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Hazelwood East Boys, McCluer South-Berkeley Girls Win State Track Titles
JUNIOR MARQUIS WHITE (Middle) wins the State Boys Class Three 200 Dash and he also won the Boys Class Three 100 Dash becoming the first North County Tech athlete to win a state championship in any sport. JIM WIENERS PHOTO
BY JIM WIENERS
When the Hazelwood East Boys Track & Field team left Dwight T. Reed Stadium, on the Lincoln University campus a year ago head coach Darryl Levy said the Spartans decided to make their goal to win the Class Four State title this season after finishing second last year with 55 points, 21 behind Raytown South
Mission accomplished last weekend! “We finished being perfect,” Levy said.
Hazelwood East won the Class Four Boys title last weekend, their sixth overall. East scored 68 points but while Raytown South finished sixth the Spartans were pressured to the end by Lee’s Summit West, who was second with 64.
“Give Lee’s Summit West credit, it was a tough battle,” said Levy, so “we had to put it all together.”
East medalled in nine events, including all four relay teams, and won two medals in two individual events. East captured the team title by winning the final Class Four Boys running event, the 4×400 Meter Relay. East also won the 4×200 Meter Relay, took second to Parkway South in the 4×100 Meter Relay and was second to St. Louis University High in the 4×800 Meter Relay.
Senior Tarrell Downing, who caught the game-winning Class Five Football touchdown pass last November against Raytown South at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, took second to Rockwood-Marquette’s Terrance Johnson in the 400-Meter Dash while sophomore Michael Hester finished fifth. In the 300 Meter Intermediate Hurdles junior Walter Powell finished second to Park Hill South’s Cory Beenken while senior Chris Weaver, who was fourth in the 100 Meter Dash finished eighth in the 300 hurdles.
Before leaving prior to state trophy ceremonies so they can attend graduation ceremonies with their senior classmates, including those on the track team, Banjo Jalyesimi was fourth in the 800 Meter Run and Charles Johnson was eighth in the 1,600 Meter Run. The East Girls only medalled in the 4×200 Meter Relay, taking sixth.
McCluer South Berkeley won their third straight Girls Class Three title after winning six as Berkeley High. With 75 points MS-Berkeley was 16 better than Villa Duchesne and three Relay teams — 4×100 Meters, 4×200 Meters and 4×400 Meters — won titles. Junior Kiana Ruff won the 400 Meter Dash while taking second in the 800 Meter Run, junior Bianca Stokes was second in the 200 Meter Dash and fourth in the 100 Meter Dash, senior Taelar King was fifth in the 100-Meter Dash and seventh in the 200-Meter Dash and senior Aleese Pittman was second in the 300 Meter Low Hurdles.
NORTH COUNTY TECH JUNIOR MARQUIS WHITE won the school’s first state championship medals in any sport by winning the Class Three Boys 100 Meter Dash and 200 Meter Dash. “It feels great,” White said, “I’m glad to represent my school.” North County Tech was second in the Class Three Boys 4×100 Meter Relay while on the girls team junior Sandra Ewing was eighth in the 800 Meter Run and senior Shakira Thomas was seventh in the 100 Meter Dash.
McCLUER had the only other winner as the Comets won the Class Four Girls 4×100 Meter Relay. Junior Clark Tanksley was fifth in the Class Four Boys Long Jump and sixth in the Boys High Jump, senior Isaac Johnson was fifth in the Boys Triple Jump, junior Jeremy Lampley was seventh in the Boys Triple Jump and senior Cathy Jenkins was eighth in the Class Four Girls Triple Jump.
McCLUER NORTH was fifth in the Boys 4×100 Meter Relay, junior Anthony Kirkwood-Addison was fourth in the Boys 300 Meter Intermediate Hurdles and sophomore Kendra White was second in the 400 Meter Dash.
HAZELWOOD CENTRAL BOYS took third in the Class Four 4×400 Relay and eighth in the 4×200 Relay while junior Spencer Davis was third in the 100 Meter Dash and eighth at 200 Meters.
HAZELWOOD WEST GIRLS took eighth in the Class Four 4×400 Relay, junior Shanelle Williams was seventh in the 300 Meter Low Hurdles and senior Ameilia Aubuchon with eight in the Pole Vault.
