How Boone County programs performed at state track for classes 4-5

The Missouri High School Track and Field season ended on Saturday with the conclusion of the state championships in Jefferson City. A week after classes 1-3 participated, classes 4-5 competed at Adkins Stadium on Friday and Saturday. Battle, Hickman, and Rock Bridge participated in Class 5, while Tolton competed in Class 4. Here’s how they all fared both individually and as a team.

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Tolton girls place second as Elyse Wilmes collects multiple first-place finishes

For the first time in three years, Tolton girls participated in Class 4 and did not disappoint. The Trailblazers finished second with 54 points behind Ladue Horton Watkins’ 68.

Elyse Wilmes dominated, winning gold in three of four events she participated in. Wilmes claimed first in both the 800- and 1,600-meter events with times of 2:11.50 and 4:52.86.

“Honestly, I think this feels so rewarding,” said Wilmes after the 1,600. “I’ve had the advantage of having a lot of state championships under my belt, but it’s obviously a great day when you get another one.”

Tolton’s 4x800 team, which featured Wilmes, Angelina Cottone, Jillian Andrews, and Makaylin Viet, also took gold with a winning time of 9:17.37.

Cottone, a freshman, finished second in the 3200-meter run with 11:13.93 and third in the 1,600 collecting a time of 5:05.00 and ninth in the 800.

“I think a freshman being third in a meet like this is just incredible,” Wilmes said.

Viet, a sophomore, finished fourth and ninth in the 800 and 3,200. The Trailblazers 4x400 team consisting of Andrews, Wilmes, Ella Wheeler, and Madison Taylor placed fourth with a time of 4:00.91.

Rock Bridge’s Mpawenayo Danford places first as the Bruins finish third

With 50 points, Rock Bridge claimed a third-place finish in Class 5 behind Lee’s Summit North (63 points) and Kirkwood (52 points).

The Bruins lone state champion is Mpawenayo Danford. A senior for the Bruins, and in his second year participating in track and field, Danford won the pole vault event with a winning result of 4.70.

“It feels great. It feels really, really good,” Danford said. “I didn’t think I was going to be here with my hamstring injury that I had two days before sectionals, so it feels wonderful.”

Rock Bridge’s 4x100 team, featuring Brennan Scott, Carter Atkinson, Devin Holt, and Riley Rowling, placed second with a time of 1:26.02. The Bruins 4x200 team with Atkinson, Holt, Rowling, and Jackson Truitt also finished second with a time of 42.01.

Andrew Hauser, a University of Missouri commit, placed third in the 3,200-meter race with a time of 9:12.71 while also placing 10th in the 1,600 and 13th in the 800. His teammate Luke Sievers finished fourth in the 3,200 and sixth in the 1,600 with times of 9:12.71 and 4:12.68.

Hauser and Sievers teamed up with Adam Beahr and Ethan Hockman for the 4x800, finishing seventh. Beahr, Holt, Brennan Scott, and Justin Giles finished fifth in the 4x400.

Also for the Bruins, Rowling placed fifth in the 200-meter run. Donivan Taylor and Harrison Hicklin placed ninth in long and triple jump, while Jaxon Kindle finished 15th in the shot put.

Hickman’s Addison Throckmorton and Athena Peterson lead the Kewpies to a top-five finish

In Class 5, Hickman girls finished fifth with 40 points.

Kewpies senior Addison Throckmorton finished first in the javelin throw with a winning result of 45.40 meters.

“It’s so cool that my team and family got to see it,” Throckmorton said. “I’m just really proud of myself for putting in the hard work.”

Athena Peterson came into the 49th MSHAA Girls Track and Field Championships with seven state medals and left Jefferson City this weekend with three more. She finished second in triple jump with 12.15 meters, just shy of Cardinal Ritter’s Hannah Wallace’s 12.16.

Peterson, a junior, finished second in the 300-meter hurdles race with a time of 43.93 and third in long jump with a 5.85. She also placed fifth in high jump with a 1.62.

Hickman’s 4x100 team featuring Aleah Horn, Claire Maland, Lakira Briscoe, and Megan Schoeneberg came in fifth in the finals with a time of 49.11

Hickman boys (5th) had 43 points.

Langston Thomas shines as the Kewpies boys team collects a top-five finish

Langston Thomas’ incredible story continued with success on Saturday.

Thomas set a Class 5 record in the 100-meter run with a time of 10.37 as he collected his first career gold medal. His teammate Francis Wright placed sixth at 10.68 in the event.

“It’s a blessing,” Thomas said. “All of my teammates, my coaches, they were all saying quit playing with them Langston and lets make history. Let’s make history as a team, and let's make history individually, so that’s what I wanted to do and go make my mark and sign my name on that.”

Thomas and Wright were part of Hickman’s 4x100 team, which also included John Moss and Marcus Johnson. The four took first place with a time of 21.26.

For Thomas, he also medaled in the 200 with a time of 21.26 and third place in the long jump event with a 7.14.

Hickman’s 4x200 team, which featured Johnson, Moss, Wright, and Evan DiBlasi, finished fifth with 1:26.74, while Travis McCarty and Collin Wise placed seventh and 13th in pole vault.

Battle’s Anna Ferguson and Vernell Holt Jr. finish atop of their events

For Battle, Anna Ferguson finished first in the girls pole vault event. Furguson, a University of Missouri commit, finished with a winning result of 3.70.

“The whole time I’m vaulting I’m trying not to overthink and not think about it too much,” Ferguson said. “And then my coach looks at me and says you did it, and I’m like, no way this is crazy…It’s just amazing.”

On the boys side, Vernell Holt Jr. claimed his first-ever track and field gold medal. Holt, a junior, finished first in the boys long jump event with a winning result of 7.45.

“Last year, I got third. Lost to Joshua Manning and Angel Dickerson. My freshmen year I didn’t even make it to districts,” Holt said. “It feels great seeing my family out there and stuff and supporting me through all of it.”

Battle’s girls finished 22nd with 10 points, equaling the same number on the boys side as it finished 26th in Class 5.

Tolton boys see a new school record

Tolton’s 4x400 team consisting of Carson Jacaway, Lucas Boyer, Sam Ryan and Will Bramon set a school record in the finals with a time of 3:23.82. It was good for fifth place in the event.

The Trailblazers 4x100 team featuring Boyer, Jacaway, Ryan, and Dominik Abadi placed eighth in the finals. Abadi also finished eighth in the javelin toss.

Overall, Tolton boys placed 35th in Class 4 with six points.

Tamyra Nevills finishes in the top 10 for Rock Bridge

Rock Bridge’s Tamyra Nevills placed sixth in the girls discus throw with a best of 37.82. Also, for the Bruins, Liza Allen finished ninth in pole vault. Rock Bridge’s girls team placed 40th with three points.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: How Boone County programs performed at state track for classes 4-5