For more reasons than one, Brandon Taute was in a good mood when the Joplin Invitational track and field meet concluded on Friday night.
For starters, the head coach of the Joplin Eagles was elated that Friday’s wet weather did not cancel or cause any major issues for his team’s home meet.
And secondly, Taute was thrilled with how his boys and girls performed.
Joplin’s boys finished second in the team standings with 166 points, just 1.5 points behind Webb City. The JHS girls finished fourth behind Webb City, Nevada and Neosho.
Throughout the meet, athletes competed in a light rain and in temperatures that hovered around 50 degrees.
“We were concerned with the weather and how we’d respond,” Taute told SoMo Sports. “You never know how your kids are going to come out in these types of situations, but I thought they were mentally focused and they accepted the challenge. I thought both teams did a really good job. And I thought the meet went pretty smooth.”
JHS BOYS SHINE
Joplin once again had a stellar showing, as the Eagles won eight events and finished second in four others.
“I thought it was a really good team effort across the board,” Taute said. “Donovahn Watkins had a huge throw in shot and we’d been waiting to see him breakout. We were super strong in the distance events like we’ve been all year. Hobbs (Campbell) had another good meet and Micah (Bruggeman) is starting to get back into form. All of our relays were good. Our jumpers, Donovyn (Fowler) and Trayshawn (Thomas), were solid again. We were just solid across the board.”
As far as individual event winners, Joplin’s Hobbs Campbell crossed the line first in both the 1600 (4:25) and the 3200 (9:46), while Nathan Glades won the 100-meter dash in 11.53.
Donovyn Fowler won the long jump and took second in both the triple jump and 200, while Watkins won the shot put and Bruggeman was the runner-up in the 800.
The Eagles definitely fared well in the relays.
Joplin won the 4×100 relay in 45.51, with Glades, Trayshawn Thomas, Dominick Simmons and Fowler competing.
The Eagles also took first in the 4×200, as Glades, Luke Vieselmeyer, Simmons and Evan Overstreet recorded a time of 1:36.
Joplin’s 4×800 relay team of Nicholas Horton, Ryan Byers, Ashton Ventura and Zaben Barnes took first in 8:28.
Joplin was second in the 4×400, with Vieselmeyer, Ventura, Horton and Bruggeman running.
Thomas was third in the triple jump, while Horton (800), Bruggeman (1600), Barnes (3200) and Watkins (discus) all finished fourth in their respective events.
Fifth-place finishers were Gustavo Onate (400), Evan Matlock (1600, 3200), Korey Read (110 H) and Thomas (long jump), while Thomas (100) and Triston Stogsdill (300 H) took sixth.
DUNN LEADS JHS GIRLS
The Joplin girls compiled 99 points and finished fourth out of nine teams. 
“I thought they all did really well,” Taute said. “Jennalee Dunn had a great day, like she always does. Our distance girls and all of our relays were really good. Allie Lawrence had a good meet as far as the sprints and the vault.”
A junior, Dunn won two individual events and ran a leg of a winning relay.
Dunn crossed the line first in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:32 and also won the 1600 in 5:32.
The JHS girls won the 4×800 relay in 10:28, with Alexandra Carson, Jackaline Triplett, Dunn and Allie Keizer competing.
Joplin’s 4×200 relay team of Kylie Anderson, Isabella Yust, Emily Clifford and Lawrence took third, while the 4×400 team of Kennedy Schwartz, Tatiana Potter, Carson and Dunn placed fourth.
Joplin’s 4×100 relay team of Anderson, Lawrence, Yust and Bailey Ledford finished fifth.
Lawrence was the runner-up in the 200 and took third in the pole vault, while Keizer placed third in the 3200.
Logan Bruggeman was fourth in the 300 hurdles, Claire Jasper finished fourth in the shot put and Alayna Merriman was fifth in the javelin.
Sixth-place finishers for the JHS girls were Abigail Eckert (100), Yust (200), Mya Ndedi-Ntepe (400), Mairi Beranek (3200) and Jovi Frost (discus). Kirsten Thom was seventh in the high jump.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Joplin travels to Willard on Thursday.
Note: See a related story for results of the other area teams.
JOPLIN INVITATIONAL
Boys team standings: Webb City 167.5, Joplin 166, Rogers Heritage 106.5, Neosho 90, Nevada 41.5, McDonald County 37.5, Carthage 33, Columbus 28, Carl Junction 23.5, Riverton 17.5.
Girls team standings: Webb City 129, Nevada 121, Neosho 102.5, Joplin 99, Carl Junction 98, Carthage 62, Riverton 38.5, Columbus 34, McDonald County 31.
FULL RESULTS: Joplin Varsity 2021 – Complete Results (Raw) (milesplit.com)
