JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. • The debate has raged for two years in Class 2 circles, and Saturday’s showdown at the Class 2 state track and field championships probably did little to settle any arguments.
The good-natured rivalry which began last season between College Heights Christian’s Caleb Hoover and Marionville’s Justin Hansen took center stage in Saturday’s 1,600-meter run. Last year, Hansen took the district title, but Hoover captured the state crown.
Hansen got the upper hand this year, winning two of the three postseason matchups, including the finale at state.
Hansen led the first two laps with Hoover and Scott City’s Brandon Shemonia content to wait for their moment. Hoover took over on the third lap, and Hansen initially appeared to fade out of contention.
“I thought he was going to go and leave us all behind, but thankfully he didn’t,” Hansen said.
Hansen instead made a move to stay in contact, and when Shemonia passed him with 300 meters remaining, Hansen started his kick early and strong.
“I didn’t think about coming back until I got passed by (Shemonia), and then once he kicked I knew I had to. It was the last mile of my life.”
Hansen created just enough separation heading into the final straightaway to hold on for a victory in 4:22.06. Hoover was second (4:22.64) and Shemonia third (4:22.85).
Hoover, who will continue his career at Northern Arizona, was saddled with fatigue in the 800-meter run and took seventh (2:02.94). But he came back and won the 3,200-meter run in 9:47.03 to close out his prep career.
“We had the (3,200-meter relay) and were trying to beat Principia, but we lost by just a little bit,” Hoover said. “After that I was just tired and didn’t really know what to do, and I was just trying to get through the races. I’m kind of ready for track to be finished.”
Hoover said he felt fresh and ready for one of the few times this season on Friday, but the rain and lightning forced his 1,600 to be pushed to Saturday. Unfortunately for Hoover, he didn’t feel that same energy when Saturday’s races began.
Hoover again was content to just sit off the pace for the majority of the 3,200, but he ran a strong last lap to earn the victory.
“I definitely wanted to win the (3,200) because I was really disappointed, but what can you do? Sometimes it’s not your day,” Hoover said. “I have been tired a lot lately, but what’s kind of annoying is (Friday) I felt great. I was ready to run, but I don’t have those days every day.
“I was just running to win; that’s all I was doing today.”
RARE TRIFECTA
Princeton’s Blake Goodin ran lap after lap around the Class 1 state track Saturday. And nearly all of them were successful as he captured the 800 (1:58.85), 1,600 (4:31.27) and 3,200 (10:12.95). He also ran a monster leg on the seventh-place 3,200-meter relay.
“No athlete has won all three distance races back-to-back years,” Goodin said. “That was my goal, and that’s what I did.”
In fact, not only has no one won the three distance events in consecutive state meets, no one has won all three in a single day. Other runners have won the distance trifecta – Normandy’s Darwin Price won the Class 4 sweep in 2008 – but no one has had to face a condensed one-day state meet in the modern era.
Friday’s inclement weather forced the majority of the first day’s events at the state meet to be postponed, including Blake’s 1,600-meter run.
Goodin now has eight individual firsts for his career. He is within striking distance of the record 10 individual titles that Senath’s Tony Cannon completed in 1963.
PASSING THE TORCH
Throughout the Class 2 state meet, California freshman Sydney Deeken kept showing up at the medal stand.
One of the top-ranked freshman long jumpers in the country, Deeken captured fourth at the state meet with a leap of 16 feet, 6 ½ inches. It did not quite match her sectional distance, which was a personal record 17-11 ¾. Deeken again made her way to the podium for her third-place triple jump (35-10 ½).
Deeken broke through for her first gold medal in the triple jump, winning the event by clearing 5-6.
“On top it did feel different because if felt like everyone was looking at me,” Deeken said.
In winning the high jump, Deeken beat prep standout Penney’s Lindsay Vollmer, who was going for her record-tying 12th career gold medal.
“She’s really good in everything she does,” Deeken said. “I was surprised whenever she didn’t make that and I beat her. I was shocked.”
Vollmer was quick to acknowledge that she saw a glimmer of her own past when competing against Deeken.
“I’m really happy for her, and that’s a great honor as a freshman to be able to come out and win gold,” Vollmer said. “You can expect a lot from her because as a freshman she’s going to get better.”
Deeken made three attempts at a would-be Class 2 record height of 5-8. She had to rush all three attempts in order to make the start of the 200, where she ran a 26.42 for 10th.
“It could’ve been different, but I don’t think I can hit that right now,” Deeken said of rushing for the high jump record.
CAREER SWEEP
Conway’s Dallis Bailey can do one thing really well – win 800-meter titles.
The senior capped off her track career with her fourth gold medal in the 800, winning in 2:16.03, which was six seconds ahead of the runner-up.
“Coming in as a freshman, when I did get first, I thought, ‘This would be a pretty good trend to set,’” Bailey said. “I think it’s more of a relief because I’m a mental nervous wreck, but it’s also a really big accomplishment.”
Under the normal meet structure, Bailey would have been required to run the 1,600 about an hour before the 800 finals so she scratched out of that event to focus on her main event.
Her 800 time was a season best, but it did not quite match her personal record of 2:15.74. As a freshman, she won in 2:19.80, and ran 2:17s for both her sophomore and junior victories.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
Vienna’s Katlyn Meier first took up the hurdles as a junior and just missed last year’s Class 2 state finals with a ninth-place time of 16.60 in the 100-meter hurdles.
This year Meier added the 300 hurdles to her repertoire, and she captured first place in both Class 1 hurdle races. Meier won the 100 in a personal-record time of 15.61 and then duplicated the feat with a personal-record 47.25 to win the 300.
“It’s really, really exciting; it’s hard not to cry,” Meier said. “I worked so hard for it. I came in the mornings and after school. It was upsetting to get ninth, but I was happy just to make it that far in my first year. I owe it all to Natalie Thornton, my coach.”
Meier added a second-place finish in the 100 (12.70) and took third in the 200 (26.24).
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. • The debate has raged for two years in Class 2 circles, and Saturday’s showdown at the Class 2 state track and field championships probably did little to settle any arguments.