime that those college and professional athletes participating at this year’s Kansas Relays will be in top form as they attempt to qualify for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials which will be held in just two months (June 21 – July 1) at legendary Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Here is a look at some of the top Nebraska high school boys and girls that are tentatively scheduled to compete down in Lawrence at the 2012 Kansas Relays:
Clara Nichols, Millard South—She won last year’s Kansas Relays 400m. Currently holds the state’s top times in the 200m, 400m, and 800m.
Kenzo Cotton, Papillion-La Vista—He currently holds the state’s top times in the 100m and 200m.
Mach Dojiok, Omaha Benson—He currently holds state’s top 800m time.
Bryce Sheard, Papillion-La Vista—He currently holds state’s top triple jump mark.
Morgan Woitzel, Millard South—She currently holds the state’s second best 800m time.
Jacob Olson, Kearney—He currently holds state’s second best 800m time.
Dylan Utter, Papillion-La Vista—He currently holds state’s 2nd best shot put mark.
T.J. Schindler, Blair—He currently holds the state’s 6th best shot put mark.
Marshall Anderson, Papillion-La Vista—He currently holds the state’s 10th best 1600m time.
Of course, many Nebraska schools will also be bringing their relay teams along to compete against the region’s top teams. Perhaps the strongest Nebraska relay team entered is the Millard South girls 4×400 team, featuring Nichols and Woitzel. If the weather is right the team could make it onto the all-time chart mark.
Deverell Biggs, one of Nebraska’s most dynamic and athletically gifted high school basketball players since the turn of the century, has committed to play for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
I’m now officially a Nebraska Cornhusker basketball fan:
I never thought I’d say that, considering my Ohio State ties, but for me Biggs is just one of those magnetic athletes that make me want to root for him and his team’s success.
High School Basketball and Track & Field Standout
During his brilliant high school career, the former Omaha Central guard helped to lead the Eagles to the 2010 Class A state championship: he was also a member of Central’s 2007 championship team as a freshman. In addition, Biggs won two Nebraska state track and field meet all-class gold medals in the high jump.
Biggs—standing only 6-feet-tall—cleared the bar at 7-feet in his senior year at the 2010 state meet. The height earned Biggs a spot on the Nebraska high school all-time chart. It also marked only the 5th time in state meet history that the height of 7-feet or better had been cleared. Biggs’ jump of 7-feet ties three others for the second best high jump mark at a Nebraska state track and field meet: Kyle Odvody, Wahoo, 2000; Chris Murrell, Grand Island, 1989; James Blackledge, Millard North, 1984. Only Papillion-La Vista’s Randall Carter’s jump of 7’4” at the 2007 meet has been higher.
Accolades Continue to Mount for Biggs at JUCO Level
Grades prevented the 2010 Nebraska Boys Basketball Player of the Year from entertaining any D-1 offers so he took his talent and dreams to Western Texas Community College for one season where his performance during the 2010-2011 season earned him an invitation to the prestigious Mullen Top 100 JUCO Showcase Camp held last summer.
Biggs then transferred to Seward County Kansas Community College where he averaged 14.8 points and 3.3 steals in 2011-2012, leading the team to a 31-7 record and an appearance in the national NJCAA semifinal game.
His stellar season for Seward County earned Biggs the 2012 Jayhawk Conference West Division Player of the Year honors and he was recently selected a First Team NJCAA All-American.
He becomes NU’s first Nebraska high school player to be awarded a basketball scholarship since 2002.
Biggs may not be a McDonald’s All-American or considered to be a 5 Star recruit—yet; however, he is perhaps the most significant player the Husker basketball program has landed in quite some time.
Make no mistake about it—Deverell Biggs is a HUGE haul for Nebraska basketball and new head coach Tim Miles. At this point in time Biggs is the perfect cornerstone to build a program upon. More importantly, his affinity to Nebraska basketball fans and his vibrant play making ability will help put more fans in the seats.
Maybe NU can become a basketball school, after all.
On Thursday, Papillion-La Vista’s Kenzo Cotton rode the wind to a 10.40 seconds time in the 100 meter, landing a 4th place spot on the Nebraska track & field all-time best chart.
Cotton, like practically all the other 100m all-time chart members before him, benefited from a hand-held time and a stiff breeze to his back. However, the difference this time around is that this—sophomore—sprinter has much more to show. Yesterday was only a glimpse of what lies ahead for Kenzo Cotton.
Last season as a freshman, Cotton had arguably the state’s worst start in the 100m and 200m, yet he still managed to win the 200m gold at state with a 21.77 clock and he placed third in the Class A 100m at 10.97.
According to comments attributed to Kenzo and his coach (Joe Pilakowski) that appeared in Friday’s Omaha World-Herald (click to read article), Cotton spent a lot of time, over the past week, getting his start down. It obviously helped.
My bet is that once Kenzo Cotton finds his start groove and he becomes consistent, we will see him posting legit sub 10.6 times in the 100m and at least into the low21 second times in the 200m. Really, I think if Kenzo stays healthy he will run sub 21 times before his high school career is over.
If you think Kenzo will be hard for anyone to catch up to for the next couple of years, his little brother, Kurtis, may be even better. Kurtis Cotton won the 2011 USATF National Junior Olympics midget boys (ages 11-12) 100m and 200m. Kurtis blew away the nation’s best in both events with times of 11.71 and 23.66 respectively.
Week’s Other Notables
Tess Merrill, Sr., Grand Island Northwest—Congratulation for setting a new PR of 11’9″ in pole vault. Tess now stands all alone at No. 9th on the all-time chart.
Stacy Keely, Jr., Omaha Northwest—Keep tabs on this 6’8” high jumper. He leads the state at 6’8.25”. That’s a quarter-inch better than Bellevue West freshman Malik Hluchoweckyj. At this rate it appears that both of these guys should clear 7’0” before the end of their high school careers.
Mo Hamden, Jr. Lincoln North Star—His 4:16.19 1600m meet record win at Friday’s Dick Jones Invite was merely 9 hundredths of a second from making the all-time chart. Hamden out dueled Nebraska recruit Jacob Olson of Kearney to claim the victory. The 2011 1600m state gold medalist reigns among Nebraska’s top mid-distance runners in the 800, 1600. and 3200. Impressive! And he still has the rest of this season and all of next year to lay his claim to being remembered among the best ever Nebraska high school distance runners.
Central Girls 4X100—It’s been awhile since any team has challenged the Omaha North Viking girls supremecy in this event, but the Eagle team of Chelsea Baker, Maddie Buller, Syranda Poole and DesireeSanders burned the laces off the Viking girls at Dick Jones with state-leading and near all-time chart time of 48.77.