JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – While Mariah Sanders may not have made the medal stand in the pole vault, she still garnered some of the biggest applause from the crowd at the Missouri Class 3-4 state track and field championships Friday.
Sanders was the lone state qualifier from Joplin, and she made the trip to the state meet despite the struggles of the past week following Sunday’s devastating tornado. Sanders equaled her career best by clearing 10 feet in the pole vault, but the place and the height were really irrelevant.
Sanders, a junior, was in Seneca visiting friends when the storm hit.
“The person I was with, his dad works for the city of Joplin, and he was paged to go in,” Sander said. “He said, ‘You’re not leaving; there’s been a tornado that hit Joplin.’ I didn’t think anything of it. I thought it was just a warning, nothing was going to happen. It was perfectly clear where I was, which isn’t far from Joplin.”
Then the text messages start to roll in – “Tornado hit. Everything is gone.”
Sanders’ family survived with only bumps and bruises by taking shelter in a closet. Their home, however, was not spared. Sanders said none of her immediate family or friends were seriously injured, but she has friends who lost family members and classmates who are still missing.
For now, Sanders is staying with her grandparents on the edge of town near Duquesne. There she is able to turn her focus away from the storm.
At the state track meet, she could not help but draw attention, and her town was never far from mind.
“On my last jump, the thing that came to mind was, ‘Joplin. It’s gone,’” Sanders said. “I couldn’t take my mind off it today. That’s why I’m here, to support Joplin.”
With her family and coaches forced to stay in Joplin to help with the recovery, Sanders ventured to the state meet with the help of some area schools and coaches. Branson helped support her, while the McDonald County staff stepped into the coaches’ roles while she is away from home. Carl Junction provided a place to practice and equipment.
And Sanders has been struck by the overall generosity Joplin has received.
“The town is barely there, but the help we’ve gotten is so unbelievable. It’s just crazy how the town has come together and people from other states come to help, too.
“(The impact) will always be there. Everyone is going to remember it. A lot is gone, but we’ve had so much help and support from everyone that I think it will come around. It will take awhile.”