Correction: Carrollton High School's Chase Ewing set the Class 2 discus state meet record of 173-11 in 2011. The Class 2 mark was mentioned in previous version and credited to North Shelby's and Northwest Missouri State University standout and Olympic Trials qualifier Clint Prange, who actually owns the Class 1 mark of 167-0 from 1999.
The team battles and many events in the Class 2 boys competition at the Class 1-2 state track and field meet were nail-biters, going down to the very end before places and points were decided. The following are just two examples of the excitement that played out.
See photos of the action at the link below.
Photos
Meet Video Results
4x400 Finish and Team Title
With some of their staff with the girls team at a Class 3 sectional before hustling to make it to Jefferson City to support the boys in their attempt at winning a state title, the Summit Christian Academy boys entered the final event of the meet trailing Charleston by 10 points and 1 point behind West Platte, neither of which had a relay team in the 4x400 finals.
Having already won the 400, and 200, and anchored the Eagles to a runner-up finish in the 4x200 behind Charleston, junior Marcus Jones was the anchor in the 4x400. He received the baton in 3rd, barely ahead of the 4th-place team. Jones then blazed around the track in 47.86 seconds. Not only giving Summit Christian the 4x400 title, but a share of the team title, tying Charleston with 47 points.
Discus
While that drama capped the meet, the Class 2 boys' discus kicked off the meet with drama. Schuyler County shot put superstar Hayden Dixon was seeking a discus title to go on his resume before postseason meets and then college competition at Mizzou.
Highland senior and defending champion Shon Stark wasn't only looking for a second straight discus title, but a new personal record (PR). Stark state performance last year included a personal best by more than half a meter or more than 1.5 feet of 50.58m/165-11. This year, Stark had only gotten within a meter or 3' 3'' of last his PR.
Westran's Langden Kitchen led the competition after the first three attempts and was moved to the back of the rotation for the finals and three more attempts for the top-9. Hayden Dixon moved into the lead on his 4th toss, the first of the finals with a 51.28m/168-3. Stark fouled on his 5th attempt and sat 3rd behind Dixon and Kitchen going into the final round.
On the final throw of the discus in his high school career, Stark ripped off a 52.55m/172-5 bomb. The mark was a PR of nearly 2 meters and nearly 7 feet. It also jumped him over Dixon and Kitchen and into first place. Stark jumped around and yelled in celebration. Dixon congratulated Stark before he entered the ring one last time.
Dixon had come a long way this year in the discus, improving his personal best by nearly 5 meters or 21 feet to 52.40m/171-11. With Kitchen having the ultimate throw in the competition, Dixon spun in the ring and launched his own bomb in the event's penultimate throw. It measured 53.13m/174-3.
That put Dixon back into the lead and gave him the Class 2 state meet record. Dixon broke Carrollton High School's Chase Ewing and his mark of 173-11 from 2011, by four inches. Westran's Kitchen fouled on his final attempt and Dixon earned the victory and held the meet record.
More on Dixon:
Schuyler County's Dixon breaks 2 state records, wins 2 titles
Schuyler County senior Hayden Dixon (center) along with Westran's Langden Kitchen (left) and Shon Stark (right) appear to have a chuckle about something during the awards presentation for the Class 2 Discus.