Kennett track and field athletes shine at state

After a trip to Jefferson City for the 2023 MSHSAA Class 3 Track and Field State Championships, several Kennett High School athletes placed in their respective events.

Sophomore Will Gaines won first place in the Boys 200 Meter Dash with a time of 21.60. He also broke his own record, in turn setting two school records, after taking second place in the Boys 100 Meter Dash with a time of 10.62.

Will Gaines stands at the top of the podium after winning the Boys 200 Meter Dash during the MSHSAA Class 3 Track and Field Championships.Photo provided

“Will, in the 100, killed the school record,” Kennett coach Andrew Webster said. “It was really cool to see him up on top being a state champion. Will always thought he was a 100 guy, but no, he's a 200 and 400 guy, and he's just a sophomore.”

Overall, Kennett placed 15th for the boys' team score.

Senior Elle Vancil placed 8th in the Girls Discus Throw with one “clutch” final throw to earn All-State honors.

Kennett's Elle Vancil competes in the Girls Discus Throw during the Kennett Invitational Tournament earlier this spring. Vancil earned All-State honors after finishing eighth at in the Class 3 Track and Field State Championships.Christian Johnson, Delta Dunklin Democrat

“Elle will probably be one of the best discus throwers from Kennett High School,” Webster said. “She came really close to breaking the school record, and there's only been one other girl recently who has done that. She's clutch when she has to be. She had one more throw, she knew she had to throw it at least where she did, and she did it. She's come a long way in the last couple of years.”

Senior Lani Heeb ran a personal best to take 13th place in the Girls 800 Meter Run.

Lani Heeb and Coach Andrew Webster pose for a photo after Heeb took 13th place in the Girls 800 Meter Run at the 2023 MSHSAA Class 3 Track and Field State Championships.Photo provided

“Lani's so fun to be around and she's really tough,” Webster said. “The 800 is a hard race, because you're basically sprinting for two laps. She PR'd in sectionals just to get to state by four or five seconds. Then at state, she PR'd again to move up from 16th to 13th. She should be really proud of that. I'm really proud of her.”

Sophomore Kierra Edmonston placed 16th in the Girls Triple Jump with a distance of 8.55 meters.

In the Boys 4x100 Meter Relay, a dropped baton led to a DNF and the end of Kennett's record-breaking relay team's season. Gaines, Marshall Rodgers, Daniel Boatman and Kylan Henson combined to take second place in the Class 3 State Sectionals, breaking the KHS record with a time of 42.95.

“Our boys relay, you have Marshall and Daniel graduating off that, and they're both really good boys,” Webster said. “I wish it could've ended differently, but sometimes it's out of your control.

“They all did really well,” he continued. “There was somewhere between 5-10,000 people there, and we had a really good showing. They're a really great group of kids and I'm really proud of all of them.”