Webb City Boys, Girls win team titles at Joplin Invite

Apr. 11—The Webb City girls made a strong surge in late events and the Cardinal boys rode strong finishes in the distance races to claim team titles at the Joplin Invitational Track and Field meet on Wednesday at Joplin High School.

The Webb City boys finished first with 178 points. Joplin was second with 141 points and Pittsburg, Kansas, third with 97 points. Additional team totals include Carthage (88), McDonald County (82), Carl Junction (81.5), Nevada (44.5), Pierce City (13), Thomas Jefferson (7) and Exeter (1).

Boys results

Webb City's Noah Lankard ran a personal best time 4:37.15 to lead a 1-2 finish for the Cardinals in the 1,600-meter run. Teammate Spencer Kendall was runner up with a time of 4:41.97 and Joplin's Chance Tindall (4:43.45) was third.

The Cardinal duo combined for another 1-2 finish in the 3,200-meter run. Lankard (10:04.79) was first and Kendall (10:05.41) was second, with both runners setting new personal bests. Joplin's Ian Horton was third (10:17.41).

The Cardinals also finished first and second in the boys 800-meter run. Evan Stevens led the field with a personal best time of 1:59.69. Teammate Mason Hedger also turned in a personal best 1:59.89 for second place. Carthage's Henry Laytham came in third (2:00.63).

The Webb City boys garnered the win in the 4 x 800 meter relay after Dakota Grove, Stevens, James Baldassaro and Hedger combined for a time of 8:34.83. Carl Junction's Luke Battagler, Isaac Willoughby, Brady Sponsel and Jack Lawson finished second (8:54.94), and Carthage (Eddy Fuentes, Marlon Cifuentes, Shane Ritzema and Xander Vazquez) was third with a time of 8:59.71.

The Cardinal boys grabbed another 10 points when Nathaniel Miller won the discus with a 47.4-meter throw. Joplin's Neil Barstow (46.37 meters) was second and McDonald County's Toby Moore (42.35 meters) was third.

Four athletes cleared 1.77 meters in the boys high jump, but Webb City's Ryan Reid Jr., did so in fewer attempts to seize the win. Pittsburg's Christian Krogen was second and Joplin's Joseph Ballard finished third. Carthage's Laytham rounded out the quartet of 1.77-meter jumpers for fourth place.

In the pole vault, Webb City's Jadon Brisco cleared 3.6 meters to earn first-place honors. McDonald County sophomore Wyatt Wilkinson was second (3.45 meters) and freshman Elias Wilkinson was third with a 3.3-meter vault.

Cardinals junior Ethan Lathan won the shot put with a 14.93-meter heave. McDonald County's Moore was second (14.66 meters) and Joplin's Dontrell Holt (14.6 meters) was third.

In the 100-meter dash, Joplin's Davin Thomas led the pack with a time of 11.67. Webb City's William Headrick (11.89) was second and McDonald County's Joshua Pacheco (11.99) finished third.

Thomas won his second race of the day with a time of 24.10 in the 200-meter dash. Pittsburg's Isaiah Rosenberg (24.35) was second and McDonald County's Aidrian Short was third (24.53.)

The Eagle relay team (names not available) finished first in the 4 x 100 meter relay with a combined time of 44.69. Carl Junction (Tony Stewart, Ryder Pyles, Jaxton Wobken and Quincy Thomure) came in second (45.55) and Pittsburg (Courtland Jones, Colin Sullivan, Wyatt Rink and Ben Schmidt) was third with a time of 45.64.

The Eagle boys logged another 10 points when Joplin's Avarus Kuhn-Wofford finished first in the 300-meter hurdles (42.0). Carthage's Daryl Martin (42.39) was second and Pittsburg's DeMarus Partee was third (44.02).

Pittsburg's Partee (16.03) won the 110-meter hurdles and Joplin's Kuhn-Wofford (16.68) was second. Carthage's Martin finished third with a 16.70 time.

Rosenberg, of Pittsburg, won the 400-meter dash (52.34). Carthage's Braxton McBride (53.45) was runner-up and McDonald County's Dominic Navin turned in a personal best time of 53.74 for third place.

In the 4 x 200 meter race, Carthage's McBride, Laytham, Brody Jackson and Joseph Childs combined for a time of 1:33.51 to win first. McDonald County (Dominic Navin, Samuel Barton, Ryder Martin and Short) was runner-up with a time of 1:34.55 and a Joplin (names not available) was third with a time of 1:35.32.

Carthage's McBride, Laytham, Fuentes and Childs combined for the win in the 4 x 400 meter relay. Webb City (Reid, Brisco, Stevens and Hedger) finished second (3:34.82), and Pittsburg (Armontraze Weathersby, Jaxx Erwin, Partee and Rosenberg) finished third with a time of 3:36.33.

McDonald County's Pacheco won the long jump (6.26 meters). Nevada's Uche Mba was second (6.19 meters) and Joplin's Quin Renfro, in his first meet back from injury, was third with a 6.15-meter leap.

Ryder Pyles, of Carl Junction, finished first in the triple jump with a 12.79-meter effort. Nevada's Mba was second with a 12.54-meter leap and McDonald County's Pacheco was third at 12.39 meters.

Carl Junction's Aidan Beachner won the boys javelin with a 46.48-meter throw. Webb City finished second and third. Jonah Spieker was runner-up (40.74 meters) and Fisher Derrick was third (40.32 meters).

Girls results

On the girls side, Webb City was first with 154.5 points. Carthage was second with 145 points and Joplin third with 133 points. Additional team totals include Carl Junction (76), McDonald County (64), Pittsburg (54.5), Nevada (39), Thomas Jefferson (37) and Pierce City (23).

The Webb City girls opened the day with a win in the 4 x 800 meter relay when Kristina Bundy, Emma McKinzie, Emily Countryman and Brooke Hedger combined for a time of 10:28.91. Carthage's Maggie Boyd, Jenna Calhoun, Lauren Carney and Evelyn Carrol finished second (10:46.31), and Carl Junction's Elsa Dogotch, Emily Rice, Marissa Newman and Delaney Harris combined for a time of 11:18.70 for third place.

In the 400-meter dash, Webb City's Hedger turned in a personal best 1:00.55 for first, Joplin's Brylee Strickland was closely behind with a time of 1:00.71, and Carthage's Carrol was third (1:03.78).

Hedger got her second individual and third overall win of the day in the 3,200-meter run with a personal best of 12:06.62. Teammate Countryman also posted a personal best of 12:16.46 for second place. Katherine Schaefer (12:23.05) finished third for Joplin.

Jaylee VanBecelaere won the long jump for Webb City with a 4.77-meter leap. McDonald County's Jada Howard was second (4.71 meters) and Carthage's London Shepherd (4.7 meters) finished third.

Shepherd won the triple jump for Carthage with a 10.37-meter leap. Pierce City's Paige Fenske (10.24 meters) was second and Webb City's VanBecelaere (9.92 meters) finished third.

Carthage logged another first when Chasity Straw finished first in the girl's shot put (11.95 meters). Webb City's Jaeli Rutledge (10.97 meters) was second and Carthage's Karlie Nichols earned third place (10.59 meters).

Carthage claimed the win in the final event of the night when Ashleigh Rowden, Boyd, Carrol and Youngblood turned in a time of 4:20.85 in the 4 x 400 meter relay. Webb City (Chase Stilley, Tatum Christensen, Emma Golubski and Maci Brown) earned second (4:26.10), and Joplin (names not available) claimed third (4:32.31).

Joplin sophomore Micah Holden led a field of hurdlers, finishing first in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 17.7 seconds. Carthage freshman Elsie Willis (18.18) was second and Carthage sophomore Alexis Patrick was third (18.70).

The Eagles also prevailed in the 300-meter hurdles after Kiki Thom finished first with a time of 48.45. Carthage's Willis was second (49.71), and Carl Junction's Bella Montez finished third (50.23).

Joplin's Maria Loum won the pole vault after clearing the bar at 2.9 meters. McDonald County's Lacey Nix (2.75 meters) was second and Carl Junction's Brooke Jasperson was third (2.6 meters).

Schaefer put 10 more points on the board for Joplin with a win in the 1,600-meter run (5:37.50). Pierce City's Emma Hunt (5:45.60) was second and Webb City freshman Olivia Klotz turned in a personal best of 5:49.43 for third.

Schaefer logged her second win of the day when she finished ahead of the pack in the girls 800-meter run with a winning time of 2:32.33. Carthage's Maggie Boyd was second (2:35.93) and Webb City's Klotz set another personal record with a time of 2:39.89 for third place.

The Eagle girls also vanquished the field in sprint relay events.

The Joplin girls 4 x 200 meter relay team (names not available) turned in a first-place time of 1:48.16, followed by McDonald County (Ireona Nirka, Corina Holland, Carlie Martin and Dowd) with a time of 1:50:46. Webb City (Jaleigh Brinegar, Chase Stilley, Tatum Christensen and Marlee Harper) finished third with a time of 1:53.59.

The Eagle girls (names not available) also finished first in the 4 x 100-meter relay with a time of 50.65. Carthage (Willis, Ashleigh Rowden, Millie Templeman and Lexa Youngblood) was runner-up (51.66) and Webb City (Lia Taylor, Chase Stilley Alyssa Moreno and Marlee Harper) came in third (51.76).

Carl Junction sprinter Sydney Ward won the 100-meter dash with a time of 13.01 seconds. McDonald County's Samantha Dowd (13.05) was second and Joplin's Phia Vogel (13.54) was third.

Ward also won the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.72. Joplin's Strickland was second (27.61) and Carthage's Youngblood (27.74) was third.

CJ's Madilyn Olds won the javelin with a throw of 36.25 meters. Pittsburg's Alycia Cosens (32.28 meters) claimed second and Nevada's Skler Burns (32.08 meters) finished third.

McDonald County's Samantha Leib cleared 1.47 meters in fewer attempts than Webb City's Stilley to claim first place in the high jump. Carthage's Riley Cochran was third with a 1.42-meter leap.

Pittsburg's Macy Farrington captured first in the girls discus with a 30.16-meter toss. Thomas Jefferson's Lannah Grigg finished second (27.39 meters) and Pittsburg's Jessie Lawson (26.79 meters) came in third.