On Saturday, May 20, the track team travelled to Clinton for the Class 3, Section 4 Track meet.  This included the top four finishers from our district, district 7, and the top four from district 8, in each event.  The sectional meet determined who moves on to the State track meet which will be held at Jefferson City High School, on Friday and Saturday, May 26-27.  The top four placers move on.

Ashley Knoll was the lone girl competing for El Dorado Springs in the sectional meet, running in the 1600 and 3200 meter runs.  Ashley started the day off in the 1600, finishing 3rd with a personal best time of 5:29.71.  This was probably the most confident 1600 m. run that Ashley has ever run, and just finished 2 seconds back from two girls who will be shooting for a shot at a state championship.  This was a great confidence booster race for her.  She followed that up by placing 2nd in the 3200, with a time of 12:11.  Ashley had a great day, and, after seeing how she ran today, we think that she is ready to have a great weekend at State.

On the boys’ side, Freshman Ethan Parshall got things started in the pole vault.  Ethan’s previous best coming into the postseason was a vault of 10’6”.  At Districts, he improved that a foot, going 11’6”.  Then at the Sectional meet he went on to vault 12’6”, placing him 4th due to tiebreaker rules. We were hoping that he could just maintain what he had done the week before, vaulting 11’6” but he went on to add another foot, and breaking the school record.  The former school record was held by Dusty Hooper, with a vault of 12’1”.  Ethan has really begun to vault with a new level of confidence, and starting to understand and implement some of the things we have tried to work on and establish all season, and it is finally paying off.  Looking forward to seeing how he vaults this weekend.

Tyler Goatley was the lone runner for the boys, competing in the same two events as his cousin. Ashley, the 1600 and the 3200.  Tyler started off the day with a win in the 1600.  He was hopeful of breaking 4:30 in the race but, due to a lead and another race to go, he let up in the last 20 meters of the race, costing him that goal, but still ran 4:31.  Tyler went on to win the 3200, with a time of 9:56.  Tyler had a good day time wise, and now has his sights set on doing well at the state meet.  He has a little extra motivation this year, as last year he got injured shortly before Districts costing him a chance of moving on, so he has run this year with a little redemption on his mind, for his senior season. 

Shelby McKinney was our 4th athlete to compete at Sectionals, in the javelin, a new scored event this year at the state meet.  Shelby wasn’t  able to make it out, placing 7th.  Saturday just wasn’t his day.  He just didn’t quite have things go for him Saturday.  Shelby has had a great year, though, placing in almost every meet, winning a few and breaking the school record for the final time at Lamar with a distance of 147’7”.  Shelby has really worked hard this season on improving in all of his throws, but especially the javelin.  He will do even better next year.

Ashley, Ethan, and Tyler will move on to compete at the Missouri Class 3 State Meet on Friday and Saturday, May 26 and 27.  Ashley will compete in the 3200 on Friday and the 1600 on Saturday.  Tyler will compete in the 1600 on Friday and the 3200 on Saturday.  Ethan will compete in pole vault on Saturday at 9:00.  For anyone wishing to attend, it is held at Jefferson City High School, and tickets are $8/person per day.