Wessely sets meet record in girls pole vault

By DEREK PRATER - The Kansas City Star
Date: 04/03/01 22:15

The weather for the Shawnee Mission South relays on Saturday was slightly less inclement than usual, and that was all Erin Wessely needed to set a meet record.

Wessely, a pole vaulter for Shawnee Mission East, cleared 11 feet and easily claimed first place. The closest competition was from Wessely's teammate Giang Pham, who cleared 8-feet, 6-inches. In fact, Wessely matched the third-highest jump from the boys.

"I just set my goal at whatever the first-place guy gets, and I go for that," Wessely said, adding that she was far short of the best boys mark at 13-5.

"Maybe another meet," she said.

Jeremy Nelson finished first in the 100-meter race for SM East, and Emily Warring won the high jump.

The girls 1,600 medley relay team also took first, paced by the Akers twins, Alex and Emily, who ran with Shannelle Howell and Kelly Malarkey. Coach Bill Boley said the Akerses, who are freshmen, have a bright future.

"They're good athletes -- that's what you start with," he said. "They're still inexperienced, but they've got natural speed and strength.

The SM West girls excelled on the track and in the field. They won the 800 sprint medley relay, the 800 relay and six individual events.

Megan Robinson and Hannah Henry took first-place medals on the track, with Robinson winning the 100 and Henry taking the 300 low hurdles. Amanda Harlow and Dionna Thomas each won two field events. Harlow won the discus and shot put, and Thomas captured the long jump and triple jump.

Junior Andrea Jennum had a breakout performance for SM South with a win in the 3,200. SM South coach Mike Naster said it was the team's best performance of the meet.

"That's her (personal record). She beat three or four kids she's never beaten before," Naster said.

SM South also got a first-place finish from John Wyatt in the high jump with a 6-foot jump.

Bishop Miege won two relay events and one individual event. The boys won the 800 sprint medley relay, the girls won the 3,200 relay and Michael Stewart was first in the triple jump.

Miege coach Scott Anderson was happy that his athletes weren't distracted by the cold weather.

"Our kids came to compete. They didn't sit around and moan and complain. They did pretty well," Anderson said.

St. Thomas Aquinas did its best work in the relay events. The boys 1,600 relay team took the team's only first-place medal, and the girls 1,600 relay team finished second.

SM North's best performance was turned in by its boys 800 relay team. Terry Menefree, Michael Salazar, Grant Strohm and Dan Hissong finished in 1 minute, 34.8 seconds and took first place. Menefree also finished second in the 300 intermediate hurdles.

The meet began with a moment of silence to commemorate the passing of three people who were close to the SM South track team.

Former coach Verlyn Schmidt died in February of cancer, and former athletes Kenny Berry and Alvin Chambers died in a car accident in Texas during spring break.

The 6,400 relay race was dedicated to Schmidt, and memorial awards were dedicated in the names of Berry and Chambers.

@tag1:To reach Derek Prater, sports reporter for The Star, call 816-234-7747, or send e-mail to dprater@kcstar.com