Several of the area’s top athletes from Fayette, Harrisburg, Glasgow, New Franklin, and Higbee qualified for the Class 1 and Class 2 state sectional meets after competing at the district track championships on Saturday. The top four finishers in each event qualify for the sectional meet this Saturday where they will compete for advancement to the state meet in Jefferson City on May 22 and 23.

In Class 2 District 4 at New Bloomfield High School, the Harrisburg girls captured the district title with 167 points, while Fayette placed second with 104 points. On the boys’ side, Harrisburg tied with the host team for second place with 114 points, and Fayette finished seventh with 40 points.

Fayette Girls

Sophomore Rylan Roberts is making a solid return to the track after sitting out most of the season with an injury. She set a new state record in the triple jump a year ago with a score of 11.60m and is expected to return to the state meet again this season. On Saturday, finished runner up in the triple jump with a distance of 10.65 meters. She also placed second in the 100-meter dash in 12.97 seconds and won the long jump with a leap of 5.44 meters.

Sophomore Eastin Hill won the 800-meter run in 2:27.94. Freshman Julia Young qualified for her first sectional meet after placing third in the 1,600-meter run with a professional best time of 6:13.96 and fourth in the 3,200-meter run in 15:00.87. Prolific senior Browyn Eubanks will take four events to Saturday’s section. She won both the 100-meter hurdles in 15.34 seconds and the high jump at 1.60 meters, and helped two relay teams advance. Senior Payton Kindle also qualified in four events, including two relay teams. She placed fourth in the 100-meter dash in 13.41 seconds and third in the 300-meter hurdles in 50.77 seconds, a season-best time.

The Fayette 4x100-meter relay team of Chloe Bier (Sr.), Eastin Hill (So.), Payton Kindle (Sr.) and Browyn Eubanks (Sr.) finished second in 51.84 seconds. The 4x200-meter relay team of the same four runners placed second in 1:47.57.

Harrisburg Girls

Marie Bergfield (So.) placed second in the 800-meter run (2:34.37) and won the 1,600-meter run (6:07.81). Jacqueline Stidham (Fr.) placed third in the 800-meter run (2:40.90) and second in the 1,600-meter run (6:07.93). Josey Whitaker (Jr.) placed third in the 3,200-meter run in (14:02.63). Kori Crane (Jr.) continues to turn heads. She placed second in the 100-meter hurdles (16.23) and won the 300-meter hurdles with a personal best time of 47.34. She also placed fourth in the long jump (5.08 meters - personal best).

Gwyneth Benton (Sr.) placed fourth in the 200-meter dash (29.01 - personal best). Audrey Arnold (Sr.) placed second in the high jump (1.54m - personal best). Poppy Spry (Sr.) won the pole vault at 3.00 meters.

Addison Nichols (Jr.) placed fourth in the triple jump (10.32 meters - personal best).

The Harrisburg 4x400-meter relay team of Gwyneth Benton (Sr.), Kori Crane (Jr.), Marie Bergfield (Jr.), and Naomi DeMuth (Fr.) placed third in 4:32.05. The 4x800-meter relay team of Josey Whitaker (Jr.), Jacqueline Stidham (Fr.), Lillian Hirner (Fr.), and Marie Bergfield (Jr.) won in 11:51.23.

Bradey Simpson (Sr.) won the discus with a throw of 36.02 meters.

Class 2 Boys

Fayette Boys

The Fayette boys qualified in four field events. Senior Carter Vroman continued his dominance in the throwing events. He won the discus with a throw of 51.79 meters, placed second in the javelin with a score of 49.07 meters, and finished third in the shot put at 14.85 meters. Senior Zane Spaeder placed second in the long jump with a distance of 6.13 meters.

Harrisburg boys

Harrisburg’s Nash Sublett (So.) won the 110-meter hurdles (15.91 - personal best) and the triple jump (12.35 meters - personal best). Ramsey Miller (So.) placed fourth in the 110-meter hurdles (17.85).

Bender Wardrip (Sr.) won the shot put (15.75m) and placed third in the discus (38.60m). Fellow senior Jonathan Darwent placed second in the shot put (15.46m) and second in the discus (44.43m). Caleb Nichols (Sr.) placed fourth in the high jump (1.73m - personal best) and fourth in the long jump at 6.00m.

Senior Rylee Robinson won the pole vault (3.85m). Declan Timbrook (Fr.) placed third in the long jump (6.02m - personal best).

The Harrisburg 4x400-meter relay team of Caleb Nichols (Sr.), William Cole (So.), Cooper Peters (Jr.), and Ramsey Miller (So.) placed fourth in 3:46.33.

Class 1 District 3

The Lady Yellowjackets won the district title on their home track with 136 points. New Franklin placed fifth overall with 57 points. On the boys’ side, Glasgow placed third with 75 points, edging out New Franklin with 70 points for fourth. Higbee finished 10th overall out of 19 teams with 30 points.

Glasgow Girls

Freshman Kamryn Kottman placed second in the 400-meter dash (1:03.63). Senior Halle Fuemmeler took third in the 400-meter dash (1:04.02). Maylen Parks (So.) placed fourth in the 1,600-meter run (6:10.54) and second in the 3,200-meter run (13:35.10). Aly Prentzler (Jr.) placed second in the 100-meter hurdles (17.35 - season best) and third in the discus (30.28m). Brenna Adams (Fr.) placed third in the 100-meter hurdles (17.85 - personal best). Hallie Carmack (Fr.) placed fourth in the 300-meter hurdles (54.79 seconds - personal best). Hailey Monnig (Sr.) placed second in the javelin (34.26m - personal best). Riley Olendorff (So.) placed second in the high jump (1.55m). Aynslie Locke (Jr.) placed second in the pole vault (2.67m - personal best), and Addisyn Monnig (Jr.) placed third (2.35m).

The Glasgow girls also qualified in four relays. The 4x100-meter relay team (Sr. Halle Fuemmeler, So. Riley Olendorff, Sr. Hailey Monnig, Jr. Aly Prentzler) placed fourth overall with a time of 53.95. The 4x100-meter relay team (Fr. Kamryn Kottman, Jr. Aynslie Locke, Fr. Kenley Strodtman, So. Maddyn Staton) posted a runner-up time of 1:53.61. The 4x400-meter relay team (Sr. Halle Fuemmeler, Fr. Kamryn Kottman, Fr. Kenley Strodtman, So. Riley Olendorff) won with a time of 4:22.75. And the 4x800-meter relay team (Fr. Brenna Adams, Fr. Kamryn Kottman, Sr. Halle Fuemmeler, So. Maylen Parks) claimed first place with a time of 10:27.03.

New Franklin Girls

Senior Lily Chitwood won both the 800-meter run (2:33.94) and the 1,600-meter run with a season best time of 5:56.51.

“As a senior, it is great to see her being so successful and continue her career at least one more week,” said New Franklin coach Adam Quest.

Senior CannaRassa Jennings won the district shot put title with a distance of 10.35 meters. Sophomore Belle Chitwood placed fourth in the high jump, clearing 1.45 meters.

In just their 4th time competing in the event, the 4x800-meter relay team of Lily Chitwood, Belle Chitwood, Kallie Burnett, and Kaydi Webster qualified for next week’s sectional with a third-place time of 10:44.86.

Class 1 Boys

Glasgow Boys

Junior Joshua Sayler placed second in the 800-meter run (2:03.85 - personal best), third in the 1,600-meter run (4:52.20) and third in the 3,200-meter run (10:54.10).

Senior Jackson Meyer qualified in two throwing events. He placed second in the discus (41.89m) and third in the javelin (46.22m - personal best).

In the pole vault, junior Jaden DeMint placed third (3.25m) and senior Seth Monnig placed fourth (2.95m).

New Franklin Boys

Senior Landon Shaw had a strong day with three qualifying finishes. He was runner-up in the 400-meter dash (53.62 - personal best). In the field, he took third in the long jump (6.37m) while placing third in the triple jump (12.51m).

Freshman Ryder Dorson placed third in the 800-meter run (2:06.57 - personal best). Older brother Quincy Dorson won the 1,600-meter run with a personal-best time of 4:36.10 (also a new school record) and placed second in the two-mile race (10:42.90).

Freshman Haden Davis placed second overall in the pole vault, setting a new school record with a personal-best vault of 3.25 meters.

The 4x800-meter relay team (Ryder Dorson, Mason McGruder, Haden Davis, and Quincy Dorson) improved upon the school record set earlier this year, with a new time of 8:37.57.

The 4x400m relay of Quincy Dorson, Ryder Dorson, Landon Shaw, and Mason McGruder finished fourth overall (3:47.13).

Higbee Boys

Higbee ended the day with one qualifier in two events. Senior Danny Janssen finished with two personal bests to advance to the Class 1 state sectional. He placed third overall  in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 43.36 seconds and cleared 1.80m in the high jump for second place.

On Saturday, Fayette and Harrisburg will compete at Class 2 Sectional 2 hosted by South Callaway High School in Mokane. Glasgow, New Franklin, and Higbee will compete at Class 1 Sectional 2 hosted by Centralia High School in Centralia. The top four finishers will qualify for the state meet the following Friday and Saturday at Jefferson City High School.