PITTSBURG, Kan. — By winning a pair of individual events, one in record-setting fashion, Donovyn Fowler led Joplin to a fifth-place finish at the 33rd annual Jock’s Nitch/PSU Gorilla Relays at Prentice Gudgen Track on a chilly Friday at Pittsburg State University.
The top five teams were Fayetteville (97.6), Owasso (83), Lee’s Summit West (81.6), Lee’s Summit North (65.5) and Joplin (56). There were nearly 30 full squads from four states competing.
A senior standout, Fowler captured gold in his two signature events, the triple jump and the long jump.
Fowler won the triple jump with a meet record mark of 48 feet, 3 inches. The old record of 46-3 was set in 2010 by Pittsburg’s Keenan Soles.
An Oklahoma recruit, Fowler recorded the record-setting jump on his fifth attempt.
Fowler also won the long jump with a leap of 23-7.5.
Joplin won three total events at the invite.
The JHS team of Hobbs Campbell, Zaben Barnes, Nicholas Horton and Evan Matlock won the 4×800 relay in 8:10.
Joplin’s Grey Edwards was the runner-up in the 2000-meter steeplechase in 6:45, while Donovahn Watkins placed third in the shot put (54-6.5)
The Eagles placed eighth in the 4×100, with Tayshaun Palmer, Davin Thomas, Luke Vieselmeyer and Fowler competing.
Fowler wasn’t the only local athlete to set a meet record.
Webb City’s Grayson Smith won the pole vault by clearing 15 feet even, a meet record. The previous mark of 14-11.5 was set in 1991.
Also for the Cardinals, Lucas Ott placed third in the javelin (156-5) and Roman Borboa took fifth in the 1600 (4:29). Finishing seventh for the Cardinals were Billy Wolfe (high jump), Smith (long jump), Nate Miller (discus) and Trey Roets (javelin), while Dupree Jackson (LJ) and Evan Stevens (3200) both finished eighth.
The Cardinals were sixth in the 4×800, with Borboa, Daunte Smiles, Mason Hedger and Jose Antillon running.
Neosho senior Kaden Cole was the runner-up in the 1600 in 4:22. El Dorado Springs standout Daelen Ackley won the event in a meet record time of 4:19. A Missouri Southern recruit, Cole finished fourth in the 3200 with a time of 9:27.
Also for the Wildcats, Isaiah Green placed fifth in the triple jump and Jared Siler tied for seventh in the high jump.
Carthage’s Zach Lansford placed fifth in the javelin (149-11) and teammate Luke Gall finished sixth in the 100-meter dash in 11.21 seconds.
The Tigers were seventh in the 4×400 relay, with Miquel Solano, Tyler Burt, Daryl Martin and Landen Schrader competing.
FULL RESULTS: 33rd Annual Jock’s Nitch/PSU Gorilla Relays 2022 – Complete (Raw) (milesplit.com)
