The weather finally cooperated for local track and field teams last weekend, helping the athletes produce faster times, farther distances and greater heights.
Full sunshine greeted the boys and girls teams at the Northwest Invitational in Cedar Hill on April 12 and the athletes saved the best for last with a special co-ed 4x400 relay (two male and two female runners). The event was recently added to the Olympic Games but is not officially recognized by the Missouri State High School Activities Association.
Suburban Conference rivals Northwest and Lafayette waged a spirited battle before the Lancers won in 3:53.9. The Lion foursome of Devon Washington, Maddie Wilson, Andrew Grellner and Leighton Lee came in second at 3:55.2.
Lafayette won the boys side of the meet with 131 points. Invitational newcomer Festus was second with 101 points. The Tigers, expected to contend for a Class 4 state trophy this spring, held out many key members of their team. Northwest placed third with 82 points.
Senior Michael Kershaw, the Lions’ top distance runner, dueled with Lafayette’s Michael D’Andrea through six laps until letting the Lancer senior take the lead. Kershaw pounced late and pulled away to victory in 10:07.80. He sounded more like a NASCAR driver in describing his strategy.
“It was windy, so I thought I could use him to block the wind for a couple of laps,” Kershaw said. “I was worried he’d kick it in and I’m not so good in the last 100 (meters), so I didn’t want to leave it up to that.”
Kershaw also had to hold off Lindbergh sophomore Ben Donaldson, who passed D’Andrea to come in second in 10:10.20. Kershaw’s two fastest laps were the first in 1:10.5 and the eighth (last) in 1:11.9. Donaldson clocked 1:09.6 on his final lap.
“He was running with the competition, rather than trying to PR (run a personal best),” Northwest boys head coach Ken Campbell said. “He has 9:30 stuff, so there was a lot left in the tank. (Donaldson) almost snuck up on him.”
Jackson Judge, Lucas Meier, Evan Porter and Kershaw took fourth place in the 4x800 relay in 8:38.98. Lafayette ran away with the race in 8:16.30. Porter and Meier were state qualifiers in wrestling this season and the 4x800 was Meier’s first race of the spring after recovering from a shoulder injury on the mat.
Campbell said like Kershaw’s time in the 3,200, there will be great improvement coming from the 4x800.
“(I am) pleasantly surprised,” Campbell said. “We have a lot of different stories on that team. Meier did pretty good for his first race. Most of their times dropped pretty significantly from our first meet. That’s going to be a fun team all year.”
Senior Devin Washington set PRs in the 110 high hurdles (first place in 15.56) and the 300 intermediate hurdles (second in 41.10). He also was sixth in the triple jump in 11.9 meters.
“Devin was awesome in the 110 hurdles,” Campbell said. “He wasn’t that excited about it because he’s got bigger goals, but he looked so smooth and he’s really been working harder than ever. In the 300 hurdles, he looked as good as he ever has and maybe had one bad hurdle, but still it was his PR. His hurdling skill has gone crazy.”
Campbell said he’s assisted Lion girls head coach Charles Guilford with the girls distance runners this spring while Guilford has returned the favor, helping the boys hurdlers. They also coach the cross country program in the fall.
Other top boys finishers for the Lions were senior Wes Knuckles (third in the 200 in 23.79); junior Peter Thompson (third, pole vault, 3.42) and sophomore Cohenn Stark (second, javelin, 53.8).
The Festus girls won the team title at Northwest with 153.5 points while Lafayette placed second with 128. Both schools could challenge for state championships next month in Jefferson City.
A state qualifier in the triple jump last season, Northwest senior Emily Kamer scored in three field events Saturday, including third in the pole vault in 3.02 and fourth in the triple jump (9.74). Lion senior Mary Consolino was fifth in the javelin at 33.77.