It's
on to track sectionals
by Tad
Brewer
Landmark reporter
The Platte County boys’ and girls’ track teams
were both full of members who advanced to the Sectional
competition after participating in the District 8 track
meet, which was held at Platte County. Those who are some
of the top finishers at sectionals will be able to compete
at the state competition.
In order to qualify for sectionals, the participant needed
to have a finish within the top four in any district event.
Besides from the boys’ team being the highest overall
scorer at districts, they had their share of individuals
who had top four finishes, which advanced those individuals
onto sectionals.
Senior Bill Flynt helped to lead the way for the Pirates
as he had three individual first place finishes. Flynt
finished first in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.95
seconds, which was just thousandths of a second off of
a school record. Flynt also finished first in the 200-meter
dash with a time of 22.37 seconds, and he had a first
place finish in the 400-meter dash with a time of 51.09.
Flynt was a member of the 1600-meter relay team, along
with seniors Mitch Black and Shane Praiswater, and junior
Mark Dudley. This team finished second overall with a
time of 3:35.
Senior Eli Klimek qualified for sectionals in three different
events, as did Flynt. Klimek finished first overall in
the 3200-meter run with a time of 10:11, sophomore Zach
Ryun also qualified for sectionals in this same event
after a fourth place finish with a time of 10:29. Klimek
finished second in the 1600-meter run with a time of 4:31,
finishing within a second of first place.
The other event that Klimek qualified for sectionals
in was as a member of the 3200-meter relay team. Klimek,
along with Dudley, sophomore Zach Praiswater, and freshman
Wes Croom, finished third with a time of 8:43.
Black had two individual second place finishes, which
helped to advance himself to sectionals. Black finished
second in the triple jump, with a distance of 40 feet,
11 inches, and second in the 300-meter hurdles with a
time of 41.61, which was just off of the first place time
of 41.54.
Zach Praiswater finished third in the 800-meter run with
a time of 2:05. This gave Praiswater an advancement to
sectionals in an individual event, in addition to his
spot on the 3200-meter relay team that also moved on to
sectionals.
Junior Mike Wade qualified for sectionals with a third
place finish in the pole vault. Wade finished with a height
of twelve feet.
Junior Matt Frey qualified for sectionals with a third
place finish in the discus. Frey qualified with a distance
of 137 feet, 11 inches.
Dudley also qualified for sectionals after finishing
fourth in the high jump. Dudley reached a height of five
feet, eight inches.
The Platte County Pirate boys’ track team finished
first overall at districts with a team score of 125.5
points, and Excelsior Springs followed them with 99.5
points. The first place finish for the Pirates came from
a field of 14 teams.
Despite how well the boys’ track team did at districts,
the girls’ track team could not quite duplicate the
success. The girls’ track team only had a couple
of individuals and one relay team qualify for state, with
several individuals and relay teams narrowly missing the
fourth place cutoff.
Freshman Jessica Duncan qualified for sectionals with
a second place finish in the 400-meter dash. Duncan finished
second with a time of 1:03, just a second behind the first
place finisher.
Freshman Carman Campbell also qualified for sectional
as an individual in addition to Duncan. Campbell finished
third in the high jump competition with a height of four
feet, ten inches.
The girls’ 3200-meter relay team qualified for Sectionals,
as did the boys’ 3200-meter relay team. The girls’
team, which consisted of senior Katie Sherman, junior
Jill Prather, and sophomores Angela Hattesohl and Angela
Scheetz. This team finished third with a time of 10:22.
The girls’ track team finished eleventh in the points
standing, with 35 points, out of a field of 15 teams.
Chillicothe took first with a score of 93.25 points.
Sectionals will be held at 11 a.m., on Saturday, May
18, at Kearney High School. The top finishers at sectionals
will then advance to state, which will begin on Friday,
May 24, at Jefferson City.
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