Mound City's August Meadows and Newtown-Harris' Zackary Cross (right and left above) flew around the track and over hurdles Saturday afternoon in the 300 meter hurdles side-by-side. Just like they did the day before in the same preliminary race where Cross won, taking first overall in the two prelims in 39.80 while Meadows was 2nd right behind in 39.90. Saturday's final had a lot more riding on it though. An individual state title, ten points to the winner's team and 8 to the runners-up squad, a 4 point swing between those two teams.
The race felt like microcosm of what had gone on the previous day and what would over the final hour of the 2024 Class 1 State Track and Field Championship meet. Two teams battling back and forth for the lead and ultimately the win. In the 300 hurdles, last year it was Cross who finished strong and dethroned Green City's Asher Buggs-Tipton, getting across the tape as Buggs-Tipton took a spill.
This time, it was Meadows getting to the finish first and helping Mound City edge edged Newtown-Harris for the 2024 Class 1 Boys State Track and Field Team title. Cross and Newtown-Harris shouldn't hang their heads however, It did take a Class 1 State Meet record of 38.91 by Meadows to get the win over Cross who was 2nd in 38.97. Meadows's new standard bettered John Boswell of Lone Jack's 2006 mark of 38.96
Mound City finished with 45 points while Newtown-Harris finished with 40 for 2nd.
Meadows also placed 2nd in the 110H in 15.65,
The Panthers scored 16 points in the relays with 2nd place finishes in the 4x200 and 4x400, which included Meadows. Earnest Peters added a 4th place finish for the Panthers.
Newtown-Harris Earns First State Track and Field Trophy
Newtown-Harris, partnering with Grundy County, earned the first state team trophy in state history. They were led by Zackary Cross, Gauge MacGregor, and Hunter Miller. All three had best individual finishers of 2nd among their events,
Singers Throw Tina-Avalon to Trophy
Tina-Avalon got 32 of their 33 points from the Brothers Avalon. Junior Tucker Singer and sophomore Tanner Singer scored points in the shot put, discus, and javelin. Tucker Singer won the shot put for the third straight year with a best toss of 17.81m/58-5.25. He was also 3rd and 5th in the javelin and discus. Tanner Singer was 3rd in the shot put.
Wracking up the Individual State Titles
Albany High School junior sprinter Kyle Emerson won his first two state titles and denied Green City's Asher Buggs-Tipton a 10th state title. Emerson edged Buggs-Tipton in the 100 final, 10.93-10.98.
Buggs-Tipton the left MCL in his knee warming up on the second day of competition at the Kansas Relays, and had to give up the hurdles and jumps for 4-6 weeks. He added the 200, 4x100 and 4x200 to his repertoire and still managed four more state medals. Stay tuned for more to come on him.
Nodaway Valley/West Nodaway senior Riley Blay closed out career with his 9th and 10th titles. He captured #9 on Friday by breaking his brother Tyler Blay's Class 1 State Meet 3200 meter run record, winning in 9:32. He followed with the Class 1 1600 title (4:23) on Saturday and capped an All-Time Great career with a 3rd place 800 finish in 2:00 also Saturday. More on him soon.
Tina-Avalon junior Tucker Singer won his 3rd consecutive Class 1 shot put title with a best toss of 17.81m/58-5.25 while little brother Tanner was 3rd. Those performances came a day after Tanner and Tucker placed 3rd and 5th in the discus.
Dora junior Cade Nold swept the Class 1 State 400 and 800 titles for a 2nd straight year. After a regular season 1:55 PR, Nold ran a PR 49.17 to win the 400 before claiming the "half-mile" title at state in 1:57.
Hermitage edged Rich Hill, McCauley Catholic, Appleton City, and Albany for 4th and the final team trophy. Mark Sabala's Hermitage Hornets got points in the long sprints, middle distance, distance, and 300 hurdle races, to keep a streak of state cross country and track state trophies going.