By Brennan Stebbins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Lamar and Clever battled it out for the top spot in both divisions at Saturday’s Class 3 District 6 track and field meet hosted by the Tigers––and both schools earned a championship plaque at the end of the day.
The Clever girls won four events and managed to top Lamar 114-95 in the team standings, while the Lamar boys came away with seven district champions and finished ahead of the Bluejays by a 29-point margin for first place.
The performances left both coaches happy, with the Clever girls earning top-four finishes in 14 events to qualify for next weekend’s sectional meet, and the Lamar boys qualifying in 14 events, as well.
“We had some events that a little bit exceeded our expectations as far as some kids stepping up we thought were potentially good but did really well, like Eli McFall took first in high jump at 6–2 and his best jump of the year is 5–8, that’s one that stands out,” said Clever head coach Luke Brosius. “Our relays did a really good job. We’ve been really proud of our relays all year and today we felt like boys and girls they all stepped up and did a really good job. Seven of the eight got out and most of them were in the top 1 or 2.”
Clever’s girls won the 4×200 relay in 1:46.73 with Alexa Flood, Brooklyn Flood, Katelynn Butts and Valerie Cowles running. The team placed second in the 4×800 (Cali Smith, Lucy McFerron, Lakin Eaton, Kaydence Butts), second in the 4×100 (Brooklyn Flood, Olivia Compton, Katelynn Butts, Alexa Flood), and third in the 4×400 (Alexa Flood, Brooklyn Flood, Katelynn Butts, Cowles).
Other district champions for the Lady Bluejays were Cowles in the high jump (5–2.25), Compton in the triple jump (34–6.50) and Cowles in the 300 hurdles (45.45).
“Cowles is one of our seniors who’s been to state all three years and she’s been pretty consistent this year at 5–3, 5–4 and in the 300 hurdles she also took first and ran a 45 which puts her like 4th in the state so she did really well,” Brosius said. “For our girls the points were kind of spread out all around.”
Other sectional qualifiers for the Lady Bluejays were Addison Crouse in the javelin throw (3rd), Compton in the 100 hurdles (4th), Alexa Flood in the open 100 (2nd), Brooklyn Flood in the 400 (4th), Kaydence Butts in the 800 (2nd), Katelynn Butts in the 200 (4th), and Cali Smith in the 3200 (4th).
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE MEET
The Clever boys earned district titles with Elyjah McFall in the high jump (6–2), Eli Freeland in the 110 hurdles (16.02), and Brayden Flood in the 400 (51.36).
“Across the board we had a lot of guys step up and get us some points,” Brosius said. “Our throwers got us some points and they weren’t ranked in the top eight. Across the board we were really pleased with all our kids.”
Lamar’s boys, meanwhile, earned multiple sectional entries in four different events. Terren Williams won both the shot put (56–9) and discus throw (183) with school records in both, and Logan Martin followed in second in both events. In the 200, Garin Schneider took first (22.17) and Aydin Jones earned second. And in the long jump, Preston Heins (2nd) and Keanen McManis (3rd) both qualified.
Schneider added a district title in the open 100 (11.12) and McManis won gold in the 300 hurdles (43.19). The Tigers also won the 4×200 relay in 1:30.51 with Luke Kingsley, Keaton Kinney, Jones and Schneider running, and they won the 4×100 in 43.21 with Kingsley, Kinney, Jones and Schneider on the track.
“We had a good meet on both sides,” said Lamar coach Rodney Baldridge. “I was happy with the way we competed and we just wanted to come out and compete and they did.”
Baldridge said the boys exceeded the number of sectional qualifiers they expected. That included the 4×400 of Waylon Nolting, Talon Timmons, Gabriel Schneider and David Dunham, which placed fourth. The Tigers also qualified Jondre Smit (4th) in the 3200, McManis in the 110 hurdles (4th) and triple jump (4th), Timmons (4th) in the high jump, and the 4×800 relay (4th) of Benjamin Todd, Tanner Fowler, Smit and Dunham.
The Lamar girls won titles in four events. Carly Dunham was the champion in the 100-meter dash (12.72) and the open 200 (26.40), Brooklyn Livingston won the 800 (2:31.19), and the 4×100 relay of Kember Wolf, Sophia Haag, Taryn Querry and Dunham won in 50.52.
“Survive and advance,” Baldridge said. “We’ve got to have a good day, get everybody qualified next Saturday that we need to and we’ll see where we line up at state. I’m just proud of how they competed.”
Other district champions
El Dorado Springs combined to win seven events on Saturday and finished a close third in the girls standings. For the girls team, McKinli Mays won the 400 (1:00.48), the 4×800 won in 10:43.32 with Tatum Quinlan, Braylie Steward, Sara Seitz and Mays, and the 4×400 won in 4:06.88 with Lainey Dody, Steward, Hannah Seitz and Mays. For the El Dorado Springs boys, Wyatt Klaiber won the 1600 (4:54.27), the 800 (2:03.62) and the 3200 (9:59.64) and added a fourth gold medal with the first-place 4×400 relay of Ayden Bruce, Sylas Fletcher, Graydee Wolfe and Klaiber, finishing in 3:31.89.
Reeds Spring finished with four championships. Isabelle Sooter won the girls long jump (16–10.25), Grace Chastain won the pole vault (9–4.25) and Emmarae Thompson won the 100 hurdles (16.07). On the boys’ side, Mason Turner won the triple jump (42–7.50).
East Newton’s Kaylea Holmes won the discus (122–6) and the shot put (36–9).
Aurora’s Kylee Phelps won the javelin throw (120–7) and Avery Miller won the 3200 (12:33.01).
The Springfield Catholic boys won the 4×800 (8:27.65) with Gabriel Auzias de Turenne, John Paul Haik-Frick, Marcus Johnson and Gavin Pyck, and Maximilian Clotfelter won the pole vault (12–11.50).
Forsyth’s Brynlie Yarnell won the girls 1600 (5:35.71).
Seneca’s Hunter Hanes won the boys long jump (21–0.75).
Mt. Vernon’s Hunter Dawson won the javelin throw (175–6).
Girls team standings
Clever 114
Lamar 95
El Dorado Springs 93
Reeds Spring 88
Aurora 74
Mt. Vernon 60
East Newton 58
Seneca 52
Hollister 35
New Heights Christian 21
Springfield Catholic 18
Forsyth 16
Cassville 14
Boys team standings
Lamar 144
Clever 115
Seneca 82
Mt. Vernon 76
Reeds Spring 65.50
Springfield Catholic 62
El Dorado Springs 61.50
Cassville 39
Hollister 39
Aurora 30
East Newton 21
Forsyth 5
