Cape Central turns T&F into a team sport, sends five relays to state championships

Track and field is originally designed as an individual sport but Cape Central turned it into a team sport this spring.

The Tigers conclude the 2022-23 season by sending five relay teams to the Class 4 state championships on Friday at Jefferson City.

Leading the pack is the boy’s 4x800m (Henry Rusten, Peyton Schlick, Jackson Seabaugh, and Ryan Seabaugh), which consists of three seniors and one freshman. The group finished Class 4 Sectional 1 in third place with a new personal record of 8:12.14

“We'd all been thinking about this relay since the beginning of the school year,” said Henry Rusten. “We've been talking about how our 4x800m is going to be and now that states coming up this week it’s sort of come into fruition.”

The lone freshman of the group is also Ryan Seabaugh’s brother, Jackson.

“I love it because like, we've gotten really close this year,” Jackson said. “It's just awesome to go to state with him and be on the same relay. I've been running with them all year so it's nice. Next year is gonna be what I'm worried about.”

The elder Seabaugh has spent his senior season solidifying himself as one of Cape Central’s greatest distance runners. He broke the school record in the 1600m (4:15.78) and the 3200m (9:26.45). He qualified for the state championships last year in only one event but will compete in the open 800m, 1600m, 3200m, and the 4x800, a total of four highly competitive miles.

“I definitely got a lot more speed but I think that just carries on through each race,” Seabaugh said. “I mean having a kick at the end is really all you need.”

His teammates were enamored with how Seabaugh can be faster on shorter rest.

“We both started his freshman year and we both never really ran before and we started out at about the same but he's just been keeping that work,” Rusten said. “His work ethic is really high.”

Seabaugh mentioned how much he improved in the mental aspect of running.

“Mentally I'm probably a little bit stronger just because in the offseason, I hit a lot of hard workouts where I mentally had to push myself every week so kind of when it came to the season I was ready for it,” Seabaugh said.

Strong cardiovascular endurance is paramount to a successful distance runner. The 800m requires the endurance of a mile runner and the speed of a sprinter. These distance runners structured their stamina through consistent running.

At the beginning of the season when you're more out of shape, your heart rate will be a lot higher and it will take a lot longer to get down,” Rusten said. “Then just with consistent effort, your heart gets stronger and so if you're out of shape in the summer, even if you're not running fast, your heart rate could be like 175-180 BPM. But the more you run, it'll get down more and more until like 140 bpm and 130 bpm, like just with consistency ever your heart gets a lot stronger.”

It’s safe to say that the Tigers seniors are going into their final high school event in the best shape of their lives.

“When you are at the end of any run and you just feel great, it’s just a good feeling because you know that a month or two ago you would not have felt nearly as good after it,” Schlick said. “It’s just like feeling good after a workout. You’re tired but it felt good in your body like you weren’t really straining too much. It’s just a really good feeling and it gives you a lot of confidence.”

Also going to Jefferson City is the boys’ 4x200 (Breijon Clemons, Marshon Edwards, Torrance Murray, and Jamauri Brooks-Davis), girls’ 4x100 (Ki Bogan, Amazia Watkins, Aleah Jackson, and Haylie Williams), girls’ 4x200 (Amiyah Mackins, Bogan, Jackson, and Williams), and girls’ 4x400 (Lindsey Caldwell, Katherine Steinberg, Mackins, and Jackson). All three girls relays won the district championship recently and Mackins won the district title in the 400m, where she will also be competing during the state meet after finishing third (1:00.07) in sectionals with a new personal best.

Mackins competed in the state championships last year as a freshman and is more prepared for the event now as a sophomore.

“This time I know my competition more because I ran with them a lot during the season last year,” Mackins said. “I just met these people for the first time so I'm more prepared for the way they run this year.”

Cape Central freshman Kent Sheridan competes in the boys� pole vault in a recent meet.Julia Beasley - Cape Central yearbook

Freshman Kent Sheridan, son of Tigers head coach Colin Sheridan, has the freshman school record in the pole vault at 4.11m. He made it to his first state meet by finishing second in the pole vault at sectionals.

Sheridan said the constant improvement in his speed over the season has led to him getting the record and reaching state.

“Speed is the most important part of pole vault,” Sheridan said, “most sports really.”

Bogan and Caldwell already graduated from Cape Central this past week, making this their last competition as high school athletes. Bogan will also compete in the triple jump.

“It’s kind of good for me just after graduation I still keep working toward going to state,” Bogan said.

As for Caldwell, this is her first appearance in the state championships.

“It's a little bittersweet because track has been a long journey for me,” Caldwell said, “and knowing that this is my last time competing in high school, it's a bit sad, but I'm just excited to be able to have gotten this far and to have this last chance to compete.”