Local Teams Have Big Day At State Track Championships

After brilliant performances by athletes from all three local high schools, there is little doubt that some of the absolute best track stars in Missouri call Florissant home.

At least it sure seemed that way on Saturday at the Missouri State High School Activities Association State Track Championships at Lincoln University, where the and boys teams nearly won state titles. But neither team could overcome rival

The Hawks totaled 38 points on Saturday, narrowly besting Blue Springs (out of suburban Kansas City), and McCluer, which tied for second with 34 points, and McCluer North, which took fourth with 32 points.

“We knew we could do it,” said junior DeAndre Wade, who ran the second leg of Central’s 4x100 and 4x200 meter relay teams. “We believe in each other, and we know we each can do, so we just come out here ready to win, and that’s what we did.”

The Hawks’ biggest win came in the 4x200 relay, which they won by nearly a full quarter second over the McCluer team of Trey Dorsey, Curtlan Gavin, Jon Pounds and Jared Ingram, which took second. 

Sophomore Matt Quarells, Wade, and senior Marc Franks gave senior Sean Wills a slight lead on his anchor leg, but Wills was able to hold off Ingram in a thrilling race around the curve for the win.

“Man, when I saw he (Ingram) was right with me, I got a little nervous,” Wills said. “But I just said I wasn’t going to let him beat me. And I just ran as hard as I could. We wanted to win so bad.”

And it was that kind of day for each of the Hawks sprint relay teams, which took third in 4x100 meter race and second in 4x400 meter race, an effort which incidentally clinched the team title for Central in the last race of the day.

The Hawks knew going into that race that if they won, they would claim first place for the entire meet.

But senior Marc Franks was nipped at the finish line by Max Bamburg of Liberty, and that left Central unsure if they had totaled enough points to win.

The race got especially close when McCluer senior Darrion Dillard won the triple jump on his final leap of the competition to give the Comets 10 crucial points they desperately needed.

McCluer North also stayed close thanks to a pair of first- and second-place finishes by junior Aaron Mallett in the 110- and 300-meter hurdle races.

Mallet was going against nationally ranked football star Jehu Chesson of Ladue but managed to overcome a slow start in the 110 hurdles to win the gold, and just barely missed making it a two-some in the 300.

“It’s kind of been like that all year,” Mallett said. “I’ve been beating him in the 110, but he’s got me every time in the 300. I’m just excited to win state.”

Other top finishers among Florissant-area boys included Central’s Wills, who was fifth in the open 200 and seventh in the open 100; McCluer North’s Rodja Harvey, who was third in the triple jump; and McCluer’s Ingram, who went fourth in the open 200, and Malik Ray, who was also fourth in the high jump.

In girl’s action, Hazelwood Central finished 10th in the team competition with 24 points, while McCluer North was 12th with 20 points.

The Central girls’ lone gold medal win came in the 4x200 meter relay, where senior Maya Mason ran the lead-off leg for a championship crew that included freshman Marcyia Spivey, junior Prenecia Ponds and sophomore Ashley Henderson.

McCluer North’s Kimberlin Simon won the gold in the 300 meter hurdles, in what proved to be one of the most exciting races of the day, as she nipped Bria McWoods of Kirkwood at the finish line.

Simon also earned medals when she finished fifth in the 100 meter hurdles, and when she ran the anchor leg for the Stars’ sixth place 4x100 meter relay team.