Marking the culmination of years of hard work and dedication, McAuley Catholic senior distance runner Kendall Ramsey signed a letter of intent on Monday to join the Pittsburg State University cross country and track and field programs.
“It’s very special and bittersweet because of all the time I’ve put in running and how all of the accomplishments came together,” Ramsey said of making her college decision official. “There were some happy tears today. I’ve had a lot of support from my family, and I can’t thank them enough.”
Kendall Ramsey
Ramsey said Pittsburg State was her choice for several reasons.
“Their program has had a lot of success,” Ramsey said. “Their running program is great. My brother went to Pitt State, and I liked the environment there. I’m going to be majoring in biology and their biology program stood out to me. I want to do their pre-dental program and then go to dental school.”
As Warriors coach Andy Youngworth pointed out to the school’s student body ahead of the signing ceremony, Ramsey has definitely left her mark on McAuley’s cross country and track programs.
Ramsey is the school record-holder in the 5K (20:46), the 1600 (5:39) and the 3200 (12:23).
In cross country, Ramsey advanced to the state meet all four years of high school, earning all-state honors as a junior and senior. Ramsey finished eighth and ninth in Class 1 the last two years.
Ramsey was listed on the Southwest Missouri Coaches Association’s all-region team in three straight seasons.
On the track, Ramsey is a two-time state qualifier and one-time state medalist who has also earned multiple conference, district and sectional championships in her signature events, the 1600 and the 3200.
Ramsey finished sixth in the 1600 and ninth in the 3200 at last May’s state track meet.
Of course, Ramsey still has her senior season of track ahead of her this spring.
Ramsey noted she hopes to finish her prep career on a high note.
“I want to qualify for the state meet again,” she said. “It’s going to be hard because we have some really fast girls in our district and sectional. I want to PR one last time. And if I can make it to the state meet, I want to medal. I’m going to work hard to try and accomplish my goals.”
On Monday, McAuley Catholic senior Kendall Ramsey signed to run track and cross country for Pittsburg State University.
DIAMOND, Mo. — Four players scored in double figures as the McAuley Catholic boys basketball team defeated Sarcoxie 57-43 on Monday night at the Gem City Classic.
“Solid effort from our guys tonight,” McAuley coach Tony Witt said. “It was a really solid defensive effort in the middle quarters. I’m very pleased with our play this early in the year.”
The Warriors were clinging to a 16-15 lead after the first quarter, but McAuley outscored Sarcoxie 16-3 in the game-changing second quarter for a 32-18 halftime advantage.
McAuley held a 43-28 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Alex Bohachick scored 14 points to lead the Warriors, while Rocco Bazzano-Joseph added 13, Michael Parrigon had 11 and Bradley Wagner scored 10.
Matthew Swayne scored 17 points to lead Sarcoxie and Garrett Smith added 10.
McAuley (2-0) meets El Dorado Springs (1-0) at 6 p.m. on Wednesday in the tourney semifinals.
EL DORADO SPRINGS 79, THOMAS JEFFERSON 29
DIAMOND, Mo. — El Dorado Springs took control early in Monday’s win over Thomas Jefferson at the Gem City Classic at Diamond High School.
The Bulldogs built a 23-8 lead by the end of the opening frame and held a comfortable 47-17 advantage at halftime.
Kohl Thurman scored 10 points and hit a pair of 3-pointers to lead the Cavaliers (0-3), while Jack Twiss chipped in seven points.
Three players scored in double figures for El Dorado Springs, as Landon Murry poured in 32 points, Joe Gordon had 21 and Rees McCullough added 13.
Thomas Jefferson meets Sarcoxie on Wednesday at the tourney.
COLUMBIA, Mo. — McAuley Catholic junior Michael Parrigon finished fourth in Class 1 to lead a strong area contingent at the 49th MSHSAA Cross Country Championships on Friday morning at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course.
Parrigon toured the 5K course in 16 minutes, 28 seconds.
Finishing ahead of Parrigon were West Nodaway’s Riley Blay (15:48), Marion C. Early’s Landon Duchscherer (15:55) and Dora’s Cade Nold (16:26). Blay won for the third straight season.
Parrigon’s showing is the best state finish in program history for the McAuley boys. Max Ostmeyer finished 17th in 2016 and Parrigon was 21st last year.
“I thought he could be in the top five,” McAuley Catholic coach Andy Youngworth said. “The kid from Dora is really good. And I’m not going to use this as an excuse, but it’s a fact that Michael played two soccer matches this week, including last night. Max Anreder also had to deal with that. Both ran well. I thought Michael was in a good position for most of the race.”
McAuley Catholic junior Michael Parrigon finished fourth in Class 1 at the state cross country championships on Friday. It’s the best finish in the history of the McAuley cross country program. Photo by Chris Auckley.
In addition to Parrigon, three other Joplin area runners finished in the top 30 to earn all-state honors in the Class 1 boys race.
Jasper junior Leland Harris placed 20th in 17:40, while McAuley’s duo of Trae Veer (17:42) and Will Mollnow (17:43) finished 22nd and 23rd, respectively. Veer is a sophomore and Mollnow is just a freshman.
“Will passed 11 or 12 guys in the last 400 meters to medal,” Youngworth noted. “He had a great finish.”
Thomas Jefferson had two athletes competing — freshman Liam Cook finished 34th in 18:03 and junior Braden Honeywell-Lynch was 45th in 18:12.
Also competing for McAuley were Alex Bohachick (102nd), Connor Taffner (111th), Cliff Nolan (137th) and Max Anreder (141st).
The Warriors finished fifth out of 15 teams in the Class 1 standings with 136 points. The top four teams take home a trophy.
For the Warriors, it was a memorable day.
“We had three state medalists and that’s the first time that’s happened in school history,” Youngworth said. “Last year we had two medalists and that was the first time that had happened. I’m really pleased.
“I think the boys were disappointed we took fifth. We were six points away from fourth and nine points away from third. Going in, I felt like there were three or four schools that could finish anywhere from third to sixth. But I thought our kids ran well. We worked really hard this year, from August 7th to today. And that doesn’t include the time in the summer. We put in a lot of time and effort and I think it showed.”
Of note, all of McAuley’s boys will return next season, as there are no seniors on the roster.
Hermitage (74), Van Buren (97), Oak Ridge (127) and Vienna (130) were the top four teams.
There were 170 runners in the boys race.
CLASS 1 GIRLS
Liberal freshman Ally Barton finished third in the Class 1 girls race with a time of 20:17, leading the Bulldogs to a runner-up finish in the team standings.
South Nodaway’s Mya Wray was the Class 1 champion in 19:11 and Stoutland’s Mallory Shaw was the runner-up in 20:15.
Earning all-state recognition with their respective top-30 showings, McAuley Catholic senior Kendall Ramsey finished ninth in 20:46, while Liberal junior Taylor Swarnes was 10th in 20:53 and McAuley freshman Olivia Parrigon placed 11th in 20:56 to give the Warriors five all-state performances on the day.
Liberal’s Abby Barton finished 30th and teammate Bailey Couch was 34th, while Thomas Jefferson’s Macie Shifferd finished 40th and teammate Sarah Mueller was 52nd.
Also competing for McAuley were Riley Sears (69th), Marbellie Villanueva (91st) and Samantha Perrin (129th).
The top four teams were Chadwick (60), Liberal (98), East Carter (112) and Paris (130).
The runner-up showing is the best state finish in school history for the Liberal girls, who were fourth in 2017.
McAuley finished eighth in the standings with 169 points.
“Our girls really had a great meet,” Youngworth said. “We went from 13th last year to eighth this year. Olivia finishing 11th as a freshman is great. It was Kendall’s fourth state appearance and second medal. She actually ran faster this year than last year but finished one place lower this year. There are a lot of good runners in Class 1. I’m proud of all of our girls. Riley Sears had a good day. That’s another freshman who put together some really good workouts and those translated into faster times at the meets. Marbellie and Sam ran well and will both be back. Kendall is our only senior. You can’t replace her. She’s a great kid.”
There were 143 runners and 13 full teams.
McAuley Catholic’s Olivia Parrigon (174) and Kendall Ramsey (176) are pictured during Friday’s MSHSAA Cross Country Championships. Both earned all-state honors, as Ramsey finished ninth and Parrigon was 11th. Photo by Chris Auckley/Special to SoMo Sports.
CLASS 2 BOYS
College Heights Christian’s Colton McMillan finished 28th in the Class 2 race, earning all-state recognition.
Competing in Class 2 on Friday, College Heights Christian sophomore Colton McMillan finished 28th in 17:25 to earn all-state honors. McMillan was the lone area product to earn all-state recognition in the Class 2 boys race.
Also competing for CHC were sophomore Owen Horton (101st) and freshman Connor Jordan (106th).
Diamond’s Wyatt Housh (88th), Purdy’s duo of Jayden Griffis (104th) and Logan Manwarren (105th) and Pierce City’s Joseph Leavitt (132nd) also competed.
Woodland’s Reed Layton was the Class 2 champion in 16:25.
The top four teams were Woodland (96), KC Lutheran (137), New Covenant (168) and North Platte (175).
There were 169 runners and 16 full teams.
CLASS 2 GIRLS
Pierce City sophomore Emma Hunt finished 12th in the Class 2 girls race with a time of 20:16. Hunt was the lone local runner to earn a top-30 finish in the Class 2 girls race.
Also competing from the region were Sarcoxie’s Laney Dorris (72nd), Pierce City’s Lauren Blackburn (83rd), Purdy’s Courtney Patterson (86th), Sarcoxie’s Ariel Wilson (95th), Pierce City’s Ginger Leavitt (102nd), Sarcoxie’s trio of Lily Garrison (124th), Jordyn Misner (139th) and Natasha Garcia (149th) and Pierce City’s Emily Haasse (154th).
Brentwood’s Kensington Curd was the Class 2 champion in 19:24.
The top four teams were Lafayette County (111), Woodland (138), Hermann (142) and Stockton (143).
There were 157 runners and 16 teams.
Notes: College Heights Christian will have girls competing in Saturday’s Class 3 race at 9:45 a.m.
The Class 4-5 races are also scheduled to be held on Saturday, with local schools Carl Junction, Webb City and Joplin set to compete.
McAuley’s Trae Veer (338) and Will Mollnow (334) are pictured during the Class 1 state cross country meet. Both finished in the top 30 to earn all-state honors. Photos by Chris Auckley.
Thomas Jefferson’s Liam Cook (418) is pictured during Friday’s MSHSAA Cross Country Championships. A freshman, Cook finished 34th in Class 1. Photos by Chris Auckley.
McAuley Catholic senior Kendall Ramsey finished her prep cross country career as a four-time state qualifier and a two-time state medalist. All photos by Chris Auckley.
LAMAR, Mo. — McAuley Catholic is taking two full squads to the state cross country championships.
McAuley Catholic’s boys finished second and the girls placed third at the Class 1 District 2 meet on Saturday at Jeremy’s Creek Golf Course.
At the district meet, the top four teams and the top 30 individuals advanced to the state meet.
The top four boys teams were Hermitage (35), McAuley Catholic (74), School of the Ozarks (111) and Dadeville (117). Of course, the Warriors finished fourth in Class 1 last season.
“It is a great accomplishment to return to state,” McAuley Catholic coach Andy Youngworth said. “Last year was our first time qualifying for state, and I thought we handled the pressure of expecting to qualify this year very well.”
Marion C. Early’s Landon Duchscherer and McAuley Catholic’s Michael Parrigon were the top two finishers in the Class 1 boys race at Saturday’s district meet in Lamar. Courtesy photo.
On a chilly Saturday morning, McAuley junior Michael Parrigon was the district runner-up with a time of 16:35. Marion C. Early’s Landon Duchscherer took first in 15:59.
McAuley sophomore Trae Veer finished eighth in 17:45, while Jasper junior Leland Harris placed 14th in 17:55 and McAuley freshman Will Mollnow finished 17th in 18:03.
Thomas Jefferson had two individual state qualifiers, as junior Braden Honeywell-Lynch placed 19th (18:14) and freshman Liam Cook finished 29th (18:39).
Also for McAuley, Connor Taffner finished 31st, Alex Bohachick was 41st, Cliff Nolan placed 59th and Max Anreder was 62nd.
“We really had a few kids step up,” Youngworth said of his team’s performance. “Michael had a good early battle with the runner from Marion C. Early, but fell back a bit, forcing him to run alone most of the meet on a cold, windy day. All of our boys ran tough. Will Mollnow finished 17th. It was his best race of the year. Connor Taffner also ran well, as did Alex Bohachick, who benefitted from the cold conditions. Cliff Nolan and Max Anreder rounded out our top seven and were able to put together solid races in their first championship meet.”
Also competing for Thomas Jefferson were Spencer Long (32nd), Jack Twiss (34th), Ashan Appuhamy (57th), Ringo Snow (58th) and James Sheppard (76th).
McAuley’s girls also qualified its full team to state.
The top four girls teams were Chadwick (33), Liberal (47), McAuley Catholic (78) and School of the Ozarks (104).
Liberal freshman Ally Barton was the district medalist with a time of 20:11.
McAuley Catholic senior Kendall Ramsey placed fifth in 21:00, while freshman Olivia Parrigon was sixth in 21:12 and freshman Riley Sears took 27th in 23:30.
Also scoring points for McAuley were Marbellie Villanueva (41st) and Samantha Perrin (49th).
“Kendall Ramsey and Olivia Parrigon ran as expected, finishing fifth and sixth, respectively, and really had nice races,” Youngworth said. “Riley Sears ran her best race of the year, running almost a 90 second PR, and was key to our finish. Marbellie Villanueva struggled a bit in the middle of the race but finished well. Sam Perrin ran another good race and continues to gain confidence.”
Thomas Jefferson had a pair of qualifiers, as junior Macie Shifferd (22:40) and senior Sarah Mueller (22:53) finished 14th and 15th, respectively.
The McAuley Catholic girls cross country team poses after finishing third at the Class 1 District 2 meet in Lamar on Saturday. Courtesy photo.
CLASS 2
The College Heights Christian boys had three individual state qualifiers in Class 2, as Colton McMillan finished 11th in 18:27, Owen Horton placed 19th in 19:11 and Connor Jordan took 21st in 19:17.
Other local qualifiers were Diamond’s Wyatt Housh (14th), Purdy’s Logan Manwarren (16th) and Jayden Griffis (22nd) and Pierce City’s Joseph Leavitt (29th).
The top four boys teams were New Covenant (57), Mansfield (83), Alton (85) and Southwest (106). College Heights finished sixth with 133 points.
In the Class 2 girls race, Pierce City’s Emma Hunt placed third with a time of 20:28. New Covenant’s Clara Trent (19:29) and Ash Grove’s Millison Sapp (20:09) were the only runners to finish ahead of Hunt.
Also advancing with their top 30 finishes were Pierce City’s Lauren Blackburn (12th), Purdy’s Courtney Patterson (13th), Sarcoxie’s Laney Dorris (16th), Pierce City’s Ginger Leavitt (17th) and Sarcoxie’s duo of Lily Garrison (21st) and Ariel Wilson (22nd).
The qualifying girls teams were Sparta (39), Pierce City (59), Sarcoxie (73) and Mansfield (87).
CLASS 3
East Newton’s Chase Sorrell was the runner-up in the Class 3 boys race with a time of 16:02, as El Dorado Springs’ Wyatt Klaiber took first in 15:45.
Lamar’s Cameron Bailey and Ryder Friend finished sixth and seventh, while Aurora’s Carsen Gillam was 15th. East Newton’s Nicholas Shaeffer finished 18th and Pierce City’s Pierce Heins was 19th. Cassville’s Ethan Bohmke (21st), Michael Butts (25th) and Trever Garnett (28th) all advanced.
The top four boys teams were El Dorado Springs (35), Springfield Catholic (101), Lamar (118) and Strafford (143).
In the Class 3 girls race, Lamar’s Abigail Diggs finished third in 20:33 and Cassville’s Jadyn Williams-Reed placed fourth in 20:34.
Mount Vernon’s Rylee Simons took ninth, Lamar’s duo of LeiLani Toves and Carly Dunham were 13th and 16th and East Newton’s Brooklyn Blanchard finished 21st.
College Heights Christian’s Marla Anderegg finished 22nd and teammate Jesalin Bever was 27th to advance. Aurora’s Drew Mayes finished 23rd and Cassville’s Tori Mitchell took 29th.
Fair Grove’s Katrina Cantwell took first in 19:57.
The top four teams were Osage (94), Lamar (103), Clever (112) and Springfield Catholic (113).
NOTE: The MSHSAA Cross Country Championships for Class 1-2 is Nov. 3 at Gans Creek in Columbia, while the Class 3-5 races are scheduled for Nov. 4.
The McAuley Catholic boys cross country team took second in the team standings at the Class 1 District 2 meet on Saturday in Lamar. The top four teams advanced to the state championships in Columbia. Courtesy photo.
Jasper’s Leland Harris and McAuley’s Trae Veer are among the runners pictured competing at Saturday’s Class 1 District 2 meet in Lamar.
Class 1 District 2 Meet
Boys team standings: Hermitage 35, McAuley Catholic 74, School of the Ozarks 111, Dadeville 117, Thomas Jefferson 125, Blue Eye 168, Stoutland 178, Walnut Grove 198, Gloria Deo 223, Fair Play 231, Humansville 259.
Girls team standings: Chadwick 33, Liberal 47, McAuley Catholic 78, School of the Ozarks 104, Blue Eye 106, Hermitage 135, Gloria Deo 162.
The McAuley Catholic cross country program had a historic day.
McAuley Catholic’s boys and girls both captured the team championships at the 2023 Ozark 7 Conference Meet on Friday night at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course at Missouri Southern State University.
“I was extremely pleased with the efforts of both teams, and of our middle school kids,” McAuley Catholic coach Andy Youngworth said. “We were able to win all four divisions, quite an accomplishment for the kids and coaches! It was a hot, sunny day, but I thought our kids handled it well. I was very proud of our student body who came out and cheered us on today.”
College Heights Christian’s Colton McMillan (5), McAuley’s Trae Veer (38) and Thomas Jefferson’s Braden Honeywell-Lynch (74) are pictured during the Ozark 7 Meet. Photo by Jessica Greninger.
The McAuley boys repeated as conference champs with 31 points. College Heights was second with 38 and Thomas Jefferson (55) was the third team with a full squad competing.
“Our boys team had some pressure on them this year, as we were the defending conference champion,” Youngworth said. “College Heights and Thomas Jefferson have some very good runners, and I knew we would have to run a great race in order to win.”
McAuley junior Michael Parrigon was the individual conference champion, as he crossed the line at 16:41, more than a minute faster than the runner-up.
College Heights Christian’s Colton McMillan took second in 17:46, McAuley’s Trae Veer was third in 17:48, Thomas Jefferson’s Braden Honeywell-Lynch took fourth in 17:54 and CHC’s Connor Jordan placed fifth in 18:32.
Finishing sixth through 10th were McAuley’s Will Mollnow, Thomas Jefferson’s Liam Cook, CHC’s Owen Horton, McAuley’s Connor Taffner and CHC’s Caleb Quade.
Rounding out the top 15 were TJ’s Spencer Long, McAuley’s Alex Bohachick, CHC’s Steven Calandro, Wheaton’s Jayson Peterson and CHC’s Drew Sawkins.
McAuley’s Cliff Nolan, TJ’s duo of Ashan Appuhamy and Jack Twiss, McAuley’s Max Anreder and Exeter’s Josue Alcaraz completed the top 20.
Youngworth, who noted the Ozark 7 schools appreciate MSSU allowing the meet to be held on campus at the Rutledge course, said his boys team performed well overall.
“Michael Parrigon continues to run well, racing alone for the bulk of the meet,” Youngworth said. “Trae Veer finished third, beating some good kids. Trae continues to improve each week, and just runs very smart races. Will Mollnow earned all-conference recognition, as did Connor Taffner. Alex Bohachick finished as our No. 5 and continues to improve after a long illness kept him out of competition for a few weeks. Cliff Nolan ran a solid race as our No. 6 and dropped 45 seconds from last year. Max Anreder rounded out our top seven.”
McAuley Catholic freshman Olivia Parrigon won the girls race at the Ozark 7 Conference Meet.
The postseason awaits for the Warriors.
“We will face a very tough Hermitage at districts next weekend, they are the defending Class 1 state champions,” Youngworth said. “We will have to have great races from all of our kids in order to challenge them.”
GIRLS HIGHLIGHTS
McAuley’s girls edged defending champion College Heights Christian by just three points, 26-29. The Warriors had four top-10 finishers, while the Cougars had three runners in the top five.
“I think the surprise of the day was our girls defeating College Heights, our first-ever girls conference championship,” Youngworth said. “They are very well-coached and were the defending conference champions, but I challenged the girls a little bit this week, telling them they had nothing to lose by being aggressive and running to win.”
McAuley freshman Olivia Parrigon was the conference champion with a time of 21:07.
College Heights Christian junior Marla Anderegg was the runner-up in 21:37 and McAuley senior Kendall Ramsey took third in 21:59.
CHC’s Jesalin Bever and Lilly Royer finished fourth and fifth, while Thomas Jefferson’s duo of Macie Shifferd and Sarah Mueller were sixth and seventh.
Exeter’s Kaylyn Weiser finished eighth and McAuley’s tandem of Riley Sears and Marbellie Villanueva finished ninth and 10th, respectively.
Also of note, College Heights’ Madi Carson finished 13th, McAuley’s Samantha Perrin was 14th, CHC’s Katie Moss placed 17th, CHC’s Lilly Lackey took 19th and McAuley’s Genevieve Billings finished 20th.
Youngworth noted he was proud of how the girls team performed.
“Olivia Parrigon is our first-ever conference champion, and she ran most of the race with Kendall Ramsey and was able to pull away in the last 800 meters,” Youngworth said. “I think the key to our win though was the work of our No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 runners. Riley Sears ran a career PR and earned all-conference honors, as did Marbellie Villanueva, who ran a PR for the season. Our No. 5 was Samantha Perrin, who finished 14th, but dropped over three minutes from last year’s race. We are starting to run with more confidence, and I look forward to the opportunity to see them compete at districts next week.”
OZARK 7 CONFERENCE MEET
Boys team standings: McAuley Catholic 31, College Heights Christian 38, Thomas Jefferson 55.
Girls team standings: McAuley Catholic 26, College Heights 29.
McAuley Catholic’s Kendall Ramsey (42) and Olivia Parrigon (40) and a number of College Heights runners, including Marla Anderegg (11) are pictured during the Ozark 7 Conference Meet at MSSU’s Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course. McAuley swept the team titles. Photos by Jessica Greninger.
Thomas Jefferson’s Liam Cook and McAuley’s Will Mollnow head to the finish line during Friday’s Ozark 7 Conference Meet at Missouri Southern. Photos by Jessica Greninger.
Thomas Jefferson’s Ringo Snow (83) and Ashan Appuhamy (69) compete at the Ozark 7 Conference Meet on Friday.
College Heights Christian’s Jesalin Bever finished fourth in the girls race at the Ozark 7 Conference Meet on Friday.
Thomas Jefferson’s Sarah Mueller finished seventh at the Ozark 7 Conference Meet.
McAuley’s Kendall Ramsey finished third at the Ozark 7 Conference Meet on Friday at MSSU. McAuley Catholic swept both team titles at the meet. Photos by Jessica Greninger.
McAuley Catholic’s girls cross country team won the Ozark 7 Conference Meet on Friday. From left to right, are Samantha Perrin, Riley Sears, Kendall Ramsey, Olivia Parrigon and Marbellie Villanueva. Not pictured: Genevieve Billings. Courtesy photo.
The McAuley Catholic boys cross country team poses after winning the Ozark 7 Conference Meet on Friday at MSSU. Courtesy photo.
CARTHAGE, Mo. — Webb City had not only the top local individuals, but also the best team finishes in both varsity races at the 50th annual Carthage Invitational cross country meet on Thursday at the Carthage Golf Course.
Webb City sophomore Brooke Hedger finished third in the girls race with a time of 20:58, leading the Cardinals to runner-up finish in the team standings.
Cardinals senior Evan Stevens placed third in the boys race with a time of 16:55, leading Webb City to a third-place team finish, just two points behind runner-up Rogers (Ark.).
Carthage, Carl Junction, McAuley Catholic, Thomas Jefferson and East Newton also had athletes competing at the event.
Free State High School from Kansas won both team titles.
In the girls’ team standings, Carthage finished fourth, Carl Junction was sixth and McAuley Catholic took eighth.
Carthage’s boys finished fifth in the team standings, with Carl Junction seventh, McAuley eighth and Thomas Jefferson 11th.
Webb City’s Evan Stevens and Carl Junction’s duo of Luke Battagler and Jack Lawson are among the runners competing during Thursday’s Carthage Invitational. Photo by Jessica Greninger.
WEBB CITY HIGHLIGHTS
The Webb City girls had three of the top 11 runners, with all five placing in the top 22.
Hedger placed third behind Rogers’ Kayla Eggers (20:21) and Free State’s Cayman Barnes (20:56).
Webb City’s Emily Countryman finished eighth in 22:06, while Olivia Klotz took 11th in 22:45.
Also competing for the Webb City girls were Amelia Antillon (21st) and Brooke Collard (22nd).
The Webb City boys had five runners finish in the top 19.
Stevens finished third behind Free State’s duo of Blake Wohler (16:24) and Jake Loos (16:50).
Webb City’s Mason Hedger finished 10th (17:30), while Spencer Kendall took 16th (17:43), Noah Lankard was 18th (17:49) and Andrew Dawson finished 19th (17:51).
Also for the Cardinals, Fenton Rice finished 30th (19:00) and Dakota Grove was 33rd (19:01).
Athletes from Carthage, Webb City and Carl Junction take off at the start of the varsity girls race on Thursday at the Carthage Invitational. Photo by Jessica Greninger.
CARTHAGE HIGHLIGHTS
Eddy Fuentes led the Carthage boys by finishing 24th in 18:13.
Also competing for the Carthage boys were Devin Smith (34th), Javen Byrd (37th), Brayan Perez Flores (40th), Denis Velasquez Perez (55th) and Xander Vazquez (79th).
Maggie Boyd led the Carthage girls by finishing 14th in 22:55 and Jennifer Rodas-Gomez took 18th in 23:12.
Also competing for the CHS girls were Genesis Fuentez-Elias (25th), Katy Witherspoon (39th), Kimberly Monterroso (42nd), Jenna Wilson (52nd) and Sarah Wilson (57th).
Webb City’s Brooke Hedger was the top local finisher in the varsity girls race at the Carthage Invitational. A sophomore, Hedger finished third.
CARL JUNCTION HIGHLIGHTS
Jack Lawson led the Carl Junction boys by finishing 22nd in 18:05.
Rounding out the top seven for the CJ boys were Isaac Willoughby (43rd), Luke Battagler (46th), Nikash Yeary (57th), Jacob Garrett (60th), Alexander Allison (63rd) and Chance Golden (66th).
Marissa Newman was CJ’s top female finisher, as she crossed the line 26th in 23:51, while Delaney Harris was 29th in 24:11.
Rounding out the top seven for the CJ girls were Madilyn Dalton (32nd), Audrey Fletcher (41st), Summer Sampson (44th), Bella Montez (60th) and Gracie Fletcher (72nd).
MCAULEY CATHOLIC HIGHLIGHTS
Michael Parrigon led McAuley Catholic by finishing 20th with a time of 17:54. Trae Veer finished 28th in 18:55 to give the Warriors two runners in the top 30.
Also competing for the McAuley boys were Will Mollnow (52nd), Connor Taffner (64th), Cliff Nolan (85th), Max Anreder (87th) and Grant Horinek (88th).
Freshman Olivia Parrigon led the McAuley girls by crossing the line 19th in 23:15. Kendall Ramsey finished 35th in 24:39.
Also competing for the McAuley girls were Riley Sears (70th), Marbellie Villanueva (76th) and Samantha Perrin (77th).
THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGHLIGHTS
Braden Honeywell-Lynch led the TJ boys with a 44th place finish (19:43).
Also competing for the Cavaliers were Liam Cook (73rd), Ashan Appuhamy (86th), Ringo Snow (92nd), Spencer Long (93rd) and James Sheppard (99th).
Macie Shifferd paced Thomas Jefferson’s girls team with a 24th place finish (23:48).
TJ’s Sarah Mueller finished 48th in 26:11.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
Free State’s boys had four of the top six finishers.
Chase Sorrell paced the East Newton boys by finishing fourth in 17:00. Sorrell and Webb City’s Stevens were the only boys to finish in the top six not from Free State. The Patriots’ second finisher was Nicholas Shaeffer (38th).
Brooklyn Blanchard finished 13th in 22:48 for the East Newton girls.
Laney Dorris led Sarcoxie’s girls by finishing 51st. Dugan Pogue finished 75th for the Sarcoxie boys.
50TH CARTHAGE INVITATIONAL
Girls team standings: Free State 47, Webb City 61, Rogers 62, Carthage 115, Glendale 139, Carl Junction 142, Clever 145, McAuley Catholic 193. Incomplete teams: Grove, East Newton, Hillcrest, Rogers Heritage, Parkview, Sarcoxie, Thomas Jefferson, Wheaton.
Boys team standings: Free State 23, Rogers 60, Webb City 62, Glendale 104, Carthage 170, Rogers Heritage 173, Carl Junction 202, McAuley Catholic 213, Grove 271, Hillcrest 310, Thomas Jefferson 312, Parkview 318. Incomplete teams: Clever, East Newton, Sarcoxie, Wheaton.
Webb City’s Mason Hedger crosses the finish line 10th overall at Thursday’s Carthage Invitational cross country meet at the Carthage Golf Course. All photos by Jessica Greninger.
Webb City’s Olivia Klotz, East Newton’s Brooklyn Blanchard and Carthage’s Maggie Boyd are pictured during Thursday’s Carthage Invitational.
Carl Junction’s Marissa Newman and McAuley Catholic’s Kendall Ramsey are pictured during Thursday’s Carthage Invitational. Photos by Jessica Greninger.
After a historic 2022 season, the McAuley Catholic cross country program is primed for another successful campaign with the return of three all-state performers and a large number of returning letterwinners.
The defending Ozark 7 Conference champions, McAuley’s boys qualified a full squad to the state meet and finished fourth in Class 1, securing the program’s first state trophy.
Now, entering the 2023 seasons, six key performers are back for McAuley’s boys — juniors Michael Parrigon, Grant Horinek and Cliff Nolan and sophomores Trae Veer, Alex Bohachick and Connor Taffner.
“We’re looking forward to the upcoming season,” McAuley coach Andy Youngworth said. “We had a much better commitment to the offseason this summer and the kids have really adjusted well to the expectations of the coaching staff and improved on the quality of their training as compared to last year.”
Parrigon and Veer earned all-state recognition after finishing 21st and 24th, respectively, at last year’s state meet. Parrigon finished third at the Ozark 7 Conference Meet and took 11th at the district meet, while Veer placed fourth in the conference and 16th at the district event. Bohachick and Taffner also competed at state and earned second-team all-Ozark 7 honors last season by finishing 13th and 14th, respectively.
Newcomers to the team include sophomore Max Anreder and freshmen Rylan Childers, Nolan Minor and Will Mollnow.
With the returners and newcomers on the roster, Youngworth feels there’s a lot to like about this year’s team.
“We return two all-state runners and our No. 6 and No. 7 runners from last year, along with two juniors who provide depth from our trophy team last year,” Youngworth said. “We have added four newcomers and we look forward to a great environment this fall. All 10 runners have a chance to contribute this fall, and the competition to be in the top seven will be something that will only make us better. I believe we have a strong work ethic, and our culture continues to strengthen. The kids like each other and do a lot of things together outside of practice.”
The Warriors, who lost three key performers to graduation in Phillip Motazedi, Joe Staton and Drew Zeb, are still a relatively young team.
“Our biggest concern is the fact that we have no returning seniors,” Youngworth said. “We are still trying to learn our roles and that will get better organically as we continue practice this fall. It will also be important to continue to focus on team goals over individual goals as the season progresses. We need all 10 guys to be invested in the long range plans. No season is perfect, so we’ll need to overcome injuries and illnesses, but our depth will help with that.”
Youngworth noted the overall team goals for the season include being competitive at every meet, competing for a conference championship, qualifying as many athletes to state as possible and seeing each runner improve.
Youngworth is confident his squad has the ability to have a successful season if it continues to work hard.
“We are the defending Ozark 7 champions and a trophy team from last year,” he said. “It’s important for them to remember just that. But it was last year and nothing will be given to us this year. We have to continue to work hard and earn it. And we’ll need to stay sharp and focused in order to return to the podium.”
Kendall Ramsey
RAMSEY TO LEAD MCAULEY GIRLS
McAuley Catholic also took its entire girls team to state last fall.
McAuley’s girls will once again be led by standout Kendall Ramsey, who enters her senior year as a three-time state-qualifier.
As a junior, Ramsey finished eighth at the state meet, third at the district meet and third at the Ozark 7 Meet.
“Kendall Ramsey brings experience and confidence to the team and did a great job teaching the newcomers last year how to be a Lady Warrior cross country runner,” Youngworth said of the program’s third returning all-state performer.
In addition to Ramsey, McAuley’s girls feature three other returning varsity performers — juniors Marbellie Villanueva and Genevieve Billings and sophomore Samantha Perrin. As a sophomore, Villanueva finished eighth at the conference meet and 18th at the district meet. Villanueva and Perrin both competed at last year’s state meet.
Newcomers to the team include freshmen Olivia Parrigon and Riley Sears.
Youngworth would love to see the girls team build on last year’s success.
“For the first time in school history, McAuley Catholic fielded a full team and qualified for the state meet, also a first in program history,” he said. “We were young and inexperienced last year, and the girls we have coming back learned a lot about themselves and running. They had a good offseason and are looking forward to building on last year’s success.”
Despite a small roster, Youngworth hopes to see the girls program make progress this season.
“I believe we will be more competitive overall, but we’re still young and are going to experience ups and downs over the course of the year,” he said. “We only have six girls out again this year, so our depth is a concern, and we will be patient early in the year as far as training goes. Three of the girls play volleyball and will miss some training as a result. We’ll try to find a good balance for them so they can experience success in both sports. Our goals are to be more competitive within our conference. College Heights is the defending Ozark 7 champion and they return several good runners. We’d like to qualify for state again and improve on our 13th place finish.”
Like the boys team, Youngworth said he’s been pleased with the dedication his girls have shown.
“Each girl just shows up every day willing to learn and push the ceiling a little bit,” he said.
While youth and depth are areas of concern for the McAuley girls, Youngworth noted the keys to success are simple.
“Just continuing to work hard and stay happy and healthy as we transition from our pre-season training to the competitive season,” he said.
MAKING PROGRESS AS A PROGRAM
Youngworth, who is now in his third year coaching the Warriors and his 30th overall, said he’s been pleased with the progress the McAuley cross country program has made in a short time.
“We have a great staff and very supportive parents who have really bought into what we are trying to accomplish,” Youngworth said. “Darbi Stancell returns as the head coach for the middle school and has 30-plus years of experience. Chris Moreno returns as well. He is a long time AAU track and field and cross country coach who also has almost 30 years of experience.”
Overall, the Warriors are coming off a historic season that concluded at the state championships. And Youngworth is optimistic about the upcoming season.
“We had a great summer of offseason conditioning, the kids are anxious to improve upon last season’s performance, and for the most part, were very committed each and every day,” he said. “Most of the kids ran on their own when we did not meet and that’s a huge factor as we try to build a distance running culture at McAuley Catholic. We do a lot of activities away from running that help cement the bond within the team. In the end, it helps if they like each other, get along and create connections that will remain for years to come.”
The McAuley Catholic boys cross country team finished fourth in Class 1 last season. The Warriors are currently preparing for the 2023 season. File photo.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Thomas Jefferson senior Kip Atteberry concluded his stellar prep career by making one final trip to the awards podium at the MSHSAA Track and Field Championships.
Competing in Class 1 on Saturday at Adkins Stadium, Atteberry finished fourth in the 3200-meter run with a time of 10:15.
Atteberry earned a pair of medals on Friday after finishing fourth in the 1600 and fifth in the 800. With that, Atteberry earned all-state honors in three events.
At last year’s state meet, Atteberry took third in the 3200, fourth in the 1600 and seventh in the 800.
Atteberry wasn’t the only local state medalist.
McAuley Catholic junior Kendall Ramsey finished sixth in the girls 1600 with a time of 5:39 to earn a spot on the podium.
On Friday, Ramsey finished ninth in the 3200. The top eight in each event are medalists.
It was Ramsey’s second straight year competing at state, as she finished 10th in the 3200 in ’22.
In other boys events, McAuley Catholic senior Joe Staton finished 14th in the pole vault (9-5.25) and McAuley sophomore Tripp Miller finished 16th in the javelin (115-4).
In other girls action, Thomas Jefferson’s Lannah Grigg was 13th in the discus (98-7) and teammate Avery Hocker finished 16th in the triple jump (29-6).
On Friday, Thomas Jefferson’s Macie Shifferd took 13th in the 3200 (13:13) and Nico Carlson placed 13th in the high jump (4-9). TJ’s Gabriella Hiebert finished 14th in two events, the long jump (15-2.75) and the high jump (4-7).
LIBERAL FARES WELL IN CLASS 1
Liberal’s Wyatt Pryor finished third in the discus and teammate Kale Marti was fifth in the high jump.
On the girls side, Liberal’s Taylor Swarnes was sixth in the girls 400, Abby Barton was sixth in the 800 and Kylee Melton finished seventh in the pole vault. Liberal’s girls were fifth in the 4×400.
COLLEGE HEIGHTS COMPETES IN CLASS 2
College Heights Christian junior Caleb Quade just missed a spot on the podium after finishing ninth in the triple jump (40-7.75).
On Friday, Quade finished 10th in the long jump (19-8.25).
The Cougars finished 12th in the prelims of the 4×200 relay on Friday, with Logan Decker, Levi Durling, Quade and Colsen Dickens competing.
JASPER’S SMITH CAPTURES GOLD, FOUR MEDALS
Jasper sophomore Crystal Smith won the girls 100-meter hurdles in 15.27 seconds.
Smith earned a medal in four events in Class 2. In addition to capturing gold in the 100 hurdles, Smith finished fourth in the high jump (5-2.5), seventh in the 200 (26.98) and eighth in the 300 hurdles (49.16).
OTHER CLASS 2 HIGHLIGHTS
Sarcoxie’s 4×200 relay team of Jocelyn Benito, Madison Chrisman, Jordyn Misner and Abbey Lawyer finished fifth.
Pierce City’s Hayden Kramer was third in the discus and teammate Emma Hunt finished fifth in the 3200 and sixth in the 1600.
On the boys side, Sarcoxie’s Jaron Malotte placed third in the 110 hurdles and Diamond’s Zachary Roughton placed fourth in the 300 hurdles.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Thomas Jefferson senior Kip Atteberry earned medalist honors in two events at the 2023 MSHSAA Track and Field Championships on Friday at Adkins Stadium.
Competing in Class 1, Atteberry finished fourth in the 1600 with a time of 4 minutes, 33 seconds to earn medalist honors.
Atteberry also finished fifth in the 800 in 2:02 to earn a second trip to the podium.
Atteberry will compete in the 3200 on Saturday, where he’ll look to earn a third medal.
Thomas Jefferson senior Tyler Brouhard finished 13th in the prelims of the 200-meter dash (24.57) and 15th in the prelims of the 100-meter dash (11.93). The top eight moved on to the finals.
For the Thomas Jefferson girls, Macie Shifferd took 13th in the 3200 (13:13) and Nico Carlson placed 13th in the high jump (4-9). Gabriella Hiebert finished 14th in two events, the long jump (15-2.75) and the high jump (4-7).
McAuley Catholic’s Kendall Ramsey finished ninth in the 3200 with a time of 12:23, just missing medalist honors.
A junior, Ramsey will compete in the 1600 on Saturday.
COLLEGE HEIGHTS COMPETES IN CLASS 2
The College Heights boys are competing in Class 2.
The Cougars finished 12th in the prelims of the 4×200 relay in 1:35, with Logan Decker, Levi Durling, Caleb Quade and Colsen Dickens competing.
Quade finished 10th in the long jump (19-8.25).
Also in Class 2, Sarcoxie’s Jaron Malotte finished fifth in the boys pole vault (13-0.25).
Pierce City’s Hayden Kramer finished third in the girls discus (122-5) and teammate Emma Hunt was fifth in the girls 3200 (11:45).
For the first time since 2019, McAuley Catholic High School will have boys competing at the state track meet.
Two members of the team, senior Joe Staton and sophomore Tripp Miller, punched their respective tickets to the state championships by finishing in the top four of their events at this past Saturday’s Class 1 Sectional 3 meet in Point Lookout.
The pair will join the school’s lone female state qualifier, Kendall Ramsey, at the state meet on Friday in Jefferson City.
“I was really pleased with our effort,” McAuley coach Andy Youngworth said of the sectional showing. “The district we were competing against was very competitive. I’m disappointed for the kids that didn’t make it, but I’m really excited for the three kids who are moving on.”
The McAuley track program has made steady progress under Youngworth.
In 2019, McAuley’s boys track team was represented at the Class 1 state meet by the 4×200-meter relay team of Jacob Price, Nathan Taylor, Joseph Lupicki and Jake Staton.
There was no state track meet in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
McAuley’s track program had no state qualifiers in ’21.
In ’22, none of the team’s boys were able to advance.
This year, the Warriors broke through and ended the drought. One week after winning the program’s first district title, the Warriors had a pair of boys advance to state.
“Two years ago, only one boy and one girl qualified for sectionals,” Youngworth noted. “Last year, we had one girl in an event and five boys events at the sectional and none of the boys made it to state. So, to me, that’s something we’ve accomplished this year. It’s nice to be able to have a couple of kids going to state this year.”
At the sectional meet, Staton finished fourth in the pole vault (9-5) and Miller was fourth in the javelin (118-4).
“Joe and Tripp keep getting better every day,” Youngworth said. “They have their work cut out for them if they want to medal at state, but stranger things have happened.”
Ahead of the sectional, Staton was the district champion in the pole vault, while Miller took second at the district event.
Staton and Miller are also members of McAuley’s baseball team. The two had a late Friday night with the baseball team before getting up early on Saturday to head to the track meet.
The third-seeded McAuley baseball team meets second-seeded Exeter at 6:15 on Tuesday in a district semifinal.
With a win, the baseball team would play for a district title on Wednesday night. The state track meet begins on Friday in Jefferson City.
“Hopefully those guys will get the chance to compete for a district championship in baseball and compete at the state track meet in the same week,” Youngworth said of Staton and Miller.
As far as other events at Saturday’s sectional, McAuley’s boys just missed qualifying in three relays after finishing fifth in the 4×100, 4×400 and 4×800.
“Our 4×8 dropped 16 seconds but didn’t get out,” Youngworth said. “Our 4×1 was very close to making it to state. Our 4×4 just didn’t run as well as it did at districts. I was disappointed for our relays. They worked hard.”
Junior Michael Parrigon just missed advancing in the two events after finishing fifth in the 1600 and sixth in the 800.
“That’s just life,” Youngworth said. “Not everything is going to fall your way.”
Youngworth noted those disappointments should provide extra motivation next season.
“We’ll have a lot of our kids back next year,” he said. “This season was a great learning experience. We just have to get better. That’s the bottom line. We have to train harder.”
On the girls side, McAuley Catholic junior Kendall Ramsey was the sectional champ in two events — the 1600-meter run (5:50) and the 3200 (13:27).
“Kendall ran really well,” Youngworth said. “She went out in the 1600 and 3200 and just controlled the race early on. I know she can run faster than her times from Saturday. She didn’t have to run really hard just to get out. I’m happy for her.”
Ramsey is no stranger to state competition.
McAuley’s lone state qualifier in ’22, Ramsey finished 10th in the 3200 at last May’s state track meet. She placed eighth at this past fall’s state cross country championships.
Youngworth noted that Ramsey has the potential to earn a spot on the awards podium in both events this weekend.
“I think she can get on the podium,” he said. “She’s matured a lot as a runner. If she runs her personal best in both events she’s got a chance to medal.”
The MSHSAA Class 1 Track and Field Championships will be held on Friday and Saturday at Adkins Stadium in Jefferson City.
POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. — College Heights Christian, Thomas Jefferson and McAuley Catholic had athletes qualify for the state track meet with their performances at their respective sectional meets on Saturday at School of the Ozarks.
College Heights’ boys were among the teams competing at the Class 2 Sectional 3 meet, while Thomas Jefferson and McAuley competed in Class 1.
The top four finishers in each event advanced to the state meet.
COLLEGE HEIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS
The College Heights boys won the Class 2 4×200-meter relay in 1:35, with Logan Decker, Levi Durling, Caleb Quade and Colsen Dickens competing.
A junior, Quade advanced to state in two individual events, as he was the runner-up in both the triple jump (12.16m) and the long jump (6.03m).
Also of note, the CHC girls competed at a Class 3 district meet on Saturday. See a related story.
THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGHLIGHTS
Thomas Jefferson senior Kip Atteberry advanced to the Class 1 state meet in three individual events—the 800, 1600 and 3200.
Atteberry finished fourth in all three events. He recorded a time of 2;03 in the 800 in 2:03, finished the 1600 in 4:39 and the 3200 in 10:41.
Tyler Brouhard advanced in two events, as the senior was fourth in both the 100-meter dash (11.87) and the 200 (23.93 seconds).
TJ’s Jay Ball just missed advancing in both the discus (fifth) and shot put (sixth).
Like the TJ boys, Thomas Jefferson’s girls advanced in five events.
The Cavaliers fared well in the field events. Nico Carlson won the high jump (1.48m), Gabriella Hiebert took second in the long jump (4.63m) and tied for second in the high jump (1.4m), while Lannah Grigg placed third in the discus (29.96m) and Avery Hocker finished fourth in the triple jump (9.52m).
Also advancing was Macie Shifferd, who was second in the 3200 (13:59).
The TJ girls just missed qualifying in the 4×800 after finishing fifth. The Cavaliers were also sixth in the 4×100.
Thomas Jefferson’s girls finished fourth in the team standings, while the TJ boys were sixth.
MCAULEY CATHOLIC HIGHLIGHTS
McAuley Catholic junior Kendall Ramsey won two events in the girls meet, the 3200 in 12:27 and the 1600 in 5:50.
On the boys side, McAuley senior Joe Staton finished fourth in the pole vault (2.87m) and sophomore Roscoe Miller placed fourth in the javelin (36.06m) to give the Warriors a pair of individual qualifiers.
McAuley’s boys finished fifth in three relays, as the 4×100, the 4×400 and the 4×800 all just missed qualifying. Also, Michael Parrigon just missed advancing in two events, as he was fifth in the 1600 and sixth in the 800.
McAuley’s boys were 11th in the standings and the McAuley girls were 13th.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
The Class 1 team champions were the Appleton City girls and Hermitage boys.
Sarcoxie’s girls and Stockton’s boys won the team titles in Class 2.
In Class 2, Diamond’s Zachary Roughton won the 300 hurdles and was the runner-up in the 110 hurdles.
Jasper’s Crystal Smith won four girls events in Class 2 — the 200, the 100 hurdles, the 300 hurdles and the high jump.
Winning events for Sarcoxie were Ariel Wilson (girls 400) and Jaron Malotte (boys 110 hurdles).
There was plenty of suspense in the air when the final event of the Class 1 District 5 track meet concluded on Saturday night at Mountain Grove High School.
Three boys squads — Lockwood, Thomas Jefferson and McAuley Catholic — were all in the hunt for a team championship near the end of the meet.
And when the dust settled, and thanks to a strong finish in the 4×400-meter relay, McAuley Catholic was the squad celebrating when the final team scores were announced.
For the Warriors, a feeling of anxiousness quickly turned into a feeling of pure joy.
McAuley finished with 94 points to capture the team championship, while runner-up Thomas Jefferson had 93 points and Lockwood finished third with 90.
“In MoMileSplit’s virtual meet, we were fourth or fifth, so it wasn’t supposed to happen on paper,” McAuley coach Andy Youngworth said. “And there were six events we didn’t compete in. But you never know. I’m really pleased. We really competed well. I’m just really happy for these kids. I know the kids are excited.
“It was just one point…that’s what it came down to,” Youngworth added. “Thomas Jefferson has a good team and they beat us at the conference meet. TJ’s coach Clayton Carnahan came over even before it was announced that we won and congratulated us. I thought that showed a lot of class. I appreciated that.”
The district championship is the first in school history for the McAuley boys track program.
Now in his second year at the helm of the McAuley program, Youngworth noted it was a rewarding experience to watch his team not only celebrate a district championship, but also make history.
“I’ve done this for a long time,” the veteran coach said. “There have been other things I’ve been involved with that have brought a lot of enjoyment, but this is way up there because it wasn’t supposed to happen.”
Youngworth said McAuley’s previous best finish at a district meet was a third place showing in 2014.
“One of our goals this season was to win the conference,” Youngworth said. “That’s hard to do because College Heights is really good and really deep. The second goal was to win a district championship. It’s always been one of our goals. This group has bought in from Day 1. I’m really happy for the kids and I’m hoping this is something the program can build on.”
The McAuley Catholic boys track team poses after winning the district meet on Saturday. Courtesy photo.
Youngworth said he was able to check the live results online a few times throughout the meet to see how the team standings were looking.
“We were kind of hanging around all meet,” Youngworth said. “Every time I checked the live results we’d be in third or second and not that far off from first.
“After the two-mile, we were nine points out of first place behind Thomas Jefferson and we were tied with Lockwood. Thomas Jefferson didn’t have an entry in the 4×400. So we were fortunate we had those four kids running the mile relay.”
The Warriors’ seed time in the 4×400 was 3:50, but McAuley’s foursome of Alex Bohachick, Dylan Taffner, Jack Jones and Michael Parrigon recorded a winning time of 3:41.
Their win, which delivered 10 points, put the Warriors in first place in the team standings.
At the district meet, the top four finishers in each event qualified for Saturday’s Class 1 Sectional 3 meet.
McAuley’s boys recorded 11 top-four performances in 10 events, with multiple qualifiers in one event.
The Warriors won three events, finished second in three others, had a pair of third-place showings and took fourth in three events.
“We scored points in 13 of the 19 events,” Youngworth noted. “Every kid who competed for the boys team scored a point and will be in an event on Saturday. I’m not sure that’s ever happened before on one of my teams…every kid who competed at districts will compete at sectionals.”
The showing in the 4×400 capped a stellar day in the relays for the Warriors.
McAuley’s Michael Parrigon and Thomas Jefferson’s Kip Atteberry are among the runners competing in the 800-meter run at last Saturday’s district track meet. Courtesy photo.
McAuley’s 4×800 relay team of Bohachick, Connor Taffner, Drew Zeb and Trae Veer took first in 9:18
The team’s 4×100 of Ethan Stabb, Jones, Dylan Taffner and Bohachick finished second in 49.93 and the 4×200 of Stabb, Staton, Dylan Taffner and Tripp Miller placed fourth in 1:49.
Joe Staton won the pole vault with a clearance of 11-4.5.
Parrigon finished second in the 1600 in 4:47 and third in the 800 in 2:06, while Bohachick finished third in the 400 in 54.39 and Veer placed fourth in the 3200 in 11:14.
The Warriors had two of the top four in the javelin, as Roscoe Miller was the runner-up (113-8) and Max Anreder was fourth (108-10).
Two Warriors finished fifth in their events, Jones in the high jump and Veer in the triple jump. Anreder finished seventh in the discus, Drew took seventh in the 1600 and Connor Taffner was eighth in the 800.
And although they missed qualifying for the sectional, all of those points were crucial for the team.
“It’s not just the first places that win you meets, it’s the sixth, seventh and eighth places that help you do it,” Youngworth noted.
RAMSEY LEADS MCAULEY GIRLS
McAuley Catholic junior Kendall Ramsey advanced to the sectional in three events.
Ramsey won two events, the 1600 in 5:47 and the 3200 in 13:08. Ramsey was the runner-up in the 800 with a time of 2:42.
“Kendall ran well and competed well,” Youngworth said. “She ran a PR in the 800. She was solid in the 3200 and the 1600. I’m excited for her. I think she’s confident and I think she’s in a good spot as far as the sectional.”
Also competing the McAuley girls were freshmen Brooke Righter (hurdles), Samantha Perrin (400), Vanessa Diaz-Hernandez (100, 200) and Keira Mays (discus, shot).
The McAuley girls finished eighth in the standings with 33 points.
“My goal is to create two programs that are competitive, but you have to have some numbers to do that,” Youngworth said. “Our girls scored more points this year, which was good to see. Hopefully this year’s success will get more kids to come out in the future. If not, we’ll continue to do the best we can.”
SECTIONAL MEET IS SATURDAY
At Saturday’s sectional meet hosted by the College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, state berths will be secured by those who finish in the top four of each event.
The MSHSAA Track & Field Championships for Class 1 will be held on May 19-20 in Jefferson City.
MOUNTAIN GROVE, Mo. — The McAuley Catholic Warriors, behind the strength of three event wins and 33 overall points from their four relays, earned a team championship in Class 1 District 5 Saturday at Mountain Grove High School, beating out crosstown and Ozark 7 Conference rival Thomas Jefferson by a single point, 94-93.
Lockwood finished third with 90 points, Billings fourth with 83, Dora fifth with 79, and Crane sixth with 68, while the other nine schools finished well behind the top six with seventh place Walnut Grove compiling 26 points.
The district title was determined in rather dramatic fashion.
The Warriors’ 4×400 relay team of Alex Bohachick, Dylan Taffner, Jack Jones, and Michael Parrigon recorded a winning time of 3 minutes and 41 seconds, and their win put the Warriors in first place in the team standings after the final event.
The Warriors’ 4×800 of Bohachick, Connor Taffner, Drew Zeb, and Trae Veer took first in 9:18, their 4×100 of Ethan Stabb, Jones, Dylan Taffner, and Bohachick finished second in 49.93, and their 4×200 of Stabb, Staton, Dylan Taffner, and Tripp Miller placed fourth in 1:49 during a great day in relays for McAuley Catholic.
Also for the Warriors, Joe Staton won the pole vault with a clearance of 11-4.5.
Parrigon finished second in the 1600 in 4:47 and third in the 800 in 2:06, while Bohachick finished third in the 400 in 54.39 and Veer placed fourth in the 3200 in 11:14.
The Warriors had two of the top four in the javelin, as Roscoe Miller was the runner-up (113-8) and Max Anreder was fourth (108-10).
Thomas Jefferson senior Jay Ball won the discus with a heave of 117-9 and placed fourth in the shot put at 34-7.
Fellow senior Tyler Brouhard finished second in the 100-meter dash in 11.59 seconds and second in the 200 in 23.65.
Fellow senior Kip Atteberry won the 1600 in 4:39 and the 3200 in 10:52 and finished second in the 800 in 2:04.
Sheraz Anis finished third in the 110 hurdles in 18.10 and placed fourth in the 300 hurdles in 45.07.
Thomas Jefferson’s 4×800 of James Wisdom, Trenton Farley, Eann Espinoza, and Braden Honeywell-Lynch finished third in 10:12.
On the girls side, Thomas Jefferson finished third with 81 points and McAuley Catholic finished seventh with 33 points.
Thomas Jefferson senior Nico Carlson won a district title with a clearance 4-11 in the high jump and sophomore Lannah Grigg won the discus with a winning toss of the implement at 103-8.
Macie Shifferd finished second in the 3200 in 13:40, while Gabriella Hiebert finished second in the long jump with a leap of 15-1.5 and third in the high jump at 4-7 and Avery Hocker placed fourth in the 100 hurdles in 19.85.
Thomas Jefferson’s 4×800 of Samantha Seto, Sarah Mueller, Carlson, and Shifferd finished third in 11:24.
The Cavaliers’ 4×100 of Carlson, Hiebert, Hocker, and Haley Orr finished third in 56.24.
McAuley Catholic junior Kendall Ramsey won district titles in the 1600 in 5:47 and the 3200 in 13:08 and finished second in the 800 in 2:42.
The top four finishers in each event Saturday qualified for the Class 1 Sectional 3 hosted Saturday, May 13, by the College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout.
The District 5 qualifiers will compete against each other and the District 6 qualifiers for the right to earn their spot in the 98th edition of the boys and the 50th of the girls MSHSAA Track & Field Championships on May 19-20 in Jefferson City.
Class 1 and 2 compete May 19-20 and then Class 3-5 take over host site Adkins Stadium on May 26-27.
College Heights boys advance in five events, tie Jasper for third place
BOLIVAR, Mo. — The College Heights Christian boys finished in a tie for third with 67 points Saturday at the Class 2 District 6 meet hosted by Southwest Baptist University.
Stockton ran away from the field of 15 schools with 162 points and Sarcoxie finished a distant second with 77 points. Like CHC, Jasper also had 67 points.
The College Heights 4×200 of Logan Decker, Levi Durling, Caleb Quade, and Colsen Dickens won a district title in 1:35.71 and the 4×800 of Steven Calandro, Ian Edwards, Jace Edwards, and Derrick McMillan finished second in 9:04.
Quade finished second in the triple jump with a mark of 40-11.75 and second in the long jump at 20-1.25.
Calandro placed fourth in the 110 hurdles in 18.37.
As far as other highlights, Diamond’s Zachary Roughton won two events, the 110 hurdles (15.83 seconds) and the 300 hurdles (42.56), while Jasper’s Crystal Smith won four events in the girls meet, the 100-hurdles, the 300 hurdles, the 200-meter dash and the high jump.
The top four finishers in each event Saturday qualified for the Class 2 Sectional 3 hosted next Saturday by the College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout.
Meanwhile, the College Heights girls compete next Saturday in the Class 3 District 6 meet hosted by Big 8 Conference member Hollister and also featuring Aurora, Cassville, Clever, East Newton, El Dorado Springs, Fair Grove, Lamar, Mount Vernon, New Covenant, Seneca, Springfield Catholic, and Strafford.
MOUNT VERNON, Mo. — Fourth-seeded College Heights Christian (with McAuley Catholic) suffered a season-ending 5-0 setback to fifth-seeded Pierce City on Saturday in a quarterfinal contest of the Class 2 District 6 softball tournament at Spirit of 76 Park.
Pierce City (14-9) advanced to Monday’s semifinals, where the Eagles will take on top-seeded Mount Vernon (32-1) at 5 p.m.
Mount Vernon pounded eighth-seeded Southwest (Washburn) 17-2 in four innings.
In other quarterfinal action, third-seeded Sarcoxie topped sixth-seeded East Newton 12-3 and second-seeded Diamond edged seventh-seeded Lamar 1-0.
Diamond (26-9-1) and Sarcoxie (14-9) will meet in the second semifinal at 6:45 on Monday night.
PIERCE CITY 5, COLLEGE HEIGHTS 0
The game was scoreless until Pierce City scored three runs in the fourth inning. With the bases loaded, Claudia Crowell delivered a two-run single before Abby O’Hara followed with an RBI single.
The Eagles pushed across a single tally in the fourth to extend their lead, as Trinity Witt reached on an error, took third on Hailey Gripka’s single and then scored on a CHC error.
Pierce City added an insurance run in the seventh after a single and three CHC errors.
Gripka and O’Hara had two hits apiece for the Eagles.
The Cougars simply couldn’t generate much offense, as they were limited to four hits by Crowell.
Crowell struck out nine and walked three in the shutout victory.
Jayli Johnson had two hits for the Cougars, including a triple, while Kloee Williamson and Aaliyah Perez added one hit apiece. Perez doubled.
Maddy Colin took the loss, but she didn’t allow an earned run. Colin struck out 14 and allowed seven hits and one walk.
The Cougars committed six errors in the field.
College Heights ends the season with a record of 18-6-1. The Cougars captured a third straight Ozark 7 Conference championship this season.
MOUNT VERNON 17, SOUTHWEST 2
The Mountaineers rode two big innings, a seven-run second and an eight-run fourth, to a convincing run-rule victory.
The tourney hosts scored their 17 runs on 16 hits in just four innings.
Payge Evans and Allie Schubert had three hits apiece, while Harley Daniels, Rae Downing, Cheyenne Bieber and Ava Bellis contributed two hits apiece.
Daniels drove in four runs, while Evans had three RBI and scored three runs.
Daniels earned the pitching victory. In four innings, Daniels struck out 10 and allowed two runs on three hits and three walks. Also of note, Daniels recorded her 600th career strikeout.
Southwest (8-12) scored both of its runs in the second on Kaleigh Tull’s two-run double.
Mount Vernon coach Matt Schubert earned career win No. 200.
The Mountaineers have won 24 straight games ahead of the semifinals.
SARCOXIE 12, EAST NEWTON 3
Up 3-0, Sarcoxie scored five runs in the third to take a commanding 8-0 lead.
East Newton got on the board with three runs in the fifth, but the Bears added one run in the fifth and three more in the sixth for the final margin.
Sarcoxie’s Kylee Walters was the winning pitcher. She gave up three runs on six hits and struck out 14 in the complete-game effort.
Jocelyn Benito and Walters had three hits apiece for the Bears, while Emma Plybon, Kaydence Flynn, Breann Shumake and Emma Parrigon all contributed two hits apiece.
East Newton’s Gracie Ford took the loss after surrendering 11 earned runs on 17 hits. She struck out five.
Josie Guinn had two hits for the Patriots, including a double. Shaw Coburn tripled, while Ava Periman and Coburn had one RBI apiece.
The Patriots finished the season with a record of 8-13.
DIAMOND 1, LAMAR 0
Defending state champion Diamond survived and advanced.
The game was scoreless when the Wildcats broke through with a single tally in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Emilee Shallenburger was hit by a pitch. She went to second on Kabrie Parmley’s sac bunt and took third on a wild pitch.
Grace Frazier’s sac fly to center allowed Shallenburger to score the game’s lone run.
Diamond’s Caitlyn Suhrie tossed a complete-game shutout. She allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out 10.
Helping her own cause, Suhrie had two of Diamond’s four hits.
Lamar’s Lilly Weber took the loss, but she only gave up one run on four hits and a walk while striking out six.
Recording hits for the Tigers were Jaycee Doss and Ashlyn Stettler.
Lamar closes the season at 13-17.
Class 2 District 6 tournament
(At Spirit of 76 Park) Saturday’s scores
(1) Mount Vernon 17, (8) Southwest 2
(5) Pierce City 5, (4) College Heights/McAuley 0
(3) Sarcoxie 12, (6) East Newton 3
(2) Diamond 1, (7) Lamar 0
Monday’s semifinals
5 p.m. — Mount Vernon vs. Pierce City
6:45 — Diamond vs. Sarcoxie
WALKER, Mo. — The McAuley Catholic Warriors scored nine runs in the first inning and 10 more in the fifth on their way to a 22-4 run-rule win in five innings against the host Northeast Vernon County Knights on Wednesday.
The Warriors accumulated 14 hits, highlighted by nine doubles, and capitalized on 10 Northeast Vernon County errors.
McAuley Catholic pitchers Tripp Miller, Trey Martinez, and Kable Reichardt split mound time with each pitcher on a pitch count of 30 because the Warriors are slated to return to action, weather permitting, Thursday against Liberal.
“Our kids came out ready to play and hit,” McAuley Catholic coach Bryan Jones said. “That’s one thing we talk about is having a good approach. They gave us some extra opportunities and our kids took advantage of it.
“Being that we have so many games together right before districts, we had everybody on a pitch count. That’s why we had three guys. We possibly could have got the game over with quicker. We did barrel some balls that went right to people. Otherwise, we keep hitting in those other innings, but that’s the way it works.
“These guys, at this age, they get up a little bit and it is easy for them to think ‘Oh, we got this.’ We had to refocus them and say, ‘Let’s get our job done.’ Being that we are on pitch counts, we need to make sure that we do our job on offense as well as defense. They did a good job of staying focused.”
McAuley Catholic scored three runs in the second and the Warriors failed to score in the third and fourth innings as they only sent seven batters to the plate during a game in which they batted around in two innings.
Joe Staton led the Warriors’ 14-hit attack with three and Rocco Bazzano-Joseph, Noah Black, Michael Parrigon and Brek Sickman each had two, while Case Richards, Kendall Jones, and Chase Gardner each added one hit to the collective tally.
Staton, Black, and Parrigon each doubled twice and Bazzano-Joseph, Richards and Sickman each reached second base once on a hard-hit baseball.
The Warriors ran at will on the bases against Northeast Vernon County with 22 runs scored and 15 stolen bases.
Staton, Bazzano-Joseph, Black, Richards and courtesy runner Dylan Taffner each scored three runs and Staton had four steals, Bazzano-Joseph had three, and Richards, Jones and Parrigon each had two.
Bradley Wagner reached base twice on a hit-by-pitch and a third time working a walk.
Miller earned the win and allowed two runs (both earned) on two hits over two innings with two strikeouts and one walk, Martinez allowed two runs (both unearned) on five hits over 2 1/3 innings with two strikeouts and no walks and Reichardt pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts and no walks.
Both Martinez and Reichardt earned the distinction of their first pitch being good for a strikeout — as Martinez entered on a 3-2 count and Reichardt on a 0-2 count.
McAuley Catholic enters the game Thursday against Liberal with a 8-10 overall record, including three straight wins and wins in five of the last seven.
The Bulldogs of Liberal, meanwhile, have won 9 of their last 10 with their only loss coming against an unbeaten Frontenac (Kansas) team.
“They are a good team and hopefully we can get the game in due to weather,” Jones said. “It looks like we might have some weather coming in, but yeah, they’re in a different district than we’re in … typically, though, it’s a battle. Look forward to hopefully getting our game in.”
The College Heights Christian (with McAuley Catholic) softball team swept a doubleheader on Tuesday at the College Heights Athletic Complex.
The Cougars defeated Greenfield 18-0 in three innings in the opener and East Newton 7-0 in the nightcap.
College Heights is now 18-5 on the season.
In Game 1, College Heights erupted for 11 runs in the bottom of the first inning.
The Cougars plated seven more runs in the second inning, and the game ended after the top of the third due to the run rule.
Kloee Williamson and Jayli Johnson both went 3-for-3 with two RBI and three runs scored, while Lauren Ukena homered and drove in four runs. Johnson had two doubles.
Maddy Colin had two RBI, while Addison Lawrence, Allie Stout, Aaliyah Perez, Avery Shumaker and Emma Angel all contributed one RBI apiece.
Johnson was the winning pitcher. She allowed one hit and struck out two in three innings.
Colin was stellar in the circle in Game 2.
Colin struck out 14 and allowed just three hits in seven innings to earn the pitching victory.
The Cougars out-hit the Patriots 10-3.
Colin had three hits at the plate, while Williamson and Johnson contributed two hits apiece. Williamson homered, while Colin and Johnson tripled. Lawrence and Colin recorded doubles.
The Cougars scored twice in the third, four times in the fifth and once in the sixth.
College Heights will conclude the regular season on Thursday with a home game against Diamond. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
ANDERSON, Mo. — McDonald County improved to 15-7 on the season by earning a 9-0 non-conference victory over the Carthage Tigers on Monday.
McDonald County senior right-hander Weston Gordon earned the complete-game shutout victory. Gordon allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out six. Gordon retired 18 straight batters before giving up a hit in the seventh.
The Mustangs pushed across multiple runs in the first three innings before adding a single tally in the fourth.
Tucker Walters and Jack Parnell both delivered run-scoring singles in the bottom of the first inning to give the Mustangs an early 2-0 lead.
McDonald County added two runs in the second, as Cross Dowd hit an RBI single before a run scored on a Carthage error for a four-run cushion.
Destyn Dowd’s grand slam to left field gave the Mustangs an 8-0 lead in the third.
In the fourth, Parnell hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Isaac Behm, for a 9-0 lead.
Carthage’s lone hits were recorded by Blayne Lilienkamp and Taylor Stevens-Diggs.
Clay Kinder was charged with the loss. He surrendered eight runs on six hits and six walks and struck out three in three innings. Eider Lyckman allowed one run on two hits in three innings.
Carthage (3-23) hosts Neosho at 4:30 on Tuesday at Joe Becker Stadium.
McDonald County hosts Bentonville West on Thursday.
CARL JUNCTION 14, MOUNT VERNON 1 (5 INNINGS)
MOUNT VERNON, Mo. — Carl Junction rode a seven-run second inning to a run-rule win over the Mountaineers on Monday.
Up 7-1 after two innings, the Bulldogs added a single tally in the third, four runs in the fourth and two in the fifth to end the game early.
Carl Junction recorded 11 hits, with eight different players contributing at least one.
Bentley Rowden went 2-for-4 with three RBI, Deacon Endicott went 2-for-3 with two RBI and Cody Hollingsworth drove in two runs on two hits.
Drew Massey also had two RBI, while Wyatt McAfee, Lucas Vanlanduit, Aidan Streight, Endicott and Massey all scored two runs apiece.
Endicott and Massey both homered, while Rowden had two doubles.
Gaige Carson earned the pitching victory. He allowed one unearned run on two hits in four innings while striking out five.
Logan Eck pitched a scoreless inning.
Mount Vernon’s lone hits were recorded by Braden Dodson and Brayden Jameson.
Payton Jones took the loss after allowing seven earned runs on six hits and two walks.
Carl Junction (9-14) hosts Ozark on Tuesday.
Mount Vernon (10-9) is at Springfield Catholic on Tuesday.
MCAULEY CATHOLIC 13, BRONAUGH 2 (5 INNINGS)
McAuley Catholic scored crooked numbers in every innings on the way to a five-inning win over Bronaugh on Monday.
The Warriors (7-10) opened the game in a 2-0 deficit before scoring three times in the bottom of the first inning, five times in the second, three more runs in the third and twice in the fourth on the way to the win.
Rocco Bazzano-Joseph earned the win after allowing two unearned runs on three hits and eight strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings.
Tucker Duncan took the loss after wallowing eight runs, seven earned, on four walks and two strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings.
Joe Staton had a hit and scored three runs, while Noah Black had a hit, scored twice and drove in once. Bradley Wagner had a hit and two RBI. Bazzano-Joseph had a hit, drove in two and scored a run.
McAuley is at Northeast Vernon County on Wednesday.
EAST NEWTON 11, COLLEGE HEIGHTS 1
East Newton scored four times in the first inning and never looked back in a win over College Heights on Monday at Joe Becker Stadium.
The Patriots added two runs in the second frame, three in the fourth and two more insurance runs in the seventh.
Braiden Vanlue earned the win after pitching four scoreless innings on one hit, two walks and five strikeouts.
Jayce Walker took the loss after allowing six runs on eight hits, two walks and three strikeouts in three innings.
Josh Anderson had a hit and scored a run for College Heights (6-10).
Vanlue had three hits and scored a run for East Newton.
GIRARD, Kan. — With a strong overall showing, Carthage’s boys and girls captured the team championships at the Girard Optimist Club Track Meet on Friday.
Carthage’s boys compiled 150.5 points. Chanute was second with 101 and Girard was third with 99.
Carthage’s girls finished with 114 points, with Pittsburg second (104.5) and Girard third (99).
There were 13 teams in attendance, including McAuley Catholic.
CARTHAGE HIGHLIGHTS
Carthage’s Micah Lindsey won two events. A senior, Lindsey won the shot put with a school record toss of 56 feet even. Lindsey also won the discus with a toss of 149-3.
Daryl Martin also won two events.
Martin took first in the 110 hurdles in 16.35 seconds, with teammate Trenton Yates third (16.86). Martin won the 300 hurdles in 41.58 seconds.
Miguel Solano won the 1600 in 4:42. He also finished second in two other events, the 400 and the 800.
Featuring Kruz Castor, Jackson Hettinger, Yates and Braxton McBride, Carthage won the 4×100 relay in 44.69 seconds.
The Tigers took second in the 4×800 relay, with Trey Nye, Xander Vazquez, Michael Lanyon and Caleb Fewin competing.
Carthage was also second in the 4×400, as McBride, Martin, Trey Nye and Joseph Childs recorded a time of 3:34.
Fewin and Devin Smith placed first and second in the 3200, while Yates placed second in the triple jump and fourth in the long jump, McBride took third in the 400, Hettinger took fourth in the triple jump and Aydan Nye was fourth in the pole vault.
On the girls side, Carthage’s Lexa Youngblood won the 200-meter dash in 27.28 seconds. Youngblood was second in the 100 with a time of 12.99 seconds.
Joey Hettinger won the high jump (4-10), with teammate Evelyn Carrol second (4-8). Hettinger took second in the long jump.
Chasity Straw won the discus with a toss of 106-11.5 and Karlie Nichols (35-1) and Lilly Holmes (34-3) were the top two finishers in the shot put.
Also for the CHS girls, Maggie Boyd finished third in the 800, Jaidyn Brunnert was fourth in the 100 hurdles, Ashleigh Rowden took fourth in both the 400 and the high jump, Ada Roughton was fourth in the triple jump and Jenna Wilson was fifth in the 3200.
The CHS girls were third in the 4×400, fifth in the 4×800 relay and sixth in the 4×100.
MCAULEY CATHOLIC HIGHLIGHTS
McAuley’s Michael Parrigon took second in the 1600 with a time of 4:42. He was also fourth in the 800.
The Warriors finished fourth in the 4×100 relay, with Dylan Taffner, Jack Jones, Ethan Stabb and Alex Bohachick competing.
The team of Bohachick, Taffner, Jones and Parrigon finished fourth in the 4×400 relay.
McAuley’s 4×800 relay team of Bohachick, Connor Taffner, Drew Zeb and Trae Veer finished seventh.
Also for the Warriors, Jones finished fourth in the high jump, Veer was sixth in the 3200 and Bohachick finished seventh in the 400.
For the McAuley girls, Kendall Ramsey won the 3200-meter run with a time of 12:48.
Ramsey finished second in the 1600 in 5:39.
Girard Optimist Club Track Meet
Boys team scores: Carthage 150.5, Chanute 101, Girard 99, Parsons 74, Pittsburg 46, Fort Scott 29, McAuley Catholic 28, St. Mary’s Colgan 26, Riverton 18, Baxter Springs 14.5, Frontenac 6, Southeast 4, Columbus 3.
Girls team scores: Carthage 114, Pittsburg 104.5, Girard 99, St. Mary’s Colgan 74, Fort Scott 56.5, Chanute 50, Baxter Springs 26, Riverton 25, Frontenac 19, McAuley Catholic 18, Parsons 17.5, Columbus 3.5.
Carthage’s Micah Lindsey won two events. A senior, Lindsey won the shot put with a school record toss of 56 feet even. Lindsey also won the discus with a toss of 149-3.
McAuley’s Michael Parrigon took second in the 1600 with a time of 4:42. He was also fourth in the 800.