TROY, Mo. – There was a little drama at the Class 4 Sectional 2 meet Saturday at Troy Buchanan High School.
SLUH’s Daniel Isom clipped a hurdle in the 300-meter hurdles and sent it into the lane of Parkway North’s Elijah McNairy, who ended up tripping on Isom’s hurdle. The infraction resulted in Isom’s DQ and the rerunning of the event following the conclusion of the 3,200-meter relay.
Fort Zumwalt South’s Zakary McCrary did not have to run the race again as he was ahead of the infraction when it happened. He won the race in 38.38, which was not only a PR but his first sub-40 second time, and it ranks as the state’s fastest this spring.
That left the remaining six runners to race again for three qualifying spots. The second running of the 300 hurdles flipped half of the qualifying field. Hazelwood Central’s Tabais Knight held on to his second-place finish. McNairy, who won the 110 hurdles, showed how much the infraction disrupted his run as he improved from seventh to third, and Parkway Central freshman Darius Ramsey jumped one place to secure the final qualifying spot.
“I knew I was going to come out fast and recover from the first one,” said Ramsey, who said the infraction did not impact his first run. “Not at all (nervous). I just blast out as soon as the gun goes off. I just looked at the line the whole time.
“It’s awesome. I love it. I’m ready to go up there and try to get a better place.”
Isom did advance to the MSHSAA Class 3-4 Track & Field Championships next Saturday in Jefferson City by qualifying third in the 110-meter hurdles.
The Class 3 hurdles were less dramatic as North Callaway junior Steven Coleman swept both races.
After winning the 110 hurdles in a PR time 14.55, Coleman said he took a little break before returning for his only other race.
“Today I slept,” Coleman said. “I got something to eat and something to drink and then slept. My coach woke me up and I did a little warm up, stretched a lot, and that’s it.”
He returned for his second race of the day and ran another PR with a 39.77 in the 300 hurdles. Coleman, who said playing football and basketball helped keep him in shape, has been on a mission to prove himself in the hurdles after last year’s state meet.
“I got last in both events (last year),” Coleman said. “I guess I’m more mature. I did a lot more exercises and hurdle stretches. I was a lot more ready this year – physically, mentally, technique, just everything.”
McCluer North junior Jasmine Barge pulled her own hurdle sweep, winning the 100 hurdles in 14.17 and 300 hurdles in 43.18, which was three seconds ahead of second place. Both were PR times, and Barge returns to state in the 300.
“I put more effort into it this year than I did last year, so that’s the big difference,” Barge said. “I ran cross country and indoor. (Cross country) was the worst. I knew that I needed to get stronger in order to be where I am now in the 300 hurdles, so I decided to run it.
Barge also anchored the 800- and 1,600-meter relays to a victory, the last of which put the Stars over the top for the sectional title with 90 points.