Sport Shorts: June 15

“Life is at heart a question of geometry. Approach each issue from the correct angle, and you cannot go far wrong.”
             —  author Jack McDevitt, “Firebird”

THE HEADBAND KID

Sam Guinn

Trey Daniel

Travis Mays

Blue Valley Northwest sophomore Sam Guinn is easy to spot in a track distance race. Just look for the kid at the front of pack of runners in either the 1,600- or 3,200-meter run wearing a white headband.

And just what is his reason for wearing the headband?

“I’ve got to keep the fans interested,” says Guinn. “It is a way for people to recognize me.”

The sophomore doesn’t have to worry about people noticing him. He is the top sophomore distance runner in the state of Kansas. His best of 4:17.88 in the 1,600 meters is No. 3 in the state and his 9:34.54 in the 3,200 is in the top 15 in Kansas.

Guinn has taken the Huskies school record in the 1,600 from 4:30 to 4:17 this year.
The 4:17.88 time came at the East Kansas League meet in May at the Blue Valley District Activities Complex.

“We had the best weather all year,” says Guinn. “There were ideal conditions and great competition.”

KEEPING UP THE TRADITION

Blue Valley North’s Jack Sock went undefeated in his four years of tennis at the high school. He won four consecutive state Class 6A singles titles and lost just one set in four years.
Now Sock is on the professional tennis circuit and ranked in the top 30 in the world.

But the tradition still continues of state singles championship.

Junior Trey Daniel is the newest undefeated state singles champion. At state, he defeated Topeka Washburn Rural’s Conner Farron, Austin Crist of Olathe North and Shawnee Mission East’s Brooks Kendall in shutout fashion, 6-0, 6-0.

In the state finals against Vinny Pham of Shawnee Mission West, he won 6-3, 6-1 completing an undefeated 23-0 season.
“Jack is obviously on a whole different level, but yeah, a lot was expected of me,” Daniel says. “I was glad to take the title.”

Daniel didn’t participate in high school tennis in his first two years of high school.

MAYS LEADER AT TWO SCHOOLS

Senior high school golfer Travis Mays had a great career at two different Blue Valley high schools.

His first two years were at Blue Valley West. And his last tournament for the Jaguars was the 6A state tournament his sophomore year where he won the individual state crown.

Mays moved to Blue Valley Southwest for his junior and senior golf campaigns.

His senior year was an outstanding success. He was the East Kansas League individual champion and captured the 5A Emporia crown with a round of 67. His efforts help the Timberwolves win their first regional golf crown in the school’s history.

He finished fourth at the 5A state tournament in Lawrence.

“My secret of success is my hard work ethic,” says Mays. “I have a desire to be the best at everything I do.”

BV Southwest boys golf coach Nate Winslow says, “Travis is a hard working golfer with immense talent. I am amazed at how good he is on a daily basis. He is really fun to watch.”

Mays will be attending Central Missouri State to play golf. He is undecided on his college major.