Andrew Johnson always goes into big races with a plan, and for the majority of an accomplished career, he rarely disappoints.
On Saturday, Platte County’s bonafide senior long-distance star continued to enhance his legacy. He pulled away from an elite field in the 3,200-meter race at the Bill Summa Invitational at William Chrisman High School in Independence, and his time of 9 minutes, 12.80 seconds took another 6 seconds off the school record he set last spring — well, 5.99 seconds to be exact.
Johnson topped Liberty’s Peyton Willbanks by more than 12 full seconds, and he led a bunched finish to round out the top five with Liberty’s Connor Nicholson in third (9:26.30), West Nodaway’s Riley Blay in fourth (9:26.33) and Lincoln Prep’s Isaac Rivera in fifth (9:26.34). Rivera, who finished in front of Johnson to win the individual state title in the Class 4 MSHSAA Cross County Championships this past fall, led the majority of the race but faded back late.
Even on a windy day in less-than-optimal conditions, Johnson easily bested his previous best mark of 9:18.79 in the event, set in a mildly surprising Class 5 Sectional 4 victory last spring. He went on to earn all-state honors the following week in the Class 5 MSHSAA Track and Field Championships.
Johnson ran the 3,200 for just the second time this season, having finished a close second to Willbanks in last month’s Ron Ives Invitational.
Kearney Classic Invitational
Platte County juniors Josh Fraker and Brayden Eschliman continued to flash valuable versatility during a successful trip to Kearney’s 11-team meet Friday at Kearney High School.
Already key components of a school record 4×400 relay last season, Fraker and Eschliman combined for three top-five individual finishes. Fraker also ran a leg of the 4×800 relay for the first time and turned in a flat 2-minute effort in the lead leg combining with senior anchor Kade Meinke, junior Tanner Jenks and sophomore Blake Herron to finish first in a season-best 8:19.44 — even with Johnson not in the lineup.
Fraker then finished third in the 400 at 52.30 with Eschliman just behind at 52.41 in fourth. Eschliman placed fifth in the 200 (career-best 23.28), continuing his improvement in shorter sprints.
Platte County ended up going 3-4-5 in the 400 with senior Savion Jones in fifth at 54.86, and the 4×400, which continues to be minus injured sophomore anchor Jackson Goodale (leg muscle), ended up scratching with Eschliman experiencing some light-headedness prior to the race. Th Pirates’ season-best time in that event would have won Friday’s race by more than 4 seconds.
In addition, Platte County freshman Jack Johnson continued an impressive start to his debut season in hurdles, while sophomore Braiden Stevens, a first-year participant, continued to excel in sprints and the long jump. Jack Johnson recorded one of just two individual victories for the in the 110 hurdles with a career-best 15.87, breaking the 16-second mark for the first time in four races and shaving almost a full second off his previous fast time of 16.67, and junior teammate Isaiah Seymour came in fourth, setting a PR and breaking 17 seconds for the first time in his career (16.58).
Jack Johnson added a runnerup showing in the 300 hurdles (42.71, also a career-best).
Stevens just missed a PR in the open 100 but still placed fifth at 11.30. According to available records, only six runners — Naron Rollins, Jaron Rollins, Victor Sewankambo, Kenny Lightner, Aakil Holt and Charles Leapheart — have matched or bettered his season-best mark of 11.23. Goodale is next on that list with an 11.24 he ran as a freshman.
Platte County’s 4×100 lineup of Stevens and fellow sophomores Tres Baskerville, Adeboye Akande and Ty Christopher placed fourth in 44.34. That’s also just off a season-best of 44.18 from the previous week’s Falcon Relays at Staley.
Stevens then added Platte County’s best field event finish, coming in second in the long jump at 5.99 meters. The Pirates also had a pair of fifth-place finishes from seniors Jackson Thornton (1.75 meters in the high jump) and Kevin Taylor (3.20 meters in the pole vault).
In addition to missing the 4×400, Platte County held out Johnson from individual events ahead of his race the following day at the Bill Summa Invitational. The Pirates still finished third as a team with 113 points, and Meinke (9:54.08) and Jenks (10:05.04) led a sweep of the top two spots in the 3,200. Both were PRs.
