It has been 25 years since the Hazelwood Central girls won a state championship in track and field.
The wait ended last weekend as the Hawks outlasted a very competitive field to win the Missouri Class 4 state title in Jefferson City. The Hawks finished with 49.5 points, edging second-place Blue Springs, which scored 48 points. Defending state champion Francis Howell was third with 44 points while Eureka took fourth with 42.
Junior sprinter Ashley Henderson enjoyed a big state meet for the Hawks, winning the 100- and 200-meter dashes. Prenecia Ponds was also fourth in the 100 and second in the 200.
The 4×200-meter relay team of Henderson, Ponds, Devin Torbertand Alliah McClendon brought home a state title in 1 minute 39.86 seconds. Alexis Miller was fourth in the high jump while the 4×400-meter relay team finished in seventh place to seal the state title.
Francis Howell’s Whitney Adams defended her state title in the 400 in a winning time of 55.3 seconds. Adams also anchored the Vikings to a state title in the 4×400 as Howell edged McCluer North in a great race. The Vikings winning time was 3:49.06.
Other area Class 4 girls state champions included Kimberlin Simon of McCluer North, who won the 100-meter high hurdles in 14.52. Amber Alexander of Parkway North won the high jump by clearing 5 feet 6 inches.
Hannah Long of Eureka won the 800- and 1,600-meter runs while anchoring the Wildcats to a victory in the 4×800. Nataliyah Friar of Holt repeated as a state champion in the triple jump. Jill Whitman of Cor Jesu won the 3,200-meter run while McCluer North’s team of Kiana Harvey, Jayla Riggins, Rachel Culberson and Jennifer Watt won the 4×100.
In the girls Class 3 state meet, Lutheran South finished in second place with 47 points. Sophomore spinter Maya Cody won the 400 and finshed second in the 100 and 200. Cody also anchored South’s 4×200 to a second-place finish.
Cardinal Ritter’s team of Olivia Bruce, Julia Green, Ashli Isbell and Tyra Wooten won the 4×200. MICDS won the 4×400 with the crew of Julia Olson, Geneva Lee, Pam Ekpelu and CeCe Moore. Soldan did a solid job in the relays as it finished second in the 4×400, third in the 4×100 and third in the 4×200.
