The boys portion of the Indians Relays didn't have as many state leaders as the girls, but Nodaway Valley junior Riley Blay provided the intrigue as he continued to work his way back from an injury that delayed the start of his season.
Last year's Class 1 distance triple-crown winner with state titles in the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs says he isn't as concerned with his times right now as much as he is about getting his fitness back before the big meets at the end of the season. Blay ran and won all three of the distance races on Friday as he continues that work.
"I'm rounding back into form," Blay said. "I'm in a better spot than I was last week. I'm starting to double up, triple up better than I was at the beginning of the year."
BOYS PHOTO GALLERY | GIRLS PHOTO GALLERY
The junior has a nearly 20-second lead on the rest of Class 1 in the 3,200-meter run. The 1,600-meter and 800-meter races are where Blay still has work to do to defend his crowns.
"My speed and endurance on the 800 - it is not there, so I have to work on that," Blay said on where he still needs to grow.
Blay sits third in the Class 1 rankings in the 1,600-meter run, but he, Hermitage's Justus Yates and Marion C. Early's Landon Duchscherer are separated by less than two seconds. He is sixth in the 800 meters - just over four seconds off the pace of Hermitage's Justin Horn .
Blay has his own northwest Missouri rival to push him in those two races as Mound City junior Keaton Zembles has been the second-best Class 1 distance runner in northwest Missouri for the past two years and Blay is enjoying having him to push him as both prepare for May.
"I love having Keaton to compete with," Blay said. "That 800 is so much fun. I love how fast we run. It is neck and neck the whole time."
The other state leader for the boys in attendance on Friday didn't run the 100-meter dash with Worth County senior Levi Cassavaugh not trying to improve on his 11.01 he ran a week ago in Stanberry.
The Tiger standout did win the 400-meter dash with a 53.21 - a new personal best which puts him ninth in the state in that event.
Mound City ended up winning the meet with 115 points - beating Worth County by 18 points.
