Kelly runners turn in winning efforts at conference meet

CHAFFEE -- As the SEMO South Conference track meet unfolded all around them, Kelly's Dalton Huffman and East Prairie's Brandon Evans were deeply engrossed in their own ritualistic game of taunting.

The two seniors were battling for first place in the high jump, needing a tiebreaker Monday at Chaffee's Terry Glenzy Track and Field Complex to crown the victor after both missed three attempts at 6 feet.

"C'mon, Huff," needled Evans, who was relaxing in the grass as the bar was lowered to 5-11. "This is my last event."

"I gotta do triple jump yet," Huffman said over his shoulder.

Both cleared the height on their final attempt before Huffman had to leave to run in Kelly's 400 relay.

"Oh, man," Evans laughed.

Though from rival schools, the two have forged a friendship going back to their freshman year. They chirp away at each other, tossing barb after good-natured barb before shaking hands once the event is over.

"We just try to get in each other's heads," Huffman said. "I think that's the same in any competition. You try to get one-up on them, but it's all fun and games."

After returning from the relay and catching his breath, Huffman watched as Evans tipped the bar at the same height, then calmly cleared the jump to take first place in the event.

"I couldn't let him beat me that easy," Huffman laughed. "I knew it was do or die. I finished up on top, but who knows, next time it could be him."

"We're always talking to each other, trying to get the best of each other," Evans said, recalling a recent meet when the two dueled to a height of 6-4 before Huffman came away with the win. "It's funny. It's either me or him, one of the two."

It's not just high jump. They battle in other events as well. Evans won the long jump with a leap of 19-3 1/2, Huffman finishing third at 19-0. Huffman prevailed in the triple jump with a 42-2 effort, with Evans second at 40-11.

Another stellar effort was turned in by Kelly senior sprinter Dakaria Johnson, who shook off the effects of a recent hamstring pull to win the 100-meter dash in 13.06 seconds as well as anchor Kelly's victorious 400 and 800 relay teams.

"We put ourselves back together," Johnson said, noting two other teammates have been hit with muscle pulls in recent weeks. "We still pulled through, and we're going to try it in districts and see how far we get."

Kelly coach Kenneth Riedinger lauded the effort of alternate Natalie Groves, who replaced standout senior Samantha Ratledge running the first leg and got the Hawks' relay teams off to a tremendous start.

"Natalie got out really well for us," Riedinger said. "When we got it to Dakaria, we had such a lead I wanted to slow her down. We're not running for time right now, we just wanted points today."

The Kelly girls finished in third place with 88 points, Chaffee edging them for second with 89. Hayti won the girls meet with 132 points.

Malden won the boys competition with 176 points, followed by East Prairie with 132 and Kelly with 92.

With the Class 3 district meet scheduled for Saturday at Central High School, Riedinger just wants to keep his troops healthy.

"Anytime you get an injury this late in the season, it's not something we really like," he said. "Nobody does. But you just kind of baby it until districts, and if we got to go, we got to go. At the end of the day, we want to take it to the state meet."

Another athlete with her eye on the state meet is Chaffee senior thrower Julia Sutterfield, who came up two inches short of her school record set a couple weeks ago in the shot put with a heave of 36 feet, good enough for first place at her home ring. She has her sights set on adding another foot to her throw before the season ends.

"I feel more comfortable with the ring and the surroundings," she said. "I love competing here at Chaffee. I've got some work to put in this week, got a long week or practice ahead. I want to break another record for districts. I'm looking for about a 36-5 for districts and hopefully break 37 at state."

Sutterfield's throwing coach, Terry Glenzy, said it's not an unrealistic goal.

"She's strong, and she's got good technique," Glenzy said. "She sets goals, and she goes after them. She wants to hit 37 in shot, and she'll get there. She's a good kid, a good worker."

Kelly junior Maurice Davis won the boys 100 (11.03 seconds) and 200 (22.97). He thinks he can shave another 4/10s of a second off his 100 time with a better start.

"I need to get off quicker," he said. "I need to time the (starting) gun right. It's all in the start."

Delta's Jamie Hodge was another double-winner, taking both the girls 1600 (6:19) and 3200 (14:29).

BOYS

Team Scores -- 1. Malden 176; 2. East Prairie 132; 3. Kelly 92; 4. Scott City 76; 5. Hayti 71; 6. Chaffee 52; 7. Oran 20; 8. Delta 4

Top three finishers

100 -- 1. Maurice Davis (K) 11.03; 2. Cortez Dobbins (M) 11.19; 3. Logan Chapman (C) 11.44

200 -- 1. Maurice Davis (K) 22.97; 2. Cortez Dobbins (M) 23.19; 3. Dante Lewis (H) 23.37

400 -- 1. Indaqual Presberry (H) 53.30; 2. Deverence Jones (EP) 54.53; 3. Kedron Rollings (H) 55.13

800 -- 1. Dishon Ross (M) 2:11; 2. Jay Richardson (H) 2:11.50; 3. Tyler Rhyne (SC) 2:15

1600 -- 1. Patrick Matthews (M) 4:59; 2. Cade Douglas (EP) 5:01; 3. Jesse Perry (SC) 5:11

3200 -- 1. Jesse Perry (SC) 11:11; 2. Patrick Matthews (M) 11:56; 3. Hunter Brown (EP) 12:02

110 hurdles -- 1. Broddric Annesser (M) 18.50; 2. Ethan Jones (EP) 19.03; 3. Hunter Perkins (M) 19.12

300 hurdles -- 1. Tyson Baker (EP) 45.94; 2. Broddric Annesser (M) 47.13; 3. Aaron Birk (K) 47.94

400 relay -- 1. Malden 45.41; 2. Hayti 45.44; 3. Kelly 45.69

800 relay -- 1. Hayti 1:35.75; 2. Scott City 1:36.78; 3. Malden 1:36.97

1600 relay -- 1. Hayti 3:37; 2. Scott City 3:39; 3. Malden 3:45

3200 relay -- 1. Scott City 9:00; 2. Malden 9:07; 3. East Prairie 9:31

High jump -- 1. Dalton Huffman (K) 5-11; 2. Brandon Evans (EP) 5-11; 3. Ethan Jones (EP) 5-10

Long jump -- 1. Brandon Evans (PB) 19-3*½; 2. Bryce Nelson (M) 19-3; 3. Dalton Huffman (K) 19-0

Triple jump -- 1. Dalton Huffman (K) 42-2; 2. Brandon Evans (EP) 40-11; 3. Brett Ressel (O) 39-3

Shot put -- 1. Nick Thompson (M) 52-10; 2. Trevor Morehead (C) 46-0; 3. Auggie Knutson (C) 44-8

Discus -- 1. Nick Thompson (M) 154-8; 2. Zach Gray (M) 137-8; 3. Dalton Goforth (SC) 128-3

GIRLS

Team Scores -- 1. Hayti 132; 2. Chaffee 89; 3. Kelly 88; 4. East Prairie 70; 5. Malden 64; 6. Oran 61; 7. Scott City 57; 8. Delta 30; 9. Scott County Central 1

Top three finishers

100 -- 1. Dakaria Johnson (K) 13.06; 2. (tie) Ashleigha Rose (H), McKynlee Neumeyer (K) 13.34

200 -- 1. McKynlee Neumeyer (K) 27.65; 2. Kaylen Glastetter (O) 27.72; 3. Ashleigha Rose (H) 27.78

400 -- 1. Kaylen Glastetter (O) 1:07.37; 2. Ashley Williams (H) 1:10.22; 3. Alexis Pruitt (K) 1:12.65

800 -- 1. Bella Bowers (SC) 2:34; 2. Ashlyn McIntosh (O) 2:50; 3. Hannah Glueck (C) 2:53

1600 -- 1. Jamie Hodge (D) 6:19; 2. Hannah Shemonia (SC) 6:28; 3. Hannah Glueck (C) 6:54

3200 -- 1. Jamie Hodge (D) 14:29; 2. Hannah Shemonia (SC) 14:56; 3. Shayna Seyer (C) 17:06

100 hurdles -- 1. Summer Maxwell (EP) 18.56; 2. Chelsie Whitlow (C) 19.07; 3. Madalynn Pierce (K) 19.10

300 hurdles -- 1. Madalynn Pierce (K) 56.62; 2. Sabrina Stelzer (H) 1:11.38

400 relay -- 1. Kelly 53.03; 2. Hayti 53.65; 3. Malden 53.97

800 relay -- 1. Kelly 1:55.72; 2. Malden 1:58.47; 3. Oran 2:00.03

1600 relay -- 1. Hayti 4:39; 2. Oran 4:50; 3. Chaffee 4:57

3200 relay -- 1. Hayti 12:08; 2. Chaffee 12:25; 3. Oran 12:29

High jump -- 1. Kassidy Sehie (EP) 4-8; 2. Andrea Pittman (M) 4-6; 3. Katie Glueck (C) 4-6

Long jump -- 1. Jaycie Jones (M) 13-4*½; 2. Dakota Arnold (EP) 13-3; 3. Randee Grant (SC) 12-1*½

Triple jump -- 1. Aylexus Leshay (M) 30-8*½; 2. Dakota Arnold (EP) 30-7; 3. Summer Maxwell (EP) 30-6

Shot put -- 1. Julia Sutterfield (C) 36-0; 2. Toni Hency (O) 33-5; 3. Ereyonna Kyles (H) 32-7

Discus -- 1. Rachel Perry (SC) 93-10; 2. MaShanda Reed (K) 93-5*½; 3. Ereyonna Kyles (H) 86-4