Despite a weather delay and cooler temperatures, the 2021 Class 5 State Track and Field Championships were a success and there were several record breaking performances.
Cardinal Ritter won the Class 5 Girls State Championship with a total of 64 points. Lee's Summit West took second with 58, Blue Springs was third with 43.5, and Rock Bridge was fourth with 37.
Aniyah Brown picked up two individual state titles for the Lions, winning both the 100m and 200m with new Class 5 State Meet Records of 11.77 and 24.08. She also anchored their state championship 4x200m team along with Alexis Taylor, Brooklyn Brady, and Charlye Moody. Their 4x100m team of Taylor, Brady, Moody, and Brayanna Washington also brought home a state title. Washington also took sixth place in the 100m, and Brady was fifth in the 200m. The Lions 4x400m team of Brown, Hannah Wallace, Moody, and Mckiya Taylor also took third place. Wallace took fourth in the 300H, fifth in triple jump, and seventh in high jump as well. Alexis Taylor also placed 8th in the triple jump to round out the scoring for champs.
Kiara Strayhorn (Capital City) broke the all class state meet record in the long jump with a massive leap of 6.06m to win the state title. She also won the 100H state title, and finished second in the high jump. Eliza Maupin (Webster Groves) broke the Class 5 state meet record in high jump with a jump of 1.72m to win that title.
Rachel Homoly (Liberty) added another record to her list with the Class 5 state meet record in the pole vault with a vault of 3.89m.
Cydney Banks (Lee's Summit West) broke the Class 5 state meet record in shot put that was formerly held by another Titan with a throw of 13.87m. She also won the state championship in discus with a throw of 43.31m.
Cali Essick (Branson) broke the Class 5 state meet record in the triple jump with a leap of 11.99m, and was also second in the long jump, and eighth in the 200m.
Rock Bridge won the Class 5 Boys State title with 52 points, Francis Howell was second with 49.5, Lee's Summit was third with 49, and Hickman was fourth with 48 points.
Casey Hood picked up an individual state title for the Bruins in the 200m, and also placed second in the 100m. Chris Giles won a state title title in the 400m, while Matthew Hauser picked up a silver medal in both the 1600m and 3200m. Their 4x200m team of Giles, Cooper Allen, Marterrion Smith, and Hood took second place to wrap up the scoring for the champions.
Johnny Brackins (Lee's Summit) broke the Class 5 state meet record in the 110H with a time of 13.79. He also picked up state titles in both the long and triple jump, and anchored Lee's Summit's fourth place 4x400m team.
Ethan Lee (Liberty North) picked up two individual state titles with wins in both the 800m and 1600m. To add to that he also picked up two relay state titles in the 4x400m and the 4x800m where he split 1:51 on the anchor leg.
