BonnerSprings.com

WICHITA — An exchange zone violation eliminated the Bonner Springs boys from contention to defend their state title at the Class 5A track state championships on Friday and Saturday at Cessna Stadium, but the Braves returned home knowing one thing for certain: There were no better 110-meter hurdlers in the state than Jonathan and Jeremy Walker.

BSHS senior Jonathan Walker won the race for the third year in a row, the first time coming at Harmon High School and the last two at Bonner Springs.

Jeremy Walker, his twin brother, placed second in the event for the second year in a row after taking third as a sophomore at Harmon.

“I feel happy with how I did,” Jonathan Walker said of winning another gold medal. “I think I could’ve done better, but I’m just glad we got first and second. That’s all I came here for.”

Accomplishing the task wasn’t as easy as they’d hoped for, however. Liberal senior Nate Davis, running in the lane between the Walker brothers, was neck and neck with the pair throughout the race. Jonathan Walker pulled away to win in 14.59 seconds, and he glanced over his right shoulder while crossing the finish line to make sure his brother was next in line.

Jeremy Walker nipped Davis with a lean at the finish line, placing second in 14.88 seconds. Davis crossed the line in 14.91.

“I was just like ‘get him, please,’” Jonathan Walker said. “I was running and I looked over and it was close.”

Jeremy Walker said he didn’t mind back-to-back runner-up finishes.

“It’s cool; it’s just Jonathan,” he said. “He’s my teammate, so it don’t really matter. It just makes us run faster because it’s against each other so we can brag about it later.”

There was nothing to brag about in the 400-meter relay, however. After setting a state record in the event and winning the state title in 2008, the team of Garron Wayne, Cameron Callahan and the Walker brothers were unable to advance to the finals. An exchange zone violation on the first handoff earned the team a disqualification.

“I got out too fast,” Jeremy Walker said. “By the time I turned around, I passed the exchange zone. I just left too early.”

Jonathan Walker added a third-place medal in the 100, and Jeremy Walker finished fourth in the 100 and fifth in the long jump.

Jonathan Walker competed in the 200, but he failed to make the finals after winning the state championship in the event in 2008.

Also for BSHS, junior Brooks Ballou competed in the 3,200 and finished 10th in 10:21.11.

Junior Jake Barren was a multi-event competitor. He finished 11th in the shot put with a throw of 45-6 and was 13th in the discus with a mark of 124-3.

The Braves finished eighth in the team standings after placing second in 2008. They clung to third place for much of the afternoon before slipping down the standings as the final events were scored.

“It definitely wasn’t what we really thought we could or should have done,” BSHS coach Jim Mitchell said. “I think the relay mishap really kind of took a lot of wind out of our sail. We still did well. We hung around and were in third place for a long time. Yeah, it’s hard. I’m disappointed, but I’m real proud of Jonathan being a three-time state champion in the 110 hurdles and Jeremy doing well and getting three medals. It just wasn’t quite what we thought we’d do, but it was still a good meet.”

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