Mark Jenkins, Lutheran (St. Charles County) 2023 MTCCCA Class 3 Girls Track & Field Coach of the Year
First-year head coach Mark Jenkins oversaw Lutheran-St. Charles' run to the 2023 Class 3 State Title. The Lady Cougars scored 51 points to win by a 14-point margin. Lutheran was led by the sprinters and hurdlers as they claimed the 4x200 (1:43.93) and were 4th and 5th in the 4x100 and 4x400.
Sophomore sensation Elle North (57.75) won the 400 and took 2nd in the 200. Fellow sophomore Kennedy Williams placed 2nd in the 100 hurdles (15.20) and was 4th in the 300 hurdles.
Lutheran won the 13-scoring team District 3 meet by 20 points with 127. At the Class 3 Sectional 3 meet the Cougars were runners-up to Centralia, scoring 72 points in a field of 24-scoring teams.
Geoff Hutton, Kearney -- 2023 MTCCCA Class 4 Girls Track and Field Coach of the Year
Pleasant Hill edged Kearney on an amazing final leg by Brooke Beck in the 4x400, but the Bulldogs held on strong and didn't lose any more ground as the schools placed 4th and 5th in the state meet's final event. That finish and the work done the previous 33 hours gave Kearney the 2023 Class 4 Girls State Title.
Hutton's Lady Bulldogs scored points in just about every event group. Two senios capped off great careers for Kearney and led them to the team title. Jadyn Barnes and Ava Lawless racked up a lot of points. Barnes captured the 800 title and anchored the winning 4x800 and ran on the 5th place 4x400 squad. Lawless had won the triple jump, was 2nd in the long jump and 100 hurdles, and would have earned a 4th medal if not for a false start in the 200 final.
