By Brennan Stebbins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Pierce City’s team photo on Saturday had to make room for not one but two championship plaques after a sterling showing by the Eagles at the Class 2 District 6 track and field meet at Lamar High School.
Pierce City’s girls rolled to a comfortable first-place finish with 144 points to best Skyline by more than 50. And the Pierce City boys held on to edge Stockton 119-116 after an uphill climb.
“That’s a testament to their hard work and dedication,” said head coach Brad Hocker. “What’s good about these kids is they love being around one another and working hard. They take their job serious and it’s been a pleasure to coach them the last four years.”
The Eagles combined to win nine events and qualified 28 entries for next weekend’s sectional meet after earning top-four finishes on Saturday.
The Pierce City girls won eight of those––Paige Fenske was the champion in the triple jump (10.61 meters) and pole vault (2.98), Elizabeth Sharp won the discus (35.00), Emma Hunt won the 1600 (5:34.66) and 3200 (12:28.52), Liliana Lasker won the 400 (59.04) and 200 (26.17), and Addison Avondet won the 300 hurdles (49.39).
Other sectional qualifiers were Grace Broderick (4th in the high jump, 3rd in the javelin throw) and Avondet (3rd in the 100 hurdles). The Eagles also qualified three relays: the 4×800 of Sophia Cruz, Sophia Prater, Katy Leavitt and Emma Hunt took second, the 4×200 of Cruz, Merian Graves, Prater and Broderick took fourth, and the 4×400 of Fenske, Prater, Avondet and Lasker placed second.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE MEET
“I would have been disappointed if the girls didn’t do what they were doing, they were rated really high in all the stuff they did but the boys were kind of shorthanded and had some kids missing,” Hocker said. “They really stepped up and overperformed and they shined. They really took it serious and halfway through the day they knew they had a chance to do that and they really locked in. I couldn’t be more proud. We didn’t know whether we could do that being as shorthanded as we were but they really locked in.”
Eli Genzler earned the lone district championship for the boys squad, winning the 300 hurdles in 41.59 seconds. He also qualified with second-place finishes in the high jump and 110 hurdles. But he was far from the only sectional qualifier.
Brock Flehmer (2nd) and Levi Knight (3rd) qualified in the pole vault. Ethan Dewitt (3rd) and Kordel McBlair (4th) qualified in the shot put. McBlair (4th) qualified in the discus. Eli Adams qualified in the 1600 (3rd) and the 3200 (4th). And the Pierce City boys qualified all four relays: the 4×800 of Hudson Jones, Jacob DeWitt, Joseph Leavitt and Adams placed fourth, the 4×200 of Phillip Thuan, Dyllan Kleiboeker, Parker Myers and Landon Iman placed fourth, the 4×100 of Genzler, Iman, Maxwell Brown and Kleiboeker placed second, and the 4×400 of Kellen Avondet, Thuan, Eastn McWilliams and Myers placed fourth.
“I’ve got nothing but pride in them and appreciation for their hard work,” Hocker said of his team. “Track can be tough and it’s a long day but they were prepared and they did the things necessary to be successful all day long. When you have high expectations for people and then they meet them it’s rewarding.”
District champions
Miller’s boys and girls squads combined to win seven events on Saturday. For the girls, Hannah Boicu won the high jump (1.62), Loghann Leivan won the javelin throw (35.53), and the 4×100 relay of Riley Prier, Madelyn Leivan, Layni Johnson and Boicu won in 51.47. For the Miller boys, Charles Langston won the 400 in 51.31 and contributed to three relay wins: the 4×200 (1:31.95) won with Arshad Bradley, Kendall McWhorter, Langston and Jaylen Madsen running, the 4×100 (45.09) won with Samuel Ferguson, Langston, McWhorter and Madsen, and the 4×400 (3:35.81) won with Ferguson, McWhorter, Langston and Madsen on the track.
Skyline’s girls district winners were Shelby Redd (2:28.53) in the 800, the 4×800 relay (10:15.47) of Roma Phillips, Cara King, Payton Meade and Redd, and the 4×4800 relay (4:16.85) of King, Phillips, Meade and Redd. Skyline’s boys were highlighted by Aiden Meade’s win in the long jump (6.29) and Carter King’s win in the triple jump (12.68).
Stockton’s team combined to win four district titles. On the girls’ side, Shia Roberts won the shot put with a distance of 11.41. For the boys, Trevor Swaggerty won the shot put with a distance of 15.10, Logan Holdeman won the discus at 41.48, and Finnegan Swopes won the 1600 in 4:58.80.
McAuley Catholic’s Franklin Veer won the 800 (2:07.01) and the 3200 (10:39.59) and also ran on the winning 4×800 relay (8:57.56) along with Connor Taffner, Rowen Veer and Azaarel Villanueva.
Sarcoxie’s Gatlon Malotte was the champion in the boys pole vault (3.90) and the 110 hurdles (15.46).
Ash Grove’s Grayson Jones won the 100 in 11.28 seconds and Harison Thompson won the 200 in 23.26.
Marionville’s Avery Eden won the girls 100 in 12.26 seconds and the school’s 4×200 relay won in 1:49.37 with Olivia Robbins, Lincoln Mais, Dally Pomeroy and Eden.
Southwest’s Dylan Frost won the boys high jump (1.88). Crane’s Owen Vaught won the boys javelin (44.76). Diamond’s Aspen Daniel won the girls 100 hurdles in1 6.81.
Girls team scores
Pierce City 144
Skyline 92
Miller 80
Marionville 72
Sarcoxie 70
Stockton 65
Crane 58
Ash Grove 29
Diamond 27
Pleasant Hope 24
Southwest 22
Purdy 12
Boys team scores
Pierce City 119
Stockton 116
Miller 83
Sarcoxie 81
McAuley Catholic 71
Ash Grove 66
Skyline 51
Crane 49
Southwest 37
New Heights Christian 28
Marionville 22
Diamond 6
Purdy 3
Pleasant Hope 1
