Cardinal Ritter girls seek fourth straight title

The Cardinal Ritter College Prep girls’ track and field dynasty will be rolling into Jefferson City this weekend to make another run at a state championship. The Lions, who have won three consecutive state championships, will be bringing another loaded squad back to the Class 5 state championships at Jefferson City High. Cardinal Ritter qualified athletes in 12 events and three dominant sprint relays for the state meet.

Senior sprinter Aniyah Brown had a big Sectional one meet at Hillsboro by winning the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes. Junior Kyndall Spain was a sectional champion in the 100-meter high hurdles and 300-meter low hurdles. Senior Hannah Wallace finished first in the high jump and triple jump while Cami Costello finished first in the shot put.Ritter’s sprint relays were also on point as they won the 4×100-meter relay in 47.39 seconds, the 4×200 in one minute 39.94 seconds and the 4×400 in 3:57.15. 

The Lions also qualified Brooklyn Brady and Kayla Watkins in the 100, Brady and Spain in the 200 and McKenzie Rogers in the 400. Freshman Nalia Kerr qualified in both of the hurdles events, Takia Tiller qualified in the triple jump and Sasha Redding qualified in the shot put and discus. The Class 4-5 state championships will be held on Friday and Saturday with the field events beginning at 9:30 a.m. and the running events beginning at 11 a.m. on both days.

*Incarnate Word girls win Class 3 state title

Incarnate Word Academy completed a tremendous year of high school sports by winning the Class 3 state championship last weekend in Jefferson City. The Red Knights added their state championship in track and field to the ones they won in volleyball and basketball this year.

The Red Knights won a close team race to win its first state title in track and field. They scored 43 points, followed by Eldon with 37, Cape Notre Dame with 35 and Mountain Grove with 34.

The Red Knights had two individual state champions as senior Kamari Brown won the discus with a throw of 138 feet 6 inches. Freshman Bailey Hensgen won the high jump with a clearance of 5-7. The Red Knights also won the state title in the 4×200. Ava Tobias placed fifth in the 200 and eighth in the 100. Brown also finished fourth in the shot put and Hensgen was sixth in the long jump.

*More Class 3 State Championship Meet Highlights

*Senior Jaydon Marley of Metro was one of the top individual performers as he won state titles in the 100 and 200 while also finishing fourth in the 400. 

*Senior Martel Coleman of STEAM Academy at McCluer South-Berkeley finished second in the 100 and 200.

*Sophomore Michael Clark of Lutheran North won the 400 and led the Crusaders to a second-place finish in the 4×400.

*Lutheran North also won the state title in the 4×100-meter relay.

*Senior Jacobi Green of Vashon won the state title in the discus with a throw of 168-1.

*Lift for Life Academy won the state championship in the 4×100. St. Mary’s was third and Lutheran North was fourth in the event.

*Sophomore Chris Tao of John Burroughs finished second in the 800-meter run and led the Bombers to a second-place finish in the 4×800.

*Senior Marnell Green of STEAM Academy at McCluer South-Berkeley earned all-state honors by finishing eighth in the 110-meter high hurdles and 300-meter intermediate hurdles.