As the 2013 Track & Field Season approaches we thought it would be a good idea to bring you a Top 10 list. Each week throughout the season we will bring you a random list on all things Missouri Track & Field related. We are already working on assembling a panel to assist us with future topics. If you have a suggestion please feel free to comment on this article or send an email to peverett@milesplit.com
As we get ready for the outdoor season we thought we would look back at the top 10 performances of the 2013 Indoor season.
1. Aaron Mallett, McCluer North, SR
Mallett, who was first in last spring’s Class 4 110H, has established himself on the national scene over the winter. He won the high hurdle race all across the Midwest before getting invited to compete in Seattle at the Brooks PR Invitational. There, he won the race over former teammate Freddie Crittenden, recording the third fastest time this season, 7.80 for the 60m hurdles. He also ran a personal best 7.36 in the 55m hurdles, the fourth best time in that event.
2. Nataliyah Friar, Holt, SR
Friar, two-time champ in the triple jump, furthered her PR over the winter, jumping 40-4. The LSU signee only competed twice, at a qualifying meet and the Big River HS Championships, but won both the long jump and triple jump in both meets. Her triple jump mark puts her sixth in the nation while her long jump of 18-9 ranks her 14th.
3. Amos Bartelsmeyer, MICDS, SR
For Batelsmeyer, it started out with a bang. He went down to Arkansas and ran a 4:13.26 mile, just under four seconds faster than last year. The same day, he doubled back to run a blistering 1:52.56, also four seconds faster than last year. It was no surprise that Brooks invited him out to Seattle where he dropped his season best time down to 1:52.28. Future Georgetown Hoya, Bartelsmeyer is currently ranked 10th in the 800m and 13th in the 1600m/Mile.
4. Madeline Middlebrooks, Ft. Zumwalt West, SR
Middlebrooks, who signed with Oregon this winter, excelled in an event that most Missouri track athletes have never heard of - the weight throw. Winning the Big River HS Championship, she recorded a personal best of 56-6.75 to put her seventh in the nation for this event.
5. Zach Reed, Festus, SR
Talk about some improvement. Coming into this winter, Reed had a personal best of 14-6. He cleared 13-6 to just miss out an All-State last year. The first three meets Reed tied his PR but that didn’t last too long. He cleared 15-3 in last January to finally set a new personal best. At the Big River HS Championship, he knocked his personal best up a couple more inches, winning the title in 15-6 (two feet better than his state meet performance and a foot better than his PR coming into the season).
6. Harvey Kendall, Grandview, JR
Kendall, who was 8th in last spring’s Class 3 High jump, is one of three Missouri athletes who have cleared 6-6. This mark ties them at 42nd in the nation. The thing that is most impressive about this mark is he did it in December. He also jumped a personal best of 20-5 in the long jump which is the fourth best mark in the state.
7. (Tie) Darrell Burns, Wheaton, SR
The top high jump returner, Burns cleared 6-6 at the Missouri Southern Lion Invitational in early February.
7. (Tie) Landon Bartel, Southern Boone County, JR
Bartel, who was fifth last year in the Class 3 High Jump, tied his personal best for the HJ, winning the Big River HS Championships.
9. Alysiah Whittaker, Northwest, SR
The runner-up in the Class 4 Shot Put last spring, Whittaker had a phenomenal indoor season. She increased her personal best by 8 inches, winning the Arkansas HS Invitational in a mark of 41-9.25. She competed all across the Midwest, winning the Shot Put in four events. She also is ranked fourth in the state for LJ with a mark of 16-8 which is also a personal best for Whittaker.
10. Josh McDonald, Timberland, SR
This will probably be the only time we could put McDonald this far down on a list. The future Badger, McDonald threw a PR in the Shot Put of 56-11.5. He won this event at four different meets including the Arkansas HS Invitational and the Big River HS Championships.