Hazelwood
Central and Cahokia brought home state championships from their
respective state meets last weekend. Hazelwood Central won the
Missouri Class 4 state title while Cahokia won the Illinois Class
2A state championship. Both schools celebrated their third state
championships in boys track.
Hazelwood
Central needed a dramatic victory in the 4×400-meter relay to
clinch its second consecutive state championship. It was the last
event of the day with three teams still in the running for the
overall team championship had relay teams entered. The team of Cole
Davis, Sean Wills, Marc Franks and Michael Hester won the title 3
minutes 17.61 seconds. Franks rallied the Hawks with an excellent
48.2-second third leg to bring the team from fifth place to first.
Hester brought it home on the anchor leg to seal the Hawks’ repeat
state title.
Hester
also won the 200 and 400 in times of 21.96 and 47.7 seconds. Franks
also finished fifth in the 100 and seventh in the 400. The Hawks
also finished fourth in the 4×800-meter relay.
“font-family: Verdana;”>Cahokia “font-family: Verdana;”>was dominant in winning its Class 2 state title with 62 points, which was 18 points more than its nearest competitor. The dynamic duo of Vernon Carter and LaDerrick Ward came up big for the Comanches. Carter won the triple jump with an effort of 47 feet 5 inches while Ward was second with a 46-4 ½. Carter and Ward also finished in third and fourth place in the long jump.
The
4×400-meter relay team of Ward, Kenny Ball, Darren Payton and
Marlin Brady won the state title in a state-record time of 3
minutes 18.2 seconds. Carter also finished second in the 300-meter
intermediate hurdles while Bell finished seventh. Carter was also
seventh in the 110-meter high hurdles. Brady finished fourth in the
400.Â
“font-family: Verdana;”>McCluer South 2nd in 3
McCluer
South-Berkeley turned in a strong performance in finishing second
in the Class 3 team standings. Standout sprinter Lonnell Watkins
won the 100, 200 and anchored the 4×100 and 4×200-meter relay teams
to state titles. The team of Camron Hampton, David Jones, Cory
Williams and Jordan Wood won the 4×400-meter relay. The 4×200 team
of Watkins, Hampton, Wood and Jones set a new state record of
1:27.09. The 4×100 championship team consisted of Watkins, Jones,
Hampton and Ross Blakley.
“font-family: Verdana;”>Summit “font-family: Verdana;”>2nd in 4
Rockwood
Summit finished second in the Class 4 team standings on the
strength of its middle distance. Daniel Mazar won the 800-meter run
while teammate Curt Wood finished third. Mazar, Wood joined Devonte
Harris and Aaden Aaden on the 4×800-meter relay team that won a
state title.Â
“font-family: Verdana;”>Westminster
3rd in
3
“font-family: Verdana;”>Westminster Christian took home a third-place trophy in the Class 3 team standings. They were led by senior twins Daniel and David Everett. Daniel won the 1,600-meter run with a time of 4:08.43 while David finished second. David was second in the 3,200-meter run while Daniel finished third. The Everetts also led the Wildcats to a state title in the 4×800-meter relay. Daniel Everett also finished third in the 800. MICDS finished fourth in the Class 3 boys meet to bring home a trophy.
“font-family: Verdana;”>Burroughs hurdler wins
Sophomore
Ezekiel Elliott of John Burroughs won the Class 3 state title in
the 110-meter high hurdles. Elliott also finished second in the
300-meter intermediate hurdles. Alfred Larry of Jennings won the
Class 3 state title in the 400-meter dash while freshman Charles
Jones of Cardinal Ritter was second.
“font-family: Verdana;”>Â
“font-family: Verdana;”>Other winners
Diondre
Canaday of McCluer North won the Class 4 state championship in the
shot put. Junior Jehu Chesson of Ladue won the Class 4 state title
in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles. Chesson also ran a leg on
the Rams’ 4×200 relay team that also won a state title. Kenny
Cushing of Wentzville Holt won the Class 4 state title in the
1,600-meter run with a tremendous finishing kick down the stretch.
Cushing led Holt to a fourth-place finish in the Class 4 team
standings.
On
the Illinois side
Belleville West finished third in the Class 3A
team standings to bring home a trophy. The Maroons won the
4×100-meter relay state title as the team of Devonte Ridley, Tyree
Buchanan, Raymond Scott and Jeremy Randolph circled the track in
41.87. The Maroons also finished second in the 4×200 and
4×400-meter relays. Freshman Adoree’ Jackson of Belleville East
finished second in the long jump while Marcus Mason of Granite City
was third in the high jump.
