The 2023 Missouri Outdoor Season Preview


Class 2

The Boys

The Sprinters and Hurdlers


Beau Hall - Miller

Miller's Beau Hill is among the best Class 2 returning sprinters as he enters the 2023 season second in both the 100 and 200 meter dashes. In 2022, Hall was a state qualifier in both events, earning a 4th place medal in the 100 and finishing 16th in the 200.

Hall is coming off a major breakthrough season and should continue to climb as he heads into his senior campaign. He's one of three boys under 11 seconds in the 100 (10.99) and one of two boys under 23 in the 200 (22.84). 

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Samuel Jones - Osceola

Among Class 2 200 meter runners, Samuel Jones is the top returner with a 22.74 personal best. He was 8th in the event last May and enters the 2023 season as one of only two boys under 23 seconds. 

Jones was also 7th in the 100 meter dash at the 2022 Class 2 state meet and returns with the 5th best mark in that event. His 11.04 puts him in position to compete for state titles in both the 100 and 200 meter dashes. 

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Carson Stockdale - Plattsburg

Plattsburg's Carson Stockdale is the top returner in the 400 meter dash by a very wide margin. With his 50.75 personal best, Stockdale is the only Class 2 returner in the 400 meter dash under 51 and 52 seconds. 

Stockdale may be moving up to the distance events after finishing out his cross country season with a 17:45.90 personal best and top 45 finish at the Class 2 state XC meet. He has already posted 1600 and 3200 marks at the UCM Mule Relays this week, after all. But with that 400 speed and the 5K base, we could see Stockdale become a solid contender in the 400/800 range this spring. 

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Austin Ball - Christian

The top Class 2 returner in the 110 Meter Hurdles is Christian's Austin Ball. His 15.61 best from 2022 helped him get to the Class 2 state finals before he ran 15.72 for a 3rd place medal. He was the state runner-up in 2021. 

Ball joins his teammate Isaac States as the top 2 returners in the 300 Meter Hurdles, as well. States is actually No. 1 in the 300s with a 40.10 best, but has only broken 44 seconds once (now twice) besides that race. Ball was not in that race so it may have been an entry error, but regardless, Ball holds the No. 2 spot with a 40.71 mark. He was 4th overall at the Class 2 state meet last spring. 


Shakor George - Lafayette County

Shakor (D'Arius) George is 3rd best among Class returners in the 300 Meter Hurdles and 4th in the 110 Meter Hurdles. He was a state qualifier in both events in 2022, placing 13th in the 110s and 5th in the 300s. George's personal best in the 110s of 15.94 was a massive 4 second drop from his freshman year and his 40.89 best in the 300s makes him the only other returner under 41 besides the two Christian High athletes.

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Richard Woodhouse - Skyline

Skyline's Richard Woodhouse earns a mention in this preview as he owns a lifetime best in the 100 meter dash of 10.74 and is the top 2023 returner based on his 10.90 2022 season best. 

Woodhouse's numbers show that he is usually in the mid-to-low 11 second range, but also show the capability to go under 11 as he has on three separate occasions over the last two years. Call it a fluke, call it timing errors, call it what you will, Woodhouse is still a four-time state qualifier, though he has yet to earn a medal at the Jefferson City Invitational. He was the dreaded 9th last year in the 100. Watch for the senior to compete for a state title in the 100 and 200, as well as the long jump with his 20-3.25 personal best. 

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The Distance Runners


Charlie Kinslow - West Platte

West Platte's Charlie Kinslow is one of the top returning distance athletes in Class 2 after a very successful junior 2022 season in the 800 and 1600 meter runs.

Kinslow returns as the far-and-away best half miler in Class 2 with a 1:57.00 personal best from last summer's AAU Junior Olympics. He finished out the Missouri season at 1:58.30 - undefeated until his 3rd place finish at the state meet - but ran under 1:58 twice over the summer. Having to race Keion Grieve three times really seemed to help. 

Kinslow also heads into 2023 with the third best 1600, just two seconds behind the top two. After going undefeated in that event, too, he ran 4:28.24 for 7th at last year's state meet. He's coming off a solid cross country season in which he ran 16:23.80 and ended up third at the state meet, as well as indoor bests of 52.28 and 2:02.21 this winter, and should be considered the top middle distance runner pound for pound in Class 2.

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Conner Diaz - Steelville

Conner Diaz is coming off a big cross country season in which he finally got over the hump, running his first personal best 5K since his freshman year (16:15.00), and earning his first state level gold.

Now as we head into the 2023 season, Diaz is the 2nd best returner in the 800 with a 1:59.31 mark and 4th among 1600 returners with his 4:28.98. He was 6th and 8th for his Steelville squad in both events at last year's state meet. The Columbia College commit should be a strong contender for gold medals in the 800 and 1600 this spring, and should not be counted out if he decides to bump up to the 3200. 

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Kyle Hagemeyer - Calvary Lutheran

The top Class 2 retuner in the 1600 and 3200 is Calvary Lutheran's Kyle Hagemeyer. Hagemeyer enters the 2023 season with personal bests of 4:26.26 and 9:57.15, respectively, making him one of only four boys under 4:30 and the only one under 10:00. He sports a lifetime best of 9:52.80 in the 3200 from 2021.

Hagemeyer was 4th in both the 1600 and 3200 last May. He's also heading into the spring after a cross country season in which he blitzed a 15:53.0 5K personal best and finished 8th overall at the Class 2 state meet. Hagemeyer is the preseason favorite for golds in the 1600 and 3200.

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Blaine Broderson - Stover

Stover's Blaine Broderson returns for the 2023 season as one of the most well-rounded distance runners in Class 2. He boasts personal bests in the top 5 among all athletes in the 800, 1600, and 3200.

Broderson took a major leap forward in his junior year track season, particularly at the Class 2 state track meet where he posted his personal bests of 2:01.85, 4:26.90, and 10:04.20 in the 800, 1600, and 3200. In a busy weekend, he came away with medals in the 1600 (5th) and 3200 (6th), while finishing 9th in the 800.

Broderson closed out his fall cross country season with a heavy heart after losing his brother to a tragic car accident and was able to snag a runner-up medal at the Class 2 state meet in the face of this adversity. He should be considered among the top 5 athletes heading into all 3 distance events this spring.

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Houston Parker - Blue Eye

After losing some strong teammates to graduation this past spring, Blue Eye's Houston Parker will look to carry the torch for the Bulldogs from the southern border.

Parker is the third best returner in the 800 meter run with a 2:00.95 best. He was 5th at last year's state meet with that mark. After another solid cross country season, we're looking to see if Parker may branch out to the 1600 and 3200 to fill in the gaps that some of his teammates have left.

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The Jumpers and Vaulters


Cooper Francis - Salisbury

It is very rare that a state champion finishes 3rd and 4th in their district and sectional meets, respectively, but still brings home the gold at the state meet. Salisbury's Cooper Francis returns with the 3rd best mark among Class 2 athletes - a 21-11 mark which got him 3rd at the district meet - but he has the 2022 gold medal to his name nonetheless, making him one of the top contenders for the crown in 2023.

Francis is also 6th in the high jump with a 6-1.5 mark from 2022, though his lifetime best of 6-3.25 earned him a runner-up finish at the Class 2 state meet in 2021. He's also 19th in the triple jump with a 39-10.75 mark.

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Jeremy Bennett - Milan

Tops among returners based on best marks in the long jump and triple jump is Milan's Jeremy Bennett.

Bennett was 8th overall at last year's Class 2 state meet in the long jump, but was well behind his personal best from the Class 2 District 3 meet. He ended up with the district title there with a mark of 22-4.5.

Bennett was also 3rd in the Class 2 triple jump in 2021 and can boast a lifetime best mark of 45-7.75, which gives him 2 of the top 3 marks among Class 2 returners as he was already Class 2 No. 1 with a 44-3.5.

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Waylon DeGrave - Monroe City

If we're talking about lifetime bests, Monroe City's Waylon DeGrave is actually the top Class 2 returner, though the 2022 rankings may not reflect that fact.

In 2021, as a freshman, DeGrave nearly cleared 14 meters, settling for 45-8.75. It was the 6th best mark among Missouri freshmen all-time, behind some of the state's all-time greats. A rough day at the office at the Class 2 District 4 meet held DeGrave out of the running for a state title in his freshman campaign. 

In 2022, DeGrave really hit his consistent stride in both the triple and long jump, earning 3rd place medals at the state meet in both, but falling well short of his triple jump best from the year before. He'll enter the 2023 season as the No. 3 returner based on 2022 marks in the triple jump (43-7.5) and No. 2 in the long jump (22-1.75).

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Will Carlton - Marionville

Wil Carlton and Putnam County's Blaine Perkins are tied among Class 2 returners in the high jump with a best mark of 6-6. Carlton gets the nod for the purposes of this preview article as a result of his state finish.

Marionville's Carlton was one of the most consistent high jumpers in the entire state last spring, posting a mark no worse than 6 feet in each of his 8 meets. He ended up 5th at the Class 2 state meet for the second straight year.

Carlton is also among the top 20 returners in the long jump and top 25 in the triple jump. While he has some room for growth in the horizontal jumps, it seems that he is among the ones to beat for the Class 2 gold in the high jump this spring.

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John Carswell - School of the Ozarks

Another rare feat occurred in which an athlete who had cleared 4 meters during the regular season posted a no-height at the district meet. Nevertheless, School of the Ozarks senior John Carswell enters as the top Class 2 returner in the pole vault.

The 6th place finisher in 2021, Carswell appears already on a mission to reclaim a spot on the podium. This winter, Carswell has already far surpassed his previous overall personal best of 13-3.5 with two separate clearances of 14-0 at the Arkansas High School Invitational and Prentice Gudgen in Pitt State. He is the runaway favorite for the state title in the event as only two athletes are even within a foot of him.

Not to be outdone, Carswell is also the 4th best returner among triple jumpers. He earned a 4th place finish at last year's state meet with his 42-7 personal best.

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The Throwers

Hayden Dixon - Schuyler County

Hayden Dixon exploded this indoor season and has become not only the best returning thrower in Class 2 or even the state of Missouri, but also the entire country.

Dixon went undefeated in the 5 meets in which he participated, breaking his outdoor personal best of 60-3.75 in 4 of the 5. He was over 19 meters twice, including a massive 19.57m (64-2.5) chuck for the national championship at New Balance Nationals Indoor. 

He returns for the 2023 outdoor season after finishing 2nd in the Class 2 shot put and 5th at the sectional meet in the discus. With one outdoor meet in the books already, he's cleared his outdoor personal bests in the shot and discus with marks of 62-11 and 163-10.5. He's certainly poised to dominate Class 2 in the shot put and discus as he prepares for his NCAA Division 1 career at the University of Missouri

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Shon Stark - Highland

The top Class 2 returner in the discus is Highland's Shon Stark. Stark heads into the 2023 campaign a whopping 4.99 meters ahead of the next closest competitor.

With his 50.57m (165-11) mark, Stark is the only returner over 50 meters and should be considered the odds-on favorite to win the Class 2 title once again this year. He's also 4th among shot put returners with his 47-5.25 best and will be looking to improve upon his 6th place finish from the district meet and grab hardware at the state meet there this time around.

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Joseph Lepak - Summit Christian Academy

Among Class 2 javelin returners, Summit Christian's Joseph Lepak is tops.

Lepak sits well ahead of Malden's Rylan Bell as the only Class 2 athlete with a mark over 50, 51, 52, and 53 meters, and one of only two over 49 meters. Lepak's best of 53.65 (176-0.25) is No. 7 among all Missourians heading into 2023, regardless of class, and makes him the clear favorite for the javelin title this spring after finishing 4th last season. 

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Brenin Howell - Westran

He may be well behind Hayden Dixon for the top shot put spot, but Westran's Brenin Howell is Class 2's No. 2 returner in the event for the 2023 season.

Howell heads into 2023 with a personal best almost 3 meters behind Dixon, but still pretty stellar in its own right. He threw 52-1.25 at the Brookfield Gary Ewing Invitational last spring. At the Class 2 state meet, he finished 5th, capping off a season in which he finished over 15 meters 11 different times. 

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After a year in Class 3, Jefferson R-VII is back down to Class 2 which means Konner Armstrong is one of the top 3 returners in the shot put and discus. 

He was already one of the top throwers in the state in Class 3 so the move doesn't do much but just change the weekend on which he'll be throwing for state hardware. Armstrong is No. 3 in both events with a 51-6.5 best in the shot put and 148-0.75 best in the discus. He was 9th in the shot put in Class 3 last year and did not make it out of the district in the discus. 

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The Team Outlook

With several of 2022's best athletes being seniors, and teams (Lawson, Lutheran North, Whitfield) moving in and out of Class 2, it truly is anyone's race for the top 4 spots at the state meet. 

As it stands, we are looking at Putnam County, Christian O'Fallon, Lafayette County, and Monroe City to challenge for those 4 trophies. Putnam County is led by Blaine Perkins primarily, as he picks up significant points in the 100, 200, and high jump. Pole vaulter Jake Rouse is the other key piece as he returns Class 2 No. 5 with a 12-6 clearance. 

Christian O'Fallon is led by 110/300m Hurdle specialist Austin Bell. Bell scores 20 points as the top returner in both events. Ronan Hardwicke is Christian's standout distance runner this year as he comes in ranked 7th in the 800 and 1600, and 4th in the 3200. Isaac States may or may not be a low 40s 300 Meter Hurdler, but with a teammate like Bell pushing him along, he could certainly provide insurance for the Eagles this May. Another dark horse emerging early is sophomore Judah Schroer (Mercedes' brother?) who has already posted a 52.23 best in the 400.

Lafayette County and Monroe City are both led by individual standouts as the Huskers have Shakor (D'Arius) George in the hurdles and sprints and the Panthers have Waylon DeGrave in the horizontal jumps. Cameron Jones and Gage Woolen are also sprint studs for Monroe City and could combine with some others to continue their recent run of success in the relays. They're no stranger to the podium, so we should expect them to challenge for another state-shaped trophy this spring.

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State Virtual Meet


The Girls

The Sprinters

Olivia Rogers - North Platte

There should be no question that the top returning sprinter in Class 2 is North Platte's Olivia Rogers. 

Rogers heads into to 2023 season coming off state championships in both the 100 and 200 meter dashes in 2022. She posted personal bests of 12.17 in the 100 and 25.24 in the 200 to go along with those state golds, while also leading her squad to golds in the 4x100 and 4x200 relays. 

By time, Rogers is the top returner in both the 100 and 200 and, after a winter in which she posted marks of 7.88 in the 60m dash and 26.03 in the 200m dash, should be slated for another big season before heading to Missouri State University. 

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Lillian Wilson - South Harrison

Coming in at MO No. 3 among Class 2 returners in the 100 meter dash is South Harrison's Lillian Wilson. 

Wilson won her first 10 straight 100 meter races last spring before finishing 3rd at the district meet, 2nd at the sectional meet in her personal best of 12.54, and 2nd at the state meet. She is also top 20 among 200m returners and top 15 among long jumpers.

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Antwanasia Bloniarz-Smoot - Malden

One of a dynamic duo for the Malden Green Wave, Antwanasia Bloniarz-Smoot heads into the 2023 season ranked 5th among Class 2 returners in the 200 meter dash and 7th in the 100 meter dash. She garners the mention in our preview after earning a 3rd place medal at last year's Class 2 state meet in the 200, to go along with an 8th place medal in 2021, making her one to watch in the half-lap sprint. 

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Lindsay Ramsey - North Platte

North Platte raced to a dominating team victory in Class 2 last spring, thanks in part to the afore-mentioned Rogers as well as Lindsay Ramsey. 

Ramsey enters the 2023 season with top tier marks in the 200 and 400, sitting just a few ticks behind her teammate with a 25.46 in the 200 and a couple seconds behind incoming Father Tolton star Elyse Wilmes in the 400 with a 58.90 best. She was 6th in the 200 and 2nd in the 400 last May as a freshman. 

Ramsey is another major player in the Panthers' success and should be a high point scorer individually, as well as an important relay piece.

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Sadie McCulloh - Sherwood

Heading into the Class 2 state finals in the 100 meter hurdles, Sydney McCulloh had lost only twice in 11 tries in 2022. She had the coveted lane 4 in finals and was coming off a personal best 15.41 from prelims. In finals, she did the thing every hurdler dreads and clipped a hurdle, but was still able to cross the line in 8th. 

Heading into the 2023 season, McCulloh is 3rd among 100m Hurdle returners behind two girls we'll preview in the jumps section. She's also 4th among returners in the 300m Hurdles with her 47.26 best, a time that earned her a 3rd place medal at the state meet. Not to be outdone, her 5.07m mark in the long jump is 6th among returners and she'll hope to improve upon that 9th place state finish.

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Mirabella Redman - Maysville

Maysville's Mirabella Redman was utterly dominant in the 300 Meter Hurdles last spring. 

Redman was 14-for-14 in the event in 2022, winning the Class 2 state championship in 45.97, nearly a second and a half ahead of the next closest runner. Her 45.31 personal best from prelims has her over a second and a half ahead of Jasper's Crystal Smith for the top mark among returners. 

Redman is also a talented pole vaulter and high jumper. She has the No. 3 mark in the pole vault (10-1.25) and finished 5th last season. 

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The Distance Runners

Elyse Wilmes - Father Tolton Regional Catholic

Much to the chagrin of Class 2's best distance girls, Father Tolton has moved in after dropping under 2 points in the MSHSAA championship factor. That means one of Missouri's best middle distance runners is in the mix in Elyse Wilmes.

Wilmes is only a sophomore, but is already making a case as Missouri's all-time best 800 meter runner. Her freshman campaign saw her post marks and performances that put her among the top girls in state history. We're talking Hannah Long, Taylor Werner, Megan Thompson, Shannon Leinert, that kind of rarified air. Her 2:08.99 mark at the Hoka Festival of Miles shattered Leinert's 20 year old freshman state 800 record and her 5:01.17 is fourth all-time among freshmen behind only Long, Werner, and Thompson. She's already run a US No. 5 among sophomores and US No. 31 overall mark of 2:12.11 in the 800 this indoor season.  

To put the 800 best into even more perspective, her eye-popping mark was 2022 US No. 2 and No. 25 all-time. 

A leg injury hampered her ability to finish out the 2022 campaign as strong as she'd hoped, but she was still able to lead her squad to a Class 4 team title with her 7th place individual performance. Last year was the start of a truly special career for the Tolton Trailblazer.

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Lily Hunsucker - Spokane

Spokane's Lily Hunsucker final cross country season did not end as planned as the two-time XC all-stater crossed the line in 110th, falling 96 places in the final 1000 meters. It's a story more synonymous with the old Oak Hills course and has, unfortunately, reared it's ugly head at Gans Creek more than once now. 

Nevertheless, Hunsucker still enters the 2023 track season as one of the top competitors in the 800 and 1600 meter runs. She owns bests of 2:23.58 and 5:26.03 in the events and is no stranger to Jefferson City's track or podium. She's earned 2 medals, so far, in 4 tries. 

Watch for Hunsucker near the top of the middle distance races this spring.

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Riley Bryan - Smithton

Smithton's Riley Bryan is wrapping up a phenomenal cross country and track and field career this season. She is a two-time state champion in cross country, one-time state champion in track and field (2021 Class 2 3200 meter run), and four-time all-stater otherwise. 

Bryan owns the fastest mark in the 3200 among Class 2 returners and second fastest mark in the 1600. Her lifetime best of 11:23.32 is the only mark under 12:00 for any Class 2 athletes and 25 seconds of her 2022 season best of 11:48.62. Her 1600 best of 5:21.81 is 20 seconds back of Class 2 newcomer Wilmes. 

If Bryan hopes to earn a gold again this spring, her best bet may be in the 3200 as she now has to contend with one of the all-time great middle distance runners for a 1600 crown. It's not impossible, though, as Bryan has shown she has the chops to compete with any of the state's best on the cross country course or on the oval.

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Madison Taylor - Father Tolton Regional Catholic

With the move to Class 2, Madison Taylor will look to continue to build off of her strong cross country career and parlay that into some hardware on the track. 

Taylor is a two-time all-stater in cross country, with 4th place and 8th place finishes at the Class 3 and Class 4 meets, respectively, but has not had the same level of success on the track just yet. She was a big part of Tolton's 4x800 state championship relay, but is waiting on her chance to break out in the individual events. We are thinking this year may be the year for the sophomore from Columbia. 

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The Jumpers and Vaulters

Annalee Gardner - Butler

Among the top pole vaulters in the state year after year, Butler's Annalee Gardner just continues to climb higher and higher. 

Gardner went undefeated in 12 meets before getting 7th at the AAU Junior Olympics. She climbed all the way up to 11-9.75 at the 2022 state meet en route to her first career state title and should have no troubles repeating this year, especially considering she has already cleared 12-2.75 this season at the UCM Mule Relays. 
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Jasper was right on the Class 1/2 border and ended up heading north to Class 2, which means two-time Class 1 state champion Crystal Smith finds herself with some new competition.

As mentioned, Smith was the state champion in the Class 1 100 Meter Hurdles and High Jump, ending her season with 15.33 and 5-4.25 bests, respectively. They're 2nd and 1st among Class 1 returners. She was also a state qualifier in the 300 Meter Hurdles and 200 Meter Dash and finished her season with 46.72 and 26.55 bests in those. She was the Class 1 runner-up in the 200 and has already thrashed her PR this season with a 25.95 showing on 3/22. 

Not to be outdone, Smith also returns at 7th among long jump returners with a 16-6.75 mark. She's the type of athlete that could score highly in four events and single-handedly earn her team a trophy. Watch for the sophomore to take another step forward this spring, this time in Class 2.

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Angela Dobbins - Malden

Along with Jasper's Smith, Malden's Angela Dobbins is one of the more well-rounded athletes heading into the season, with top 2 marks in Class 2 in the long jump, high jump, and 100 meter dash. She is the top returner in the long jump with a mark of 18-0.5 and will be looking to improve upon her 5th place finish at the 2022 state meet. 

Dobbins is already showing why she's a part of this preview article after she won all four events in which she participated at 3/18's Notre Dame Frozen Invitational. She wasn't able to improve upon any of her personal bests of 12.41 in the 100, 26.14 in the 200, or 5-3 in the high jump (or her long jump best), but who was with the weather on that Saturday? 

Dobbins is another one who can score highly in four events and could help lead Malden to the podium alongside her teammate Antwanasia Bloniarz-Smoot.

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Heidi Hartwig - Duchesne

Second among pole vault returners is Duchesne's Heidi Hartwig. Last season ended strangely for her as she was the Class 2 Sectional 1 runner-up, but didn't go to the state meet. Instead, the 5th place finisher Millie Bazzell did. Either way, Hartwig's 10-6 puts her clearly in as the second best Class 2 pole vaulter and one of the best in the entire state regardless of class. She has already cleared 10-5.25 this season and could challenge 11 very soon.

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Montgomery Keck - Dixon

Dixon's Montgomery Keck is another one who can score a lot of points in a lot of different areas.

Keck heads into the 2023 season as one of the more dominant 100 meter hurdlers in Class 2. She won her first 14 races last year before taking 3rd in prelims and 2nd in finals at the Class 2 state meet. She closed out the 2022 season with a 15.28 best, tops among Class 2 athletes. 

In the triple jump, though, she is far and away the top returner with a 35-11 best and will be looking to improve upon her 3rd place finish from last year's state meet. Another year older, stronger, and wiser could bring Dixon's Keck to new heights this year. 

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The Throwers


Kaitlyn Hatfield - Schuyler County

The top returner in the girls shot put is also from Schuyler County as senior Kaitlyn Hatfield is clear of everyone else heading into 2023 in Class 2. Not only that, she's also the top returner in Class 2 in the discus, as well.

Hatfield is the reigning state champ in the discus and, much like her male counterpart Dixon, will be looking to improve upon a runner-up finish in the shot put. Her bests of 139-6 and 38-6 place her firmly in the driver's seat to earn state medals number 5 and 6, as well as a couple more golds to her trophy case.

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Trinity Riggs - Russellville

Second among discus throwers and third among shot putters in Class 2 is Russellville's Trinity Riggs. 

Riggs enters the 2023 season with personal bests of 135-10 in the discus and 37-2.5, making her a clear contender for the state championship in both events, too. She's already improved upon her javelin best this year, too, throwing 103-0.25 at her home meet on 3/22. This would have been tenth among returners heading into the season.

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Lily Burns - Tipton

Second among shot putters heading into the 2023 season is Tipton's Lily Burns. Her 37-10.75 mark was good enough for 2nd at her Sectional meet last year and she was able to snag a 7th place medal at the state meet. 

Burns is a two-time state qualifier in the event and should be a solid bet for a top 3 finish this year. She's less than a foot behind Hatfield so don't count her out of the state title conversation. 

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Savannah Reinke - Carrollton

With Clark County's Olivia Miller moving up to Class 3, Carrollton's Savannah Reinke is now the top returner in the javelin. 

The Class 2 javelin field is pretty fairly packed, but Reinke is clear ahead of the rest. Her best mark of 116-0.5 is well ahead of the second best returner and should make her the favorite for the javelin state title a year after she finished 7th. 
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The Team Outlook

Class 2 girls is another situation in which the top returning team is the one who blew everyone out in 2022. North Platte is the clear favorite to win once again this spring. 

Olivia Rogers and Lindsay Ramsey lead the way with the potential to score 36 points by themselves. They are also key pieces of the 4x100 and 4x200 relays. Brianna DeBord and Jessa Cassity also contribute distance points, particularly in the 3200 at the moment. But those two helped lead North Platte to a state cross country championship so between the two programs, we are looking at one of the more dynamic public school programs in the entire state. 

Father Tolton enters the picture this year ready to upset that balance, though. They will be dominant in the distance races with Elyse Wilmes, Madison Taylor, and Olivia Andrews, among the rest of their Class 4 state cross country champion team. It will be interesting to see the Tolton girls compete in Class 2 months after competing in Class 4 and a year after competing in Class 3. The championship factor has gone haywire! 

Malden's dynamic sprint/jumps duo of Bloniarz-Smoot and Dobbins will be working hard to bring the Green Wave a trophy this spring. They are currently projected to score 37.5 points on their own. Other smaller state caliber teams include Jasper, Butler, and Lafayette County. West Platte should not be discounted as they always seem to be in the mix. 

It appears there are two clear juggernauts ready to do battle, but who will fight it out for the other two podium spots? It will be fun to watch it all unfold.

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State Virtual Meet