SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The Neosho Wildcats boys track and field squad made history for the third meet in a row, winning their first sectional title Saturday with 73 points in Class 5 Sectional 3 competition at Parkview High School’s JFK Stadium.
The Wildcats’ first sectional title follows their first district title since 1979 and their first Central Ozark Conference title, both of which Neosho earned in the final event, the 4×400 relay.
On Saturday, Neosho overtook the lead earlier on and held off second place Lafayette (Wildwood) and Waynesville, who each compiled 70 points.
Nixa placed fourth with 67 points, followed by Camdenton (59), Capital City (57), Joplin (57), Eureka (54), Kickapoo (48), Carthage (34), Republic (32), Willard (28), Ozark (25), Branson (22), Parkview (13), Lebanon (11), Glendale (4), and Springfield Central (4).
On the girls side, meanwhile, Lafayette tallied 92 points to earn the sectional crown, followed by Republic (82), Capital City (71), Kickapoo (69), Glendale (55), Ozark (54), Nixa (47), Eureka (41), Joplin (37), Willard (35), Lebanon (33), Camdenton (29), Northwest (21), Carthage (19), Branson (15), Waynesville (14), Parkview (11), and Springfield Central (7).
The top four finishers in each event Saturday qualified for the state track and field championships May 26-27 in Jefferson City.
NEOSHO HIGHLIGHTS
The Wildcats have already earned the right to call their season historic, but they have one more chapter to write next week in Jefferson City with their six state qualifiers.
Izaiah Hill and Collyn Kivett not only won sectional titles Saturday, but they also established school records in their respective events (Isaiah Hill 400-meter dash and Kivett javelin).
Hill won the 400 in 49.41 seconds and Kivett won the javelin with a toss of 173 feet, 5 inches.
Tyrese Hill finished second in both the 100 in 11.04 and the 200 in 21.84, and his time in the 200 established a school record.
The Hills combined for 26 points in three sprinting events.
Jared Siler claimed a sectional title with a clearance of 6-5 in the high jump and he earned a second qualification for state with a second in the long jump at 22-6.
Isaiah Green and Carter Baslee finished just short of state in three events (Green fifth in triple jump and sixth in long jump; Baslee fifth in discus), but their points in their respective events helped Neosho stay atop the team standings Saturday.
JOPLIN HIGHLIGHTS
The Eagles qualified for state in 11 events Saturday with senior distance runner Hobbs Campbell leading the boys in three events and freshman sprinter Brylee Strickland sparking the girls in four events.
Campbell won the 1600 in 4:16 and finished third in the 3200 in 9:48 and the 800 in 1:54, while Strickland placed second in the 400 in 58.94, third in the 200 in 25.58, fourth in the 100 in 12.57, and she ran the anchor leg for the 4×100 that finished third in 49.14.
Strickland was the lone freshman runner among those who qualified in the 100, 200, and 400 on the girls side.
Back on the boys side, senior Orion Norris placed fourth in the 200 in 22.53, the 4×100 finished third in 42.85, freshman Cordell Washington finished third in the high jump at 6-4 and senior Drew VanGilder finished third in the javelin at 167-7.
CARTHAGE HIGHLIGHTS
The Tigers qualified for state in six events, four on the boys and two on the girls side.
On the boys side, Carthage senior Miguel Solano won a sectional title in the 800, leading a field where the top four finishers were separated by a mere .58.
Solano won with a time of 1:54.49, besting Waynesville’s Tyrell Phinn (1:54.73), Campbell (1:54.78), and Capital City’s Keion Grieve (1:55.07).
Trent Yates placed fourth in the triple jump with a personal record of 43-9 getting the sophomore to state as the youngest qualifier from Class 5 Sectional 3.
Solano’s fellow senior Micah Lindsey placed fourth in the shot put with a throw of 57-6.
Junior hurdler Daryl Martin placed fourth in the 300 hurdles in 41.00 and just missed on another state qualification with a fifth in the 110 hurdles in 15.65.
On the girls side, freshman Chasity Straw earned her first state qualification with a third in the discus at 114-6.
Sophomore thrower Karlie Nichols placed fourth in the shot put at 34-7.
Senior Joey Hettinger just missed qualifying after finishing fifth in the high jump.
