SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — For the Thomas Jefferson Cavaliers, the first and only setback of the 2021 campaign came in the season’s grand finale.
Priory defeated Thomas Jefferson 5-0 in the championship match of the MSHSAA Class 2 State Tennis Tournament on Saturday at the Cooper Tennis Complex.
“It would be nice to go out on top, but if you’re going to lose, this is where you want to do it,” Cavaliers coach Tom Brumfield said. “There are no losers here today. We wanted to win yesterday pretty bad to get to this spot. We’ve shown improvements since the last time we were here (2019) and we’re in a bigger class on top of that. I can’t complain about today. The kids came out and competed, and that’s all we wanted them to do.
“All we ask for is for them to come out and compete hard,” Brumfield added. “That’s what they did. They competed on every point, they didn’t give in and they made Priory win it.”
For the Cavaliers, there was no shame in losing to a talented squad like the Ravens (12-1), who featured state champions in both singles and doubles from last week’s individual state tourney.
Thomas Jefferson finished the season with a record of 15-1 and as the state runner-up.
“This season has been a great experience,” Thomas Jefferson junior Ian Ding said. “It’s been really fun playing with this group of guys. Even though we didn’t finish exactly how we wanted, it’s still been an extremely enjoyable ride.”
Thomas Jefferson’s Ian Ding serves during Saturday’s state championship match against Priory. All photos by Jason Peake.
On another chilly day outdoors, St. Louis-based Priory won all three doubles matches to start the dual against the Cavaliers, who were seeking their first state title since 2007.
Preston Achter and Evan Finnie edged Noah Hamlett and Tyler Brouhard 8-6.
Last week’s state doubles champs, Sean Finnie and Christian Djavaherian topped Ding and Hari Nagarajan 8-3.
Last week’s state doubles runner-up, John Newell and Peter Khoukaz defeated Christopher Wheelen and Prithvi Nagarajan 8-1.
The match ended when the Ravens recorded two wins in singles.
Khoukaz beat Wheelen 6-3, 6-1.
Achter, who won the state title in singles, defeated Ding 6-2, 6-1.
Hamlett and Wheelen are Thomas Jefferson’s lone seniors.
“We’re going to miss Noah and Chris,” Brumfield said. “They’ve been with the program for four years.”
The Cavaliers will return plenty of state experience.
Like Ding, Hari Nagarajan is a junior, while Brouhard is a sophomore and Prithvi Nagarajan is just a freshman.
“This experience is going to help us a lot,” Ding said of the state trip. “We’ll be used to playing in this kind of atmosphere.”
Brumfield noted his returning players already have their sights on a return trip to state next spring.
“I’m excited about that,” Brumfield said. “And we have some young kids that look really good. We’ll have Ian back in that top spot, and hopefully some of the other guys will step up.”
Simply put, it was a season to remember for the Cavaliers.
In addition to the runner-up team finish, Ding finished fourth in singles at last week’s individual state tourney, while Hamlett and Brouhard took sixth in the state in doubles.
Brumfield noted Saturday’s loss didn’t dampen the team’s successful season.
“Every group is different,” Brumfield said. “They’re a special group. They have their own distinction. One thing this group has always done is get out and play. They didn’t take a summer off. That work ethic is why they’ve been successful. It’s been a joy to coach these guys. And anytime you get this far, you have to be proud.”
Thomas Jefferson coach Tom Brumfield presents senior Noah Hamlett with the state runner-up plaque on Saturday.
The Thomas Jefferson Cavaliers pose with the Class 2 state runner-up plaque on Saturday at the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield.
Tyler Brouhard hits a backhand during state tourney play.
Prithvi Nagarajan hits a backhand during doubles play.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — There have been 21 state championships spread around five different sports at Webb City.
Boys track and field, up until Friday had never brought home the state’s most coveted team award. That changed thanks to a balanced and deep lineup that accumulated 64 points to win the Class 4 MSHSAA Track and Field Championship at Jefferson City High School.
It has been a long time since the track program has been dominating, you have to go back more than 70 years to see any semblance of team success.
The school’s previous best finish came as a runner-up in 1938 in Class B in a then three-class system.
“It wasn’t much of a track culture when I got here,” said Webb City coach Dustin Miller, who ran at Carthage and then Missouri Southern. “I put a lot of pressure on myself. I’m a competitive guy and I see softball, basketball, boys basketball, girls basketball and of course, football, all have their own state titles. You feel like if you don’t win, you don’t match up. To get this done, I’m proud of our kids. We have been in the shadows of baseball and girls soccer this year and I kept telling them to keep your head down and when you earn your recognition, you will get it.”
The group posed for plenty of photos with the state trophy after winning, beating Kearney by seven points – a usual rival on the gridiron. Fellow Central Ozark Conference school Willard tied for fourth.
Mekhi Garrard
The meet was the last for a number of those on the roster for state for both the team and coaching staff. Seniors included Luke Brumit, Caleb Cook, Joseph Dawson, Mekhi Garrard, Pryce Mason, Zetthew Meister, James Morgan, Owen Weller and Samuel Winesburg.
“First time ever winning the state championship and to be able to do it, we do it in football and basketball, first time in track means a lot,” Garrard said.
Miller’s staff will also lose Corey Roy and Josh Baker to different gigs, while Caleb Hoover is headed to medical school.
“It is just surreal,” Miller said. “We knew going into the 800 what would have to happen and Festus didn’t do what they needed to do and we knew Willard was out of points; then Kearney didn’t score. Then it came down to the 200 and by the 4×400, we knew no one would catch us. This is a good-character group of guys that every time I asked them to do something, they did it.”
The Cardinals set school records in the pole vault (Grayson Smith, 14 feet, 10 inches) and discus (Zetthew Meister/165’11).
Garrard, once known for a grand slam he gave up in the Little League World Series, added his name to the history books by winning the long jump with a distance of 23-3 ¼.
He is the school’s second ever to win that event and the first was there as an official at the meet: Alan Spencer who won it in 1968, long before becoming a successful football coach in the area. Garrard added a runner-up finish in the triple jump and was winning before getting knocked to second on the last attempt for Myles Norwood of Trinity Catholic in St. Louis.
In the event that Smith broke the state record, he finished second. Mason was fourth with a jump of 13-8 ¼, giving the Cardinals 13 points in the event.
Webb City’s Pryce Mason competes in the pole vault.
“It is definitely interesting,” Mason said of dueling with Smith. “As a team, you want him to do his best, but as a competitor, you want to win.”
The team’s 4×400 (Mason, Garrard, Morgan, William Wolfe) had the 16th best time in prelims out of 16 teams and was in the first of two heats. The Cardinals, though, finished third in the meet once all the times for the two races were combined.
Brumit placed third in the high jump and sixth in javelin and Morgan placed in both the 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles. Incidentally, the 110 were run going the opposite direction as normal as a strong, consistent breeze would’ve meant running head-on into a gust blowing from the west.
“I did it a few times,” said Morgan of running the opposite direction. “In Missouri we are used to all the wind. It wasn’t too different. I was happy I was closer to the turf than the concrete, though. I was ranked seventh, so I thought if I got through, I will place and it will be fine.”
He was third in the 110 and eighth in the 300.
Webb City’s Weller, Dawson, Winesburg and junior Roman Borboa took fourth in the 4×800 and Borboa added points in the 1,600-meter run.
The Webb City girls got three medals from seniors Emily Beres and Haidyn Berry.
Beres became the sixth female to win a state title and the first to do it in the shot put, where she won with a putt of 39-11 ¼.
Her best was her final one, but she took the lead on her third attempt. However, the day ended on a bad note as she suffered an ankle injury on her way to get her first-place medal and had to be taken to a Jefferson City hospital to check for a possible fracture.
Beres added a sixth in the discus earlier in the day, the same place Berry took in the javelin.
The Webb City Cardinals pose with the state championship plaque.
Carl Junction’s Brendan Jewell captured a state championship in the high jump.
Jewell wins state title
The last time there was a state track meet in 2019, Carl Junction’s Brendan Jewell secured a tie for fourth place. Flash forward to this year only two of those eight medalists that spring were still in school. Jewell and Savannah’s Ben Schneider, who placed one spot ahead of him.
Jewell entered this competition seeded second, trailing St. Charles West’s Braden Goellman and just ahead of Schneider. As the field narrowed itself down from 16, it eventually got down to only two: Goellman and Jewell.
Jewell cleared 6-7 ½ in his second attempt and Goellman missed all three to give the Bulldog senior the title.
That accounted for all 10 points scored by Carl Junction, which placed 23rd in the standings.
The victory makes Jewell the second in school history in the high jump, joining Paul Shouse, who won the event in 1984. Overall, Jewell is the seventh individual Bulldog to take first place in an event since Grant Dennis won the 1,600-meter run in 1996.
The girls team didn’t have a state title but had a handful of all-state showings to take 14th place overall with 21 points. The last time at the state meet in 2019, the Bulldogs scored only five points and were part of a seven-way tied for 37th place.
Junior Ally Montez had a part in both of them, first by running the second leg of the 4×100-meter relay with Olivia Vediz, Salma Lewis and Shiloh Sluder.
In a close finish, St. Teresa’s Academy’s Leah North held off Sluder down the straightaway to win the dash in 49.68. Carl Junction’s time was 49.80.
The Bulldogs were favored to win the race based on seed times and the No. 4-lane assignment.
“It was really frustrating … it sucks we didn’t get first and we wanted to get first,” said Sluder, who took 16th place in the 200-meter dash later in the day. “I’m proud of everyone. We were hoping to break the school record again today, but with this weather it’s hard. I’m proud of how we did all year but we really just wanted the first place finish.”
Carl Junction’s Ally Montez earned a medal in both hurdles races at the Class 4 state meet.
Montez was the runner-up in the 300-meter hurdles (45.46), while taking fourth in the 100-meter hurdles (14.87). She missed a medal in the 100 as a freshman in 2019 by one spot and by four spots in the 300.
Winnetonka’s Amyah Davis won both of the hurdle races this year. This marked only the second time this year that Montez lost – the other foe to beat her was Brianna Utecht of Marshfield, who was the runner-up in the 100.
“It was a pretty good day doing my races,” Montez said. “I was really wanting to win first, because why not, a state championship is a pretty big deal. I know Amyah, we run against each other in the summer and we always see each other and she is such a good person too.”
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A true grand finale awaits for the Thomas Jefferson Cavaliers.
Thomas Jefferson advanced to the championship match of the MSHSAA Class 2 State Tennis Tournament by earning a 5-2 win over Branson in the semifinals on Friday at the Cooper Tennis Complex.
Thomas Jefferson senior Noah Hamlett hits a forehand during Friday’s match with Branson at Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield.
“This feels great,” Thomas Jefferson senior Noah Hamlett said. “We were fourth a couple of years ago in Class 1, and it’s definitely even sweeter that we’re playing for the championship in Class 2 this year. It just feels great. This season has been really fun. It’s been the most fun I’ve had on any team of any season the past few years. This has been the most memorable season. Everybody’s having a great time.”
Thomas Jefferson kept its record unblemished with the win over the Pirates, improving to 15-0. Of course, the Cavaliers accomplished much more than that with Friday’s historic win.
The Cavaliers will meet Priory (11-1) at noon on Saturday in the state title match, where they’ll conclude the 2021 spring season with the ultimate prize up for grabs.
“This is a great feeling,” Thomas Jefferson coach Tom Brumfield said. “This is a big step for us getting to the championship. These were tough conditions out here today. There were some wild points because of the wind. Our kids just did a great job. And Branson did a great job of keeping balls in play. It was tough. They made us earn it.”
The first team to five wins advanced on a chilly and breezy afternoon, and the Cavaliers won all three doubles matches to start the dual on a positive note. And all three doubles matches were extremely close.
Thomas Jefferson’s Hamlett and Tyler Brouhard edged Branson’s Gavin Brown-Nathan Bartram 8-6. The match could have gone either way, but the Cavaliers got it done.
“It was just concentration,” Hamlett said. “I think we were a little unfocused at the start of that match. But at the end, we were able to hunker down, make the shots we needed to make and pull through.”
In two other back and forth clashes, TJ’s Ian Ding and Hari Nagarajan defeated William Stark-Caleb Buxton 8-6, while Christopher Wheelen-Prithvi Nagarajan edged Garrett Beckham-Jacob Decker 9-7.
With the doubles wins, the Cavaliers needed just two wins in singles to secure the dual victory.
“Doubles always sets the tone,” Brumfield said. “We always say it. You’ve gotta win those doubles matches if you want a chance at the end. That’s what did it for us today.”
A junior who placed fourth in singles at last week’s individual state tourney, Ding defeated Brown 6-0, 6-3 to get the Cavs win No. 4 of the day.
TJ’s Hari Nagarajan hits a volley at the net against Branson. All photos by Jason Peake.
Branson’s Beckham defeated Wheelen 7-5, 6-3 and Buxton earned a 6-5, 6-2 win over Hari Nagarajan to give the Pirates a pair of wins.
But Hamlett beat Bartram 6-3, 7-6 (3) to clinch the dual victory for the Cavaliers.
The other two singles matches weren’t completed.
Now, the Cavaliers will look to secure their first team championship since 2007.
Priory defeated Ladue 5-4 in the other semifinal and the Ravens from St. Louis had the state champs in both singles and doubles at last week’s individual state tourney.
“We’ve just got to come out and play tomorrow,” Brumfield said. “We know what we’re facing…they’re good. But first or second…there’s no loser tomorrow. We’ll play our best and we’ll see what happens.”
Hamlett echoed those same sentiments.
“We just have to have a positive mindset tomorrow,” Hamlett said. “We have to concentrate and have a fun time because it’s our last match.”
For Hamlett, one final match remains in not only his season, but also his prep career.
“I’m pretty tired right now, but I’ll go home, recuperate tonight and I’ll definitely be ready for tomorrow,” he said.
Thomas Jefferson’s Ian Ding lines up a shot during Friday’s match against Branson at the Cooper Tennis Complex.
Thomas Jefferson’s Christopher Wheelen hits a volley near the net during doubles action on Friday against Branson.
