By Chris Parker
The area brought home 11 event gold medals from the second day of the MSHSAA Class 1-3 State Track Meet in Jefferson City. Find a full recap of the action below.
VIDEO: CLASS 1-3 STATE TRACK, DAY 1 – CLICK HERE
VIDEO: CLASS 1-3 STATE TRACK, DAY 2 – CLICK HERE
PHOTOS: CLASS 1-3 STATE TRACK, DAY 1 – CLICK HERE
PHOTOS: CLASS 1-3 STATE TRACK, DAY 2 – CLICK HERE
El Dorado Springs wins 3200-meter relay gold for fourth straight season
El Dorado Springs senior McKinli Mays has been to four state track meets in her career, but her senior year meet was one unlike any other.
“I have been extremely sick this week with a 105 (degree) fever. I am just really thankful I have been able to compete,” Mays said.
While Mays wasn’t feeling her best, it was hard to tell when she took the baton to anchor the El Dorado Springs 3200-meter relay.
She got the baton in second place with the leader quickly opening a gap on the field.
Mays, who was looking to anchor El Dorado Springs to a fourth consecutive state title in the event, knew exactly what she had to do.
“Embrace the suck, because I know it is going to hurt bad,” Mays said. “I wanted it. I knew that first lap was going to be fast. There was a gap and I just knew I had to keep myself in that range and I could probably get her on the second lap.”
Mays ran a controlled first lap and then started to reel in the leader. She successfully moved into first place early in the last lap, but found a challenge from Centralia’s anchor leg.
“I didn’t want to get boxed in, so (I thought) ‘now it is go-time. I just have to go,” Mays said.
And go she did, Mays began to pull away, but it wasn’t easy down the homestretch.
“I was fighting for my life, I will be honest,” Mays said.
Mays was able to cross the line in first place stopping the clock at 9:48.76 to claim a fourth consecutive title in the event.
“It feels so surreal,” Mays said. “I never thought I would (be able) to say that I am a four-time state champion in the 4×8. I am glad that I can. It is not just me; it is all my teammates through the four years who have worked hard.”
The Lady Bulldogs got great showings from all four legs with Tatum Quinlan leading off followed by Braylie Steward on the second leg and Sara Seitz on the third leg.
“They prepared their minds because they knew I wasn’t at 100%,” Mays said. “I couldn’t have done it without them. Their mental state and where they had to be was amazing.”
Mays, Seitz, Steward and Lainey Dody combined to finish out the meet with a runner-up finish in the 1600-meter relay where the Lady Bulldogs were also vying for a fourth-consecutive state title.
Lockwood’s Sean Contreras wins program’s first hurdle gold since 1972
Lockwood junior Sean Contreras came in came into the Class 1 110-meter hurdle final with confidence after placing second in the preliminary round on Friday.
“I thought there was a really good chance of me winning,” Contreras said. “I have run a 14 (second) before like Miles Wheeler did yesterday.”
That confidence proved correct as Contreras went 15.05 to beat Wheeler by .15 and claim the state title.
He started feeling the championship coming as the final hurdles approached.
“The last three hurdles I felt really good and I saw that I was catching up and passing everybody,” Contreras said. “I just ran a really good race. I have been working for this all year. It is great to get first place.”
Contreras became the first Lockwood athlete to win a state championship in the hurdles since Lee Eggerman won the 120- and 180-yard hurdles in 1972.
Now, Contreras turns his attention to football in the fall and then trying to become the first Lockwood athlete to repeat as a state champion since David Coose won back-to-back high jump titles in 1974 and 1975.
“I am hoping I get another (state title) and maybe even break into the 14’s for the final,” Contreras said.
Hermitage wins first ever field event gold medals
Coming into the 2026 Class 1 state track meet, Hermitage had never won an individual state championship in the field.
Now the Hornets have two after Levi George opened the day by winning the javelin and Justin Weathers closed it by winning the high jump.
George was competing in his first state championship meet after picking one up for the first time when he moved to Hermitage as a junior.
The javelin was a natural event for George.
“When I was little, I used to throw spears with my dad,” George said. “I moved to Hermitage my junior year and the coach wanted me to get into cross country and track. I saw javelin and it looked pretty cool. It came natural to me.”
George held a lead by nine feet after prelims thanks to a throw of 173’8 on his third throw of the competition.
That lead held until North Shelby’s Gannon Bowen unleashed a throw of 178’11 on the penultimate throw of the competition to take first.
“He (Bowen) had me stressing out for a second, I can’t lie,” George said. “I did the little clap thing, and I just tried to stay loose and relaxed and I got one out there a little further.”
On his final throw, George loosed a throw of 179’5 to win the competition.
“It was a surreal moment,” George said. “I was ecstatic. It was awesome.”
While George was a novice at the state track meet, Weathers was entering his third meet in as many years. As a freshman, Weathers did not clear his opening height at state. Last year, he improved to a runner-up finish with a leap of 6’4.25.
This year, Weathers moved that winning height all the way up to a personal best of 6’9.
“It was a lot of hard work. The competition helps a lot. I am just glad that I got it done today,” Weathers said.
Weathers has no intention of being content with just one state championship with a season to go.
“I want to keep improving, and I want to keep improving to have a fantastic senior year,” Weathers said. “(The championship gives me) drive to beat everybody’s expectations.”
Miller’s Hyrum Nield brings home four gold medals
Last year, Miller senior Hyrum Nield won three gold medals.
After an offseason of hard work, Nield up his haul of golds to four winning the para 100, 200, shot put and discus.
“I have improved a lot in averages and stamina; just anything an athlete needs to improve in, I have done that,” Nield said. “It has been an eventful year.”
Nield credited his mom and community for helping him make such great strides in his events.
“Even outside of practice hours, my mom would take me to a track and push me until I could not breathe,” Nield said. “I feel like any time I need something I don’t even have to ask for it. People are willing to step in and provide me with whatever resource I need.”
Nield, who has graduated, hopes to see the para events continue to grow in the future.
“I feel like not enough para people have the resources to get into this event, so I encourage them all to look into it,” Nield said. “It is really good for your social image and self-esteem.”
El Dorado Springs junior Wyatt Klaiber breaks through for 1600-meter gold
Saturday was a long-time coming for El Dorado Springs junior Wyatt Klaiber. Klaiber, who finished runner-up to Hollister’s Sinry Mendoza in the 3200-meter run on Friday, came in with two top-four finishes in the 1600-meter run in his career, including a state runner-up finish to Mendoza in the event last season.
It came down to Klaiber and Mendoza once again in the 1600-meter run on Saturday.
“He (Mendoza) has been pushing me for the last three years,” Klaiber said. “I couldn’t ask for a better competitor, teammate, just an athlete to be able to grow with. He has pushed me to my limits every time. I couldn’t ask for a better one to run with. I am truly grateful for him.”
On Friday, Mendoza trailed Klaiber for much of the race before dropping a sub-60-second final lap to secure the victory.
Klaiber and Mendoza ran stride-for-stride through 1200-meters. That was when Klaiber showed off his own sub-60 speed running a 58.20 on the final lap to finish with a 4:11.15. Mendoza crossed in second place with a 4:15.42.
“After three years, it is great to come out here and finally get that gold medal,” Klaiber said. “I owe it all to my Lord, coaches, friends and family. It is just a great feeling. All the emotions kind of rushed in at once. I haven’t quite taken it all in yet.”
While on the podium, Klaiber eagerly scanned the crowd hoping to find his vast support system that has helped him throughout his running career.
“My family, my friends and my supporters; everybody has been there from Day 1. I am truly thankful for that. My siblings have pushed me to my limits. My parents, no matter if I have doubts or my highest point, they are always going to give me what I need and tell me how it is. If I am getting above myself, they will humble me down. That has always been a great blessing. My coaches, through every rough time and highest point, never gave up on me. They have always coached me to the best of my ability and the best of their ability. I am so blessed to have that in my life.”
Klaiber capped off his state meet by overcoming a fall in the 800 to rebound and finish third in a time of 1:57.13. Mendoza was runner-up in the event at 1:56.22. Owen Garrett from Collegiate School of Medicine won the 800 with a 1:55.63.
Thayer wins first track & field gold medals since 1963
Thayer track and field hadn’t won a state track & field championship of any kind since 1963 and hadn’t won a running event state title since 1938 entering this weekend’s meet.
That all changed with the 400-meter relay squad of Owen Brown, Cordell Washington, Thomas Poole and Riley White.
The quartet combined to run a 42.77 to win the Class 2 state championship over runner-up West Platte, which posted a 43.16.
“It means a lot,” White said. “We have gotten third place a lot of times in a lot of different sports. Getting up here and getting the first state championship we have had in any sport in seven years means a lot to me. I am glad we were able to get it done.”
The Bobcats embraced the underdog mentality entering the state meet.
“(We were) coming in as an underdog,” Washington said. “We weren’t supposed to be up there in the rankings. I give it to these guys every day. We are just consistent. Everything we do from the weight room to the classroom; it is just consistent.”
Brown led off the relay.
“I just try to catch the person in front of me,” Brown said. “Just give these guys the best lead I can get.”
He handed off to Washington who took the back stretch by storm before handing off to Poole.
“I know every single relay we have done that he (Washington) is going to close that stagger and always get me in good position to give the baton to Riley so he can finish out the race,” Poole said.
Finally, White got the baton for the anchor with a healthy lead.
“I just trust these guys,” White said. “I knew we had it with not a soul in front of me. I just knew we were going to get it.”
It was a strong meet for a growing Thayer program which scored in three events to score 17 points and place 15th overall.
Who does Washington credit with the success? Coach Greg Dixon and the rest of the Bobcats staff.
“The dude is a kid in a grown man’s body,” Washington said. “He has the energy of a toddler, but the hips of an 80-year-old man. He can’t move, but he is yelling and jumping up with us when we do exciting things. I say give to Greg (Dixon), TJ Hancock and Mrs. Dixon. They built it.”
Strafford wins first relay gold medal
You will be hard-pressed to find a closer-knit relay that Strafford’s sprint quartet of Reese Coulter, Ava Lane, Jordan Davied and Payten Coulter.
“I am never really worried about how we finish,” Payten Coulter said. “I am more worried about our health and our relationships with each other are most important.”
That quartet combined to make history for Strafford winning the program’s first relay gold medal in the 800-meter relay with a time of 1:42.19 to win the event by over a second. They came back later and finished state runner-up in the 400-meter relay.
Reese Coulter, who is strong out of the blocks led off both relays before handing to Lane. Lane then hands off to Davied.
“My focus on all the relays is to get my handoff great with Ava because she comes in so hot every time,” Davied said. “Then get it to Payten who will close it out so strong.”
Payten Coulter, the lone senior, closes down the relays on the anchor.
“It is the most rewarding experience,” Payton Coulter said. “I have my underclassmen, my best friends, my sister. They put me in a great spot. I am never worried. I always feel really good. Today there was more pressure than normal.”
Lane was the defending state champion in the 400-meter dash, but decided to focus on relays and along with the 100 and 200-meter dash this season.
“I missed a lot of (track) for volleyball. I only ran three or four meets, so I didn’t want to try to get in good shape in the postseason; I just wanted to be with my best friends and run my relays and focus on the 400 next year,” Lane said.
The experience of winning with her best friends will be an unforgettable memory.
“It is great to share with my best friends,” Lane said. “I love all my teammates, and it is honestly good to share it with more people.”
Individually, Lane finished third in the 100 and 200. Payten Coulter placed fifth in the 100.
