West Platte, Christian boys tie for 3rd at Class 2 T&F final

This year's MSHSAA Class 2 championship provided a first-ever occurrence in the boys' division -- there were only first-place and third-place teams.

Charleston and Summit Christian Academy tied for first and West Platte and Christian -- from O'Fallon -- tied for third place with 38 points.

WEST PLATTE

West Platte used a mix of points in sprints and distance events, placing in three of the four relays.

The 4x100-meter team of Colton Depetre, Dominic Williams, August Hill and William Shafer placed second in 44.36 seconds. The 4x200 and 4x400 each took fourth place. The 4x200 featured Jonah McGivern, Shafer, Hill and Williams. McGivern, Charlie Kinslow, Alex Kinslow and Tristan Newkirk were on the 4x800.


Hill placed third in the 100-meter dash. Charlie Kinslow, a Northwest Missouri State signee, was second in the 1,600-meter and third in the 800-meter run.

Trophy count: This is the Blue Jays' fifth overall trophy and the first since 2014. The third-place finish is the second in school history, following a third-place trophy in 1964 in Class C.


CHRISTIAN

Most of the points for the Eagles came in the hurdles -- that was 24 of the team's 38 points.

Austin Ball, a senior, won a pair of titles for Christian. He is only the second boys track and field athlete in school history to win a state title but the second to do so in hurdles following Stephen Hedlund winning in the 300 hurdles in 2012 in Class 2.

Ball won the 110-meter hurdles in 15.03 seconds and added the 300-meter crown with a time of 40.16. In that same race, junior Isaac States was fifth for the Eagles, running it in 42.13.


Ronan Hardwicke, a senior, was fourth in the 800-meter run and sixth in the 1,600-meter run. In the 400-meter dash, Judah Schroer was sixth. The 4x400-meter relay team of Schroer, States, Ball and Hardwicke took sixth as well.

Trophy count: This is the school's first trophy in track and field and only the second boys' trophy in school history.