Storms forced Missouri State High School Activities Association officials to postpone day one of the two-day Class 4-5 track and field championships after only the Class 4 and Class 5 boys 4x800-meter relays had been completed.
That led to a rolling schedule on May 30 as the other 18 events were crammed into one day at Adkins Stadium in Jefferson City. Another storm blew in the second day forcing the stadium to be evacuated and another hour and a half delay.
All of the stops and starts didn’t seem to affect the athletes, some of whom turned in class-setting performances. One of those was recent Eureka High graduate Brooke Samuelson, who ended her senior year as the most decorated Wildcat on the state level. Last November in Columbia, Samuelson had her team’s highest finish (14th) and Eureka finished third at the Class 5 state cross country championships. This spring, Samuelson capped her career by winning state in the 1,600-meter run in 4:48.27 and setting the Class 5 record in winning the 800 in 2:07.43.
“Super, super excited about it,” said Samuelson about the record, moments after setting it. “My coach (Darrell Lewis) gave me the green light. He told me not to run a tactical race against anyone else, run your race, run the splits that you know you can hit it. It means so much. It’s been quite the journey going from lacrosse my freshman through junior years to being able to compete in the highest class (in track and field) means a lot.”
The Eureka lacrosse team won the club state championship the same day Samuelson set the record.
“I don’t know if she knew what the state record was, but the school record was always the conversation we had and I knew if she could get that, she’d get close to the state record,” Lewis said.
Samuelson said the 1,600 was a great race against a very stacked field.
“I have a lot of respect for my competitors,” she said. “Really, it was just about trusting my kick. I didn’t want to take the race out by myself, and kept telling myself to be patient. The weather delay only increased my excitement. I was so ready to race.”
Because state was condensed, Lewis decided to keep Samuelson off the 4x800 relay team, but that didn’t stop Madison Schepis, Natalia Hunt, Abigail Smith and Sofia Hoerchler from placing sixth in 9:30.38. Liberty won in a state-record time of 9:09.70.
“We discussed leaving Brooke in the event or not, and we chose to take her out to give her some rest,” Lewis said. “We thought they’d be all-state potential, but when you remove 2:07 (Samuelson’s split) from the relay, it creates challenges.”
Earlier this season at Festus, Samuelson, Sophia Hunt, Smith and Schepis finished the 4x1.600 relay in 21:22.71, which at the time was one of the fastest times in the country. The 4x1,600 is not part of the high school postseason.
Francis Howell’s Adelle Metz won the javelin in 46.20 meters, and Haley Deakin ended her career at Eureka by finishing second in 43.09, which Lewis called a “huge PR.”
“It was her last throw. Her goal going in was to hit 40 meters,” Lewis said. “We ended up having a fantastic season. A lot of things went our way we didn’t think would. Haley went above and beyond with her performance and our 4x800 ran really well and any time you can be all-state there it’s always very competitive.”
Mitchell flies high to pole vault title
Kai Mitchell skipped the first two heights (3.95, 4.10 meters) in the state pole vault competition, then casually cleared 4.25 in his first attempt May 30 at Adkins Stadium.
After his first successful attempt, Mitchell let the rest of the field try to get over 4.40. Then he got down to business. It took more than two hours to complete the boys pole vault, some of which was due to the weather delay, but Mitchell never lost his composure. Once it got to be his turn, he’d take off his sweatpants, grab his pole and take his spot on the runway.
The bar kept being set higher, methodically whittling down the field until there were four jumpers left. Mitchell flew over the bar at 4.75, while the other three vaulters couldn’t. Only Nixa’s William Sanley and Mitchell tried to clear 4.85, and neither was able to. That left Mitchell as the state champion because Sanley missed his two attempts at 4.75.
“I’ve been stressed out the whole week, but I came in here to do what I do best, which is compete under pressure,” Mitchell said. “I knew that I’d win. I wanted to go five meters, but it wasn’t there.
“I have one thing that they (state competitors) don’t, and that’s consistency. I wasn’t nervous of the heights because I knew I could make them on the first try.”
“Waiting around wasn’t new to him,” Eureka head coach Brad DeMattei said. “We felt comfortable because he was steady all year long. He was pretty confident (at state). On paper, he was the favorite, but how many times do you get to a competition like that and they don’t perform?”
Another recent Eureka grad, Breylen Bennett, was the other Wildcat to win a state medal when he finished eighth in the high jump with a height of 1.95.
“He came in, cleared a couple of bars early, and passed a couple (heights) to save his legs,” DeMattei said.
Kansas City Rockhurst won the Class 5 boys team title with 60 points. The other three team trophy winners were Lee’s Summit West (second, 58), Jackson (third, 55) and Nixa (fourth, 39.5). Eureka was 23rd with 11 points.
The 4x100 crew of Riley Major, Kaden Klages, Curtis Harris and Keith Major Jr. ran a time of 42.50 seconds, less than a second from a medal.
Garrett Anders finished a promising sophomore season by finishing ninth in the long jump in 6.58, his second best jump of the season. Two weeks prior at the district meet, Anders jumped 6.8. DeMattei said he competed in the long, triple and high jump at meets this season and was a consistent scorer.
Eureka wins first all-public school final
The Eureka High girls lacrosse team scored a landmark victory on May 30, defeating Ladue High 14-7 to win the Missouri State Lacrosse Association state championship.
It’s the second time in three seasons the Wildcats have won the title, and this was the first time two public schools made it to the championship without prior forfeit from a private school.
Right as play was picking up at Parkway West High, the game came to a sudden halt. Just 4 ½ minutes into the second quarter, an air horn sounded, signaling a lightning delay. Play stopped, and fans cleared the stands for a quick break that soon stretched roughly three hours.
When play resumed, the fans had returned and the Wildcats maintained a firm grip on the game from the outset, holding strong possession. Eureka head coach Melissa Menchella praised her team’s ability to keep the ball.
“I was really proud of, number one, the possession, like with Emily [Emerson],” Menchella said. “The more time that we have the ball, the less they have it. That obviously contributes to success.”
Junior midfielder Emmy Seiler, who scored five goals for the Wildcats, emphasized how strong junior defender Emerson’s performance was.
“I think Emily did really good on the drive,” Seiler said. “Like, she really just helped us get the ball a lot on offense. Her draws were just really crucial to the game today.”
The Wildcats went into the extended weather delay with a 5-2 lead. That pause could have cut their momentum, but the team stayed focused during the downtime, watching footage from earlier in the game and bonding during the final hours of their season.
“The girls were in such high spirits,” Menchella said. “They were studying film and they were dancing. You didn’t see a single phone out. They were just spending time with each other the whole time and they were very invested in each other.”
After being given the all-clear, fans trickled back into the stands, working together to dry off the bleachers. Soon, the players returned. The stands erupted with cheers and cowbells as the teams filed back down to the field for warm-ups. Still, some players and coaching staff came back from the break nervous. Upon returning, Wildcat assistant coach John Menchella said, “We’re feeling OK. I think this break is better for them than us, but we’ll have to see. That’s what you play the game for.”
The Rams came back strong, keeping better possession of the ball and taking it away from the Wildcats. Still, with the pressure on, the Wildcats stayed on top. They showed skillful offense, not rushing through plays.
“I think that was probably the best patience I’ve ever seen from my attack,” Menchella said. “They were very calm and took their time to find the right goal.”
Both teams steadily scored more goals. The second quarter closed with the Wildcats leading 6-3. That momentum continued through the third quarter. As they entered the fourth, the Wildcats scored three goals in just the first few minutes from sophomore attack Tessa Srsen, Seiler and junior attack Kaitlyn Benoist.
Junior attack Whitney Pickert netted the final goal of the game with just 49 seconds on the clock.
Seiler said the victory felt particularly special for the team and their school.
“Eureka is a town where everyone’s super close together, so I think we really did it for them,” she said.
This championship game carried extra personal significance for the two opposing head coaches. Menchella and Ladue head coach Carrie Lampe are close friends and coach some of each other’s players in the offseason.
“Her athletes and my athletes are friends,” Menchella said. “It was just a really fun game where a couple schools got to show off and there’s a lot of camaraderie between our groups. It was like a really special game for all of us.”
Although the difference in score was substantial, the Rams showed a strong performance this season, especially given their young roster. After graduating nine players last year, Ladue made its first appearance in the championship.
Lampe expressed pride in her team’s effort, led by their seniors.
“My seniors just poured their hearts into that game,” Lampe said. “The whole season we’ve been dreaming of holding up any trophy so getting to place second and to win that, I know most people would be unhappy but I’m so happy with my team, so happy for them and we’re excited for our future.”
Ladue senior midfield Vicky Derdoy continued to fight despite heavy defensive coverage Derdoy had one goal and two assists.
“Watching Vicky play, she’s a freak athlete,” Lampe said.
Derdoy, who will be playing Division I field hockey at the University at Albany after graduation, reflected on her team’s season.
“I think as a team we did a really good job of having a lot of girls stepping up together,” Derdoy said. “I mean, we have a super young team, like last year we graduated nine girls I think, a lot of starters.”
We didn’t think we’d be in this position.”
Three Wildcats transform into Redhawks
From Wildcats to Redhawks, the three amigos will ride again for Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau.
Recent Eureka High graduates John Haberkorn, Jaxson Joggerst and Ben Lackey were the backbone of the school’s pitching staff this season, and all three are signed to play at SEMO.
The Redhawks are in Division I and the Ohio Valley Conference. This year, SEMO posted an overall record of 39-18, including 23-5 at home, and 18-9 in the OVC. The team’s combined ERA was 5.03, opposing batters hit .284, and Redhawk pitchers had a 447-170 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Senior Mason Pennington (6-3, 215) led SEMO in innings pitched (77 1/3) and strikeouts (71), and tied with Nathan Mertens and Andrew Carroll for a team-high seven wins.
Joggerst’s brother, Dakota, a 2023 Eureka graduate, a junior infielder at SEMO, was one of the team’s leading hitters with a batting average of .323 and on-base percentage of .429. Dakota (6-2, 190) transferred to the Redhawks from Truman State University.
The year Dakota was a senior and Jaxson was a freshman at Eureka, the Wildcats had a record of 32-4. In the four years Jaxson, Haberkorn and Lackey played for Eureka, the Wildcats won 104 games, which is the most in any four-year span at the school.
“It’s been amazing to be part of that great program,” said Lackey, who was recently selected as the Suburban Conference Yellow pool pitcher of the year. “I’m looking forward to seeing them move forward. There’s been a lot of great pitchers that have emerged this year, not only from our team but around the conference. (Pitcher of the year) was a full-circle moment where all the hard work in the offseason paid off. It’s a great feeling to be recognized.”
Lackey said that entering college baseball with Jaxson and Haberkorn will cut down on the anxiety.
“It makes it a lot easier,” he said. “Being around them a good portion of my life has been fun and in college it will be incredible. I’m a little anxious, but the excitement outweighs the nerves. I’ve heard how the coaches at SEMO are incredible.”
Lackey said the same about the coaches at Eureka.
“Their experience leaks down through the program,” he said.
Lackey said he reports to SEMO in mid-August. The summer will be a recovery period for his arm, he’ll spend plenty of time in the weight room to keep building muscle so he can go up against men in their 20s.
“The biggest goal is how to prepare myself the most once I step onto the college campus,” he said.
The record for career pitching wins at SEMO is held by Lee Lummus, who had 28 from 1986 to 1989. His sons, Jeremy (2022) and Brennen (2014), both played at Eureka.
Wildcats have 104 wins in last four years
During its eight-game winning streak prior to districts, the Eureka baseball team averaged 9.6 runs per game.
The Wildcats hosted Class 6 District 2 as the No. 1 seed backed by a senior class stocked with college talent, one of the best pitching staffs in the metro area, and an experienced coaching staff led by head coach Ken Droege.
But all the talent in the world on the mound couldn’t overcome an offensive drought like Eureka suffered in the district tournament where its May gusher of hits and runs dried up like a worm on the sidewalk in July.
In the district semifinals May 21, the Wildcats (28-7) managed four hits, scored an unearned run in the fifth, and senior righthander John Haberkorn made it stand up in a 1-0 complete-game shutout against Rolla (No. 4, 26-8).
Against Suburban Conference Yellow pool rival Lafayette (2, 30-8) in the district championship May 22, Eureka totaled the same amount of hits and runs as the game before. But the Lancers knocked senior righthander Ben Lackey off the mound after 4 2/3 innings when he allowed seven hits and four runs (three earned) and beat the Wildcats 4-1 to win the title.
“Lafayette needs to get a lot of credit for beating us and they played a really good game,” said Droege, who has led the Wildcats to 104 wins in his four seasons as head coach. “We weren’t able to get hits when we needed them and they were.”
Lackey was recently named the Yellow pool Pitcher of the Year, and will report in August to Cape Girardeau where he’ll pitch for Southeast Missouri State University. He pitched a complete-game 2-1 victory over Lafayette in their Yellow pool meeting in April.
“Ben has been outstanding for us his entire career,” Droege said. “He gave us a chance to win (in district meeting). We couldn’t get to their bullpen when we needed to capitalize.”
With the Lancers leading 2-0 in the fourth, Craig Ringe and Carson Leuthauser drew walks, and Cole Rogers was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. A ground out by Cade Gustafson cut the Lafayette lead to 2-1, but a strikeout and ground out ended the inning.
“I felt like we had to take a lead in that inning, and when we didn’t, it shifted the momentum back to them,” Droege said.
The Lancers were 2-1 against the Wildcats this season, and three games were decided by a combined five runs.
“When we play them it is so fun because it’s a battle every time,” said Droege. “There’s good pitching and plays. It was a great high school game. The town showed up. We just didn’t come through in some moments.”
Eureka manufactured the game’s only run against Rolla when in the fifth, Easton Hunt led off and Rolla committed an error on his ground ball. Hunt advanced to second after a sacrifice bunt by AJ Scott, and scored after Tyler Sweeney’s RBI single. Sweeney is this year’s Yellow pool Offensive Player of the Year.
All three of Rolla’s hits off Haberkorn were by leadoff batter Colton Petersmith. Haberkorn, Lackey and Jaxson Joggerst all graduated last month and are headed to pitch at SEMO.
“John commanded the zone with all three pitches,” Droege said.
Droege said this year’s pitching staff set a standard for what they can look like.
“It was a collective group of seven guys who got us through an incredible run on our schedule. It was ranked the toughest schedule in the state. To go 28-7, that’s outstanding and you don’t do that without having the depth and arms.”
This year’s senior class will be harder to replace than most, but Eureka has proven over decades that it can quickly be ready for another campaign of 20 to 30 wins. Perhaps it will be the next group who wins the team’s first district crown since 2015.
“That (Lafayette) game didn’t define our program or team, or that senior class,” Droege said. “They won more games than any other class (at Eureka). We were extremely disappointed because we felt we had a chance to do some special things.”