Tiger Tale
Jacob Meyers made it two years in a row a Class 4 runner completed the rare distance sweep, winning the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs.
The Festus senior went a step further, completing the distance quad, winning all three individual races and doing his part in the 4x800-meter relay. Meyers made it to the top of the awards podium 4 times, taking 4 gold medals home and writing his name in the history books as just one of a couple to do so in the middle distance/distance events.
Meyers was the Class 4 state cross country runner-up in the fall, leading Festus to a state record-breaking 8th straight state cross country team title. He kicked off his final meet as a Tiger in the 4x800 on day one of the meet. He received the baton for his anchor leg in first place, just slightly.
Meyers battled Hillsboro's Josh Allison and Lincoln College Prep's Elliot Abnos. Alison was on his shoulder and Abnos just behind him on the first lap. Meyers exploded on the final lap, leaving no doubt about the outcome. Festus won in 7:57. 39. Meyers split 1:54.67, easily the fastest in the race, ahead of Allison's next best of 1:57.04.The only faster splits of the meet was El Dorado Springs' Daelen Ackley and his 1:54.55 Class 3 anchor leg, taking the Bulldogs from 5th to 3rd.
Six and a half hours later, Meyers battled a good field in the 3200. At the bell, Rolla senior Nathanel Pohlsander had a 1/3 of a second lead on Meyers. Meyers shifted gears, moved to the lead, and pulled away. He closed in 61-seconds, finishing in 9:13.19. On day two, Meyers cruised to victory in the 1600 by 2.5-seconds in 4:16, with splits of 61, 68, 67, and 59-seconds.
Two hours later, Meyers toed the line for a final time in a Festus uniform, in the 800-meters. He and Willard senior Thomas Shuster went out quick and he followed Shuster at the bell, 56.20 to 56.31-seconds. After 15 laps logged already at the state meet, Meyers closed his final lap in 58.15 to win in 1:54.46, nearly two full seconds ahead of Shuster and the rest of the field.
Meyers reacted to being the first across the finish line each time with a celebratory roar and flex.
Festus senior Jacob Meyers completed a successful distance quad, winning the 4x8, 800, 1600, and 3200-meter races.
He competed individually at state in the 800 (eighth) and 3,200 (fifth) last year. Meyers has signed to run cross country and track at Wichita State.
West Plains' Riley Simpson won the Class 4 800, 1,600 and 3,200-meter races last year.
The 4x800 win was the third straight state title in the event for the Tigers, this time featuring Ian Schram, Nathan Wolk, Meyers and Brynen Johnson, the only newcomer from the quartet from the 2021 title. The Tigers also won in 2019.
Read more about the Class 4 boys state rack recap on the next page