A year ago, William Bishop wasn’t quite ready for the prime time performance the Class 3A state shot put competition commanded.
 
Just a sophomore in 2025, Bishop had enjoyed a breakthrough season. After not even coming close to reaching 50 feet as a freshman thrower in 2024, Bishop spent his entire sophomore season well above that mark.
 
And early last spring, the Girard thrower launched a throw of 57 feet, 8 inches at the Girard Optimist Club meet that not only was three feet farther than any other throw he had during the season, but also ranked him No. 10 in the state overall.
 
Seemingly, that would easily have had him in the conversation for capturing a state title. But Class 3A was absolutely loaded with top-notch throwers in 2025 with Bishop one of six 3A throwers in the overall top 10.
 
“Those guys were good,” Bishop said of the likes of Lakin’s Colter Oldham, who won his second straight 3A state title and set the meet record in the process, as well as the Beloit trio of Eli Johnson, Brodie Boudreaux and Griffin Johnson, who wound up finishing 2-3-4 in the final standings. “That meet was wild.”
 
Indeed, it was. Oldham came up with a meet-record throw of 60-9.5 to win by an inch over Eli Johnson, who also topped the previous state-meet record with his 60-8.5.
 
Bishop, meanwhile, never caught up in the momentum and energy that had the shot put arena buzzing and only managed a best of 51-10, well below his season and career best from earlier in the spring.
 
And that lit a fire for him.
 
“I think there were nerves and the excitement from competing against such good guys,” Bishop said. “It was very nervewracking and I just took it all in and learned from it. I knew I had to come back and work hard in the offseason.”
 
The work Bishop put in during the offseason translated into a huge junior season where instead of going into the state meet chasing 3A’s big dogs, Bishop was the big dog everyone was chasing.
 
Just as he made a huge leap from his freshman to sophomore season, so too did Bishop take another big step this spring. He went over 60 feet in just his second meet of the season at the Frontenac Invitational, going 60-7, and then followed that with a career-best throw of 63-6 at the 60th Lester Garber Relays at Riverton the following meet.
 
“That was a great meet for me,” Bishop said. “All my throws, even my light ones to just stay in it were over 60. It was awesome.”
 
Unlike a year ago when his 57-8 was somewhat of an anomaly compared to the rest of his season, Bishop routinely found the 63-foot mark this season, establishing himself as not only the undisputed top thrower in 3A but positioned him No. 2 overall in the state behind St. Thomas’ K’lyn Curtis, who won the 5A shot put state title.
 
“I really enjoyed it,” Bishop said. “I thought it was fun that I got to be at the top and was the one everyone was coming after. You know they’re coming after you and you have to get a few more inches or they’re going to get you.”
 
Nobody could catch Bishop as he jumped up from a seventh-place showing at state last year to the top of the podium with the 3A state title this year. And while a year ago he didn’t quite perform to his regular-season level at state, Bishop did this season.
 
His throw of 63-0.5 on his second attempt of the competition not only gave him the title by nearly two feet, it also smashed the 3A state meet record of 60-9.5 he watched Oldham set a year ago, by more than two feet as well.
 
“I didn’t want to just break it, I wanted to destroy it,” Bishop said of the record.
 

 
That’s not to say the competition wasn’t without some of the thrilling moments that the 2025 competition produced. Going into the state meet, no other 3A thrower had reached 60 feet this season with Beloit’s Griffin Johnson the closest at 59-8. Everyone else in the field had yet to top 56 feet.
 
But Bishop quickly found himself in a dogfight. His opening throw of 59-5.25 left him just over a foot ahead of Johnson, who threw 58-2.25 on his first attempt while Kemmerer immediately popped a PR throw of 58-0 – an improvement of more than two and a half feet from his previous career best.
 
By the time Bishop stepped to the ring for his second toss, he was trailing. Johnson hoisted a career-best throw of 60-1.5 on his second attempt to take the event lead.
 
Bishop answered Johnson’s big throw with his record-setting toss. Johnson improved even more on his third attempt, going 61-1.5, but couldn’t muster another big one, fouling on his first two finals attempts before throwing 58-10.25 on his last throw. Kemmerer did top his opening PR, but took third at 58-1.5.
 
Bishop, meanwhile, had throws of 62-0 and 62-9 in the finals as he tried to extend his lead and record even more. But in the end, he was more than satisfied with his first state title and the record he set.
 
“That sets my goal for next year to break my own. I’ve got another year to be back in the grind and get even better. It’s a lot of motivation for sure.”
And if he needed any more motivation, both Johnson and Kemmerer will also be back next year with both just sophomores this season.
 
“They’re good guys and I love throwing against them,” Bishop said. “It’s such a great environment. Everyone is rooting for someone to get a big one. That’s why I love this sport so much.”
 

 
LABETTE COUNTY’S JACKSON FINDS GOLD IN NEW SPOT WHILE TEAMMATE STRITZKE GETS FIRST TITLE
 
It was somewhat surreal.
 
A year ago at the state meet, Labette County’s Jamaal Jackson tied two Class 4A state meet records. Yet he only came away with one gold medal, winning the state title in the 100 with a 10.65 that matched the previous meet record set by Buhler’s Jordan Hawkins in 2019.
 
His other meet-tying record came in the 400 where he equaled the 47.98 run by Tonganoxie’s DJ Lindsay in 2010. Only Holton’s Brayden Peek was a tad bit faster in last year’s finals, running a 47.70 to deny Jackson a second state crown.
 
Jackson wasn’t going to be denied the 400 title this season. Despite qualifying just third, Jackson came on strong at the finish to knock off 4A leader Dante Combs of Bishop Miege for the title.
 
The Grizzly senior ran a season-best 49.13 to edge Combs by .46 seconds for the crown.
 
Jackson was unable to successfully defend his state title in the 100 as Buhler’s Garrett Gleason broke his shared state record with a 10.63. Jackson finished fourth in 10.88 with Ulysses’ Gaige McGaughey and Eudora’s Cameren Tice taking second and third, each at 10.79.
 
After missing almost the entirety of his senior football season with an injury, Jackson finished his final year off strong.
 

So too did senior teammate Keegan Stritzke. Runner-up in the Class 4A shot put last year to Southeast Kansas League rival Canton Fitzmaurice of Chanute, Stritzke kept the crown within the league.
 
Stritzke threw 55-3 to win by more than a foot over Baldwin’s Brendan O’Connor, who threw 53-7.25. Going into the state meet, Santa Fe Trail’s Julion Daniels had recorded the best mark in 4A in the shot put with a 58-5, but the Charger only managed a best of 49-6.25 and finished fifth.