May 10, 2008 01:00 am
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By Jim Fryar
jfryar@joplinglobe.com
Depth in the distance races could help College Heights Christian sweep a large contingent into the Class 2 state track meet next weekend in Jefferson City.
The Cougars have four boys runners qualified for the 3,200 meters in today’s sectional meet at Lamar. All four have strong chances of qualifying for state.
CHC will also have three entrants in the 1,600 and two in the 800. Naturally, the Cougars‚ 4x800-meter relay also appears strong.
“Distance (running strength) is almost everything on our boys team,” said CHC coach Dan Lewis.
The Cougars don’t have a single qualifier in the field events and only Miles Edge (100 and 400 dashes) and Tim Hedger (300 hurdles) in the shorter races.
But that power in the distance races — the Cougars won the state cross country championships with a 1-2-3-4-7 finish last fall — gives CHC a solid point base.
Freshmen Caleb Hoover, senior Ethan Beaver, junior Alex Moore and sophomore Josh Carter were the top four finishers in the 3,200 in district competition last Saturday at Pierce City.
In order for a school to enter more than two athletes in a district event, all runners must have better times than the average eighth-place finish (in this instance, 10 minutes, 18 seconds for the 3,200) in the last three state meets. The slowest time for the four CHC runners at district was 10:13.
Carter, Beaver and Hoover finished 1-2-3 in the 1,600 and junior Alan Good and Beaver also qualified in the 800.
Still, it took the contributions of Edge, Hedger and freshman Trenton Morris to give the Cougars a district championship, by a 102-99 point margin, over Stockton.
“I’m extremely hopeful we will be in the top four at state with the boys, and we have an outside shot at the state title, if things go our way,” Lewis said.
The College Heights boys last won state in 2001.
The CHC girls won district in more convincing fashion, with a 131-71 margin over runnerup Pierce City. The Cougars won every open race from the 100 dash to the 3,200.
Senior Brittany Lewis won the 100 and 400 and was runnerup to freshman teammate Hannah Braeckel in the 200. Braeckel won the long jump and was second in the 100.
Junior Emily Beaver won the 800 and 1,600 and senior Lacie Sparlin won the 3,200. Beaver, freshman Beth Good, junior Carly Cole and Sparlin won the 4x800 relay. Sophomore Lea Sorrick and Cole also qualified for sectional in the pole vault and shot put, respectively.
The eventual goal is a top-ten finish in state.
Area prep track notes:
Leaders
Carl Junction senior Seth Hackney, Joplin junior Colbie Snyder and Webb City junior Kylie Jones rank among the state leaders in their events entering district competition today.
Hackney’s 60-foot throw in the shot put trails Boonville junior Corey Jones’ 63-7.5 effort.
Snyder has cleared 14-7 in the pole vault. State leader Duggen Grant, from Winnetonka, has vaulted 15-6.
Jones’ throw of 150-5 trails the 156-3 turned in Megan Collins of Lee’s Summit North.
Class 1
Jasper will take the largest contingent of qualifiers to the sectional meet today at Archie.
The Eagles dominated both divisions last Saturday in the district. They scored 140 points to 86 for both Rich Hill and Appleton City in the boys division. Jasper had 123 points to 82 for runnerup Kansas City Lutheran in the girls division.
Jasper sophomore Jeff Piepenbrink is the lone individual veteran of the Class 1 state meet on the boys side. He was eighth in the pole vault and also qualified in the 110 hurdles last spring.
In the girls division, Lockwood senior Danielle Parker (long jump) and Miller junior Taylor Rivera (3,200) are both defending state champions. Parker was also sixth in the triple jump while Rivera was second in the 1,600.
Thomas Jefferson senior Summer Davidson finished second in the 300 hurdles. Seniors Allison Fraum (1,600) and Carly Luebber (shot put and discus) also placed at state last spring.
Jasper junior Candice Talbot was second in the shot put and Bronaugh sophomore Vanessa Langford tied for third in the pole vault.
Class 2
Seniors Lacey Carneal, of Diamond, and Amanda Miller, of Pierce City, are bidding to return to state the pole vault. Carneal tied for sixth last year and Miller placed eighth.
More state qualifiers bidding to return today are McAuley Catholic senior Brielle Lakey (400), Pierce City senior Kara Rosebrough (discus) and Lamar sophomore Maggie Tennal (3,200). In the boys division, McAuley senior Arvie Kilongkilong (triple jump), Lamar senior Brian Main (110 hurdles and high jump) and Sarcoxie senior Jeff Pedigo (discus) were state qualifiers last year.
Class 3
Mount Vernon sophomore Corey Phillips and Carl Junction junior Curtis Herron will give the district high jump competition a veteran look. Phillips was third in state last year and Herron was fourth.
Hackney finished fourth in the shot and Carthage senior Jaryd Gregory was sixth in the 1,600.
Carl Junction junior Devyn McPherson was eighth in the girls shot put last year and Mount Vernon senior Teaven Taylor was ninth. Webb City’s Jones was seventh in the discus.
Carthage sophomore Ivy Shepherd qualified in both the 800 and 1,600.
Class 4
Joplin’s Ashlie Shimmin and Mike Honeywell and Neosho’s Meter Boman and Cody Holland were state qualifiers a year ago.
Shimmin, a sophomore, finished eighth in the shot put. Holland, a junior, had a 50-foot throw in the shot, but didn’t place.
Boman, a junior, qualified in the 100 hurdles and Honeywell, a senior, qualified in the vault.
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