Hawks fly away with Class 4 titles

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Hazelwood Central’s streak is intact.

The Hawks won the Class 4 team title for the fourth consecutive year. They’re the first Class 4 school to win four titles in a row since the state went to its current class structure in 1974.

“We ran seven of the last eight races, and that’s tough on a body,” Hazelwood Central coach Rich Copenhaver said. “These kids had it in them. They wanted to four-peat and wanted to make history. These kids give all they’ve got at all times; they love to compete, they love to compete.”

Central picked up points all weekend in sprints and relays, but it was the 400-meter dash that really cemented this title. The Hawks scored 21 of their final 62 points as Marcus Davis, Brandon Chunn and Matt Quarrells went first, third and fourth, respectively, in the 400. Only SLUH’s Alex Groesch kept the Hawks from sweeping the top three spots.

“If you see the headband, you know Alex is right beside you,” Davis said. “His kick is out of nowhere, and you never know when or where he’s going to come from.”

The trio were well aware of what was at stake in the event and how important those points would be.

“This is definitely a big event that we were banking on to get quite a few points from,” Quarrells said. “Luckily it came through for us.”

Blue Springs captured second with 40 points, and Truman and CBC tied for third with 35 points.

Counting Davis’ victory in the 400, the Hawks only other event victory came in the 800-meter relay. Kendall Preston, one of four seniors on the team, ran a leg on that relay, and he also scored in the 100, 200 and 400 relay.

“It’s an amazing experience,” said Preston of winning a title all four years of his track career. “I am the only freshman of the class of 2013 to make it all four years with the team. I couldn’t have done it without anyone on this team.”

The celebration at Hazelwood Central will be twice as big after the girls claimed their first Class 4 title since 1988. The Hawks’ two points for their seventh-place finish in the 1,600-meter relay pushed them into first with 49 ½ points. Blue Springs was second with 48 but did not have a squad in the final relay.

Like their boys’ team, the Hazelwood Central girls used one event to cement their place among the trophy winners. Central junior Ashley Henderson captured first in the 200-meter dash in 24.33, and senior teammate Prenecia Ponds was at her side in second place in 24.87 to give the Hawks 18 of the points.

“Outstanding job by them. We needed that, and it put us over the hump,” Hazelwood Central coach Glenn Norwood said. “Last year we finished 10th; the year before that we finished 15th. That’s a major jump from 10th place to first place, and we want to try to keep it going.”

Henderson also scored first-place points in the 100 (11.95) and as the anchor on the 800-meter relay (1:39.86). She had to come from behind to catch Blue Springs’ Gabby Hall on that last leg to earn the relay victory.

“That push was fine for me; I like a push,” Henderson said. “It’s exciting for me and (Ponds) to come to the line one and two. That’s what we’ve talked about; that’s our strategy.”

Howell moved into third place with 44 points after winning the 1,600 relay, and Eureka captured fourth with 42 points.