Even without typical event list, Platte County looks well-rounded in winning Bonner Springs Invite

A scheduling conflict led to a search for an alternative venue, which eventually resulted in a trip to the Bonner Springs Invitational.

Platte County’s coaches used the opportunity to offer some unique chances for runners to test limits. Even without loading up the typical lineup, the Pirates showed out and put up 201 points to earn the team championship in dominant fashion Thursday night in Bonner Springs, Kansas.

Most noticeably, Platte County put seniors Connor Currence and Andrew Johnson plus junior Josh Fraker in the 800-meter individual race to take a shot at breaking the 2-minute mark and possibly make a run at Keegan Cordova’s school record. Currence (1 minute, 58.61 seconds) and Fraker (1 minute, 59.47 second) came in first and second but cold, windy conditions prevented them from seriously challenging the mark of 1:57.04 Cordova set in the 2019 Class 4 MSHSAA Track and Field Championships.

Johnson, the school-record holder in the 1,600 and 3,200, came in fourth at 2:02.76.

Fraker generally runs the 400 and contributes to multiple relays but recently became a potential leg for the 4×800, which even without Johnson has come close to challenging the program’s fastest time in that event, as well. Johnson likely will end up focusing on his individual long-distance races, and that opens up the possibility that Currence and Fraker along with senior Kade Meinke, sophomore Blake Herron and junior Tanner Jenks also factoring into the potential lineup.

Currence went out for track as a sophomore and ended up with a breakout season only to miss almost all of last spring with a stress fracture in his foot. His 800 time on Thursday ranks 5th in program history according to available records. Fraker also joins the top 10 with only six total runners listed with sub-2 minute times.

In addition to the standout 800 showing, Platte County’s trio of Meinke (4:34.15), Herron (4:38.24) and Jenks (4:38.31) swept the top three spots in the 1,600 with all three setting a PR in the process. Meinke cut more than 5 seconds, Herron more than 10 seconds and Jenks about a second off their previous fastest times in the event. Jenks had just set his PR five days earlier at Jefferson City’s Licklider Invitational.

Platte County freshman Jack Johnson recorded the final track individual victory in the 300 hurdles, turning in a time of 43.00 flat to edge Blue Vally Northwest senior Lovie Pulliam by 0.64 of a second. The Pirates also took fourth and fifth in the event with juniors Maurice Bass (46.00) and Isaiah Seymour (46.08) involved in a tight finish.

Even with the 4×800 far from full strength and no 4×200 in Kansas, Platte County still came away with three relay titles, as well. The 4×400 team of Currence, Fraker, Jack Johnson and junior Brayden Eschliman ran 3:27.69 and were just off of a season best while also continuing to compete without sophomore Jackson Goodale (abductor muscle) still unavailable. He ran the anchor leg in a breakout freshman campaign that included setting a school record in the event along with Fraker and Eschliman.

Currence might have been a part of that unit if not for the injury, and Jack Johnson continues to excel in middle distance.

Platte County’s 4×100 of junior Frailyn Lane and sophomores Braiden Stevens, Adeboye Akande and Ty Christopher (43.61) was first place just off the season-best of 43.57 while trying to hone in on a preferred lineup. The Pirates also paired Stevens, Akande, Christopher and Eschliman in the winning 100-100-200-400 sprint medley (1:38.92).

Eschliman’s lone individual run resulted in a third-place finish in the 200. The mark of 23.63 into a stiff head wind came up just short of his 23.28 PR from earlier in the year.

Platte County sophomore Adam Gisler turned in the best open 100 for the Pirates, placing third at 11.96, while junior Angel Munoz took advantage of an opportunity to be the top runner in the 110 hurdles, placing third at 18.66. Most of the running successes were expected, but the field event placements were just as impressive.

In the discus, Platte County junior Gus Keeton blew away his previous PR and finished first at 43.53 meters, while senior teammate Gage Fulk came in less than a meter behind in second at 42.67 meters. The longest throw of his career came earlier this season at the Falcon Relays (45.46 meters).

Fulk also finished third in the shot put and set a new PR at 13.4 meters.

The throwing successes also included a third-place finish for sophomore Cole Johnson in the javelin (44.8 meters). He set a PR by nearly full 2 meters, while sophomore Cale Buntz came up short of his (45.29 meters) but placed fifth at 40.84 meters.

Platte County senior Kevin Taylor cleared 3.66 meters for a second straight meet and easily took first in pole vault. The back-to-back performances now mark his PR. The Pirates also scored fourth-place points in the event from sophomore Finn Smith (2.74 meters).

Stevens, a first-year standout with Platte County’s fastest 100 time this season, went 6.11 meters in the long jump but ended up fifth in a bunched top five. Leavenworth sophomore Dy’Vair McCray won the event at 6.26 meters. The Pirates also had a fifth place finish from senior Jackson Thornton in the triple jump (11.61 meters).