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Comets, Stars Follow In Top 4

Somehow, some way Hazelwood Central manages to win State Boys Class Four Track And Field in the past three years but, no matter what Hazelwood Central gets their first three-peat in school history.

And that includes the pre-Central years as Hazelwood High.

Hazelwood Central only scored 38 points May 25-26 at Lincoln University’s Dwight T. Reed Stadium, Jefferson City, but it is good enough to win their third straight state title. Central finished four points ahead to Suburban North Conference rival McCluer (34), who shared second in state with Blue Springs. Another Suburban North team, McCluer North (32) was six points behind Central and the Stars finished two behind the Comets in finishing fourth. In Class Three Jennings, 36 points, took fourth.

While Central three-peated in state for the first time another Hazelwood District High School,

Hazelwood East three-peated in three sports — Boys Track And Field (Class 4A 1995-1997), Girls Track And Field (Class 4A 1995-97) and Wrestling (Class 4A 1993-1995). Since Hazelwood High became Hazelwood Central in 1974 the Hawks have won 17 titles in eight sports and combined with Hazelwood the Hawks have won 20 state titles in nine sports and only Ritenour, with 21 titles, have more state titles among current Suburban North teams.

Hazelwood Central’s 4×200-Meter Relay team (Matt Quarells, Deandre Wade, Marc Franks and Sean Wills) won state with a 1:27.32 effort. Quarells, Franks, Cole Davis and Brandon Chunn helped the 4×400 Relay team to a second-place finish which secured their third straight state title while Wade, Franks, Wills and Aaron Floyd helped the 4×100 Relay team to a third place finish.

Wills finished fifth at 200 Meters and seventh in the 100 Dash, Quarells took sixth at 400 Meters while Chris Wright took fifth in the 300-Meter Hurdles and eighth in the 110-Meter Hurdles.

McCluer had a state champion in Darrion Dillard who won the triple jump. His 48-feet, 6.5 inch hop, skip and jump came in his final attempt. The Comets’ fourth-place finish in the 4×400 Relay secured a share of second place in state with Blue Springs. McCluer took second in the 4×200 Relay, Malik Ray finished fourth in the high jump, Jared Ingram finished fourth at 200 Meters and Kenneth Young was eighth in Discus.

McCluer North was led by Aaron Mallet, who won the 110-Meter Hurdles with a 14.14-second finals effort and finished second in the 300-Meter Hurdles, and Nicholas Stewart, who took fifth at 3,200 Meters and seventh at 1,600 Meters. Rodja Harvey finished third in the Triple Jump and Keith Jones finished seventh in Discus.

Hazelwood East took third in the 4×200 Relay and sixth in the 4×100 Relay while getting an individual medal from Bobby Smith following an eighth-place finish in the 300 Hurdles. Elsewhere, Anthony Ball, Hazelwood West, finished sixth in the Triple Jump and Cory Winfield, Riverview Gardens, finished eighth in the Long Jump.

Girls-East Valentine Wins Two,

Hazelwood East senior Tianna Valentine won two events in Girls Class Four Track and Field, May 25-26 in Jefferson City but Hazelwood Central was the highest finishing team with a 10th-place finish. Valentine won the 100-Meter Dash in 11.51 seconds and the 200-Meter Dash in 23.71 seconds but they were the only medals for East as the Spartans were one of four teams that finished 12th including McCluer North with 20 points. Central scored 24 points, four more than East, North, Blue Springs South and Fort Osage.

Hazelwood Central won the 4×200 Relay in 1:41.55, and was sixth in the 4×400 Relay. Ashley Henderson finished third in the 200 Dash and fourth in the 100 Dash. McCluer North, whose 4×100 Relay team finished sixth, was led by Kimberlin Simon, who won the 300 Hurdles in 43.81 seconds while finishing fifth in the 100 Hurdles, and Rachel Culberson, sixth at 400 Meters.

Hazelwood West had two medallists, Lauralyn Rosenberger, fifth in Pole Vault, and Tyler Kelly, sixth in the 300 Hurdles. McCluer, who took fifth in the 4×200 Relay, got individual medals from Alauna Ray, seventh in High Jump, and Kalah Edwards, eighth in the 300 Hurdles. Ritenour’s Sydia Darker took fourth in the Long Jump and seventh in the 300 Hurdles.