JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Donovyn Fowler was close to making history for Joplin; teammate Camryn Ledford did.
The two were Joplin’s highest placing athletes at the MSHSAA Class 5 Track and Field Championships on Thursday at Adkins Stadium. The Eagles had 12 all-state finishes.
Ledford won the para discus, 200, 400- and 800-meter runs to bring home four gold medals.
Fowler nearly joined as a champion but a future Division I athlete relegated Fowler to second place in the triple jump
Fowler had jumped 47-feet, 7 ¼ on his final attempt. Then, he left to get ready to run the 200-meter dash.
Lee’s Summit West’s Johnny Brackins still had a jump left and his final one gave him the championship.
“It was a good battle,” Fowler said. “When I left I was winning and he beat me. I wish I could’ve seen it but I congratulated him. I really respect him and I have looked up to him since I was a freshman. I thought there was no way I could compete with him and today I was able to compete with him. It was a dream come true.”
Fowler finished fourth in the long jump. He and teammate Trayshawn Thomas (seventh place) were walking to the medal stand tent when a 2-plus hour rain shower started. The junior got his medal later in the afternoon, as did Thomas, a senior.
Had he won the triple jump he would’ve been the 11th overall champ in JHS history.
Micah Bruggeman and Hobbs Campbell each had individual medals for the Eagles, while the two were on the 4×800 with Evan Matlock and Ashton Ventura.
“I’m extremely proud of my team getting this far and this is my first team medal in the 4×800,” Bruggeman said. “I’ve had individual medals but not as a team, but that is something I realized in cross (country) and today. I’m sure it will get emotional later. It just started to hit me. Joplin is in very good hands. I love Joplin and I know it is in good hands and those guys will take the reins.”
Campbell took sixth in the 1,600-meter, while Bruggeman was seventh in the 800.
Campbell ran the last leg of the 4×800, which reset the school record in the process with a time of 7:55.66 to take fourth place.
“I knew we were racing for the school record and trying to be top three up there,” Campbell said. “I finished harder than I have in my life.”
Donovahn Watkins also placed fourth for Joplin, throwing 53-3 ¾ in the shot put, which came on his first putt. After that he scratched before landing two more heaves.
Joplin’s boys finished ninth in the team standings with 30 points. Rock Bridge (52), Francis Howell (49.5) and Lee’s Summit (49) were the top three teams.
On the girls side, Joplin’s Jennalee Dunn added an all-state showing in the 1,600-meter run (5:08.81) – adding an all-state medal to go with one she earned in cross country in the fall.
Carthage had a pair of medalists in the final meet for track and field coach Andy Youngworth, who is taking a job at McAuley Catholic next year.
Caleb Calvin was third in the javelin (175-1), while Miguel Solano was sixth in the 800-meter run in his state debut.
Calvin wasn’t near his usual marks but said he was battling a side injury, which held him back a bit.
“It was a little overwhelming with so many people, but I think it was a good experience,” said Calvin, a Pitt State signee.
The only medalist for Neosho was junior Tristen Linders, who took seventh in the discus with a toss of 153-3.
With a time of 1:16.19 Camryn Ledford is your state champion in the para 400M! Great job, Camryn! #goeagles pic.twitter.com/LdMoLgU3V6
— Joplin Athletics (@JHS_Athletics) May 27, 2021
Congrats to Caleb Calvin for placing 3rd in the Javelin at the @MSHSAAOrg Class 5 State Meet!! @CarthageTigerAD @carthagepress @CarthageR9SD pic.twitter.com/IksdhwMVe5
— Carthage Tigers CC Track & Field (@CarthageCC_TF) May 27, 2021
