By Scott Elpers

 The Derby Informer has combed through the college ranks and kept tabs on Derby High School graduates who have continued to excel in sports beyond the varsity level. In this issue, The Informer will highlight several athletes who had noteworthy spring seasons in track and field and golf.

Track and Field

Several DHS graduates had successful outdoor track and field seasons at Wichita State University this spring.

Junior Jake Wike had the best times for WSU in the 800-meter, 1,500-meter and one-mile races this season. Wike also placed third in the 800 meters at the Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championship, earning him his third MVC all-conference nod. Bryce Fisher had a dozen top-ten finishes combined in discus and shot put in his freshman year at WSU.

Laura Burke and Jaden Prewitt helped the Shockers to their second consecutive MVC outdoor track and field women’s title. Burke ended her senior season with several top-10 finishes, including second place in the 5,000-meters (17:39.93) at the Enduro Classic at Friends University. Prewitt placed well across the board in the heptathlon competition at the MVC Outdoor Track and Field Championship in her freshman season. She placed first in the shot put (11.41-meters) and eighth overall in the heptathlon.  

Cowley College freshman Valerie Nielson was part of the 4x800-meter relay team that placed eighth (10:02.36) at the NJCAA Track and Field Championships this past month.

Fort Hays State University’s Jakob Groskurth won the 110-meter hurdles (16.32) at the FHSU Alex Francis Classic early in the outdoor track and field season. The junior shaved some time off of his performance later in the season, running the same race in 16-flat for second place at the Pittsburg State Triangular.

Kristie Adams finished out her collegiate career at Friends University with first place in the 4x800-meter relay at the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Outdoor Championship. Adams ran the first leg of the race for Friends and competed in the 800-meters and the 4x400-meter relay at the KCAC championship. Lindsay Dunham, a fellow senior at Friends’, competed in the 10,000-and 5,000-meter races at the KCAC championships.    

Golf

Senior Cammrynn Stith led Jackson State University to its third Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship in four years with a team-best 158 across the two-round tournament at Links on the Bayou in Alexandria, La. She placed second overall in the championship and was named All-SWAC first-team. One week later, Stith once again carded a team-best 81 in the opening round of the NCAA Regional at Colorado National Golf Club. 

Shane Gilbert and Jake Henson were the only freshmen on the Southwestern College golf squad this season. Gilbert had a breakout spring, placing in the top 10 in three tournaments. He finished out the season tying for third place with a 225 (76-74-75) in the KCAC tournament at Buffalo Dunes Golf Course in Garden City.  Henson helped Southwestern College to a trio of top-three finishes, included second place in the KCAC championship. 

Eric Mode finished out his junior year at Newman University with a 78 at the Heartland Conference Men’s Golf Championship at Hardscrabble Golf Club in Fort Smith, Ark. Mode put up consistent numbers on his scorecard all season, averaging a 77.5.  

Mikala Payne golfed in three tournaments over her sophomore season for Newman University, shooting an average 80.3 across six rounds of golf.