Track & Field season kicks off at the Notre Dame Frozen Invite

Local athletes from all over Southeast Missouri and beyond kicked off the 2024 track and field season at the Notre Dame Frozen Invitational on Saturday, March 16, in Cape Girardeau.

Five performances met the MileSplit US Second Team standard, three of which came from local athletes.

Cape Central sophomore Kent Sheridan, fresh off an All-State season as a freshman, set the meet record in the pole vault with a 4.43m mark, taking first place out of 18 vaulters. Fellow Tiger Ellis Brune placed sixth with a vault of 12 feet.

"Sky's the limit for these high-flying Tigers," Cape Central coach Collin Sheridan said.

Notre Dame senior Lauren Eftink started the season winning the mile with a time of 5:14.91, five seconds over the school record she previously established (5:09.11). She also won the 800m race with a time of 2:24.49 and led the 4x400 relay, which finished first thanks to the lead she built.

Poplar Bluff's Darius Graham won the high jump with a 6-06.00 mark. Fellow Mule Isaiah Nevel took second with a mark of 6-04.00. Saxony Lutheran senior Jonathan Hartmann tied for second with a similar mark in his first season as a jumper.

__Boys' Event Winners__

100m: Jackson Witvoet, Cape Central, 10.99

200m: Jackson Witvoet, Cape Central, 22.36

400m: Kamirion Wiley, Charleston, 53.39

800m: Jonathan Witzman, Murphysboro, 2:06.88

1,600m: Bryce Gentry, Jackson, 4:28.52

3,200m: Corbin Williams, Paducah Tilghman, 10:16.50

110m Hurdles: Ethan Graham, Kelly, 15.78

300m Hurdles: Warren Eanes, Cape Central, 41.59

4x100m Relay: Cape Central, 43.99

4x200m Relay: Poplar Bluff, 1:33.47

4x400m Relay: Jackson, 3:34.09

4x800m Relay: Paducah Tilghman, 8:50.19

High Jump: Darius Graham, Poplar Bluff, 6-06.00

Long Jump: Kanden Bolton, Crystal City, 22-08.75

Triple Jump: Ja'Kwon Jones, New Madrid County Central, 44-01.50

Pole Vault: Kent Sheridan, Cape Central, 14-06.50

Discus: Grant Gibson, Rockwood Summit, 132-05.25

Javelin: Skyler Still, Kelly, 167-08.50

Shot Put: Paul Taylor, Ste. Genevieve, 47-07.25

__Girls' Event Winners__

100m: Alexis Kinney, Ewing Marion Kauffman, 12.56

200m: Alexis Kinney, Ewing Marion Kauffman, 26.65

400m: Lilly Watkins, Jackson, 1:06.17

800m: Lauren Eftink, Notre Dame, 2:24.49

1,600m: Lauren Eftink, Notre Dame, 5:14.91

3,200m: Hollyn Zangaro, Ste. Genevieve, 12:44.94

100m Hurdles: Abigail Haley, Saxony Lutheran, 17.43

300m Hurdles: Sydney Maynor, Murphysboro, 50.48

4x100m Relay: Cape Central, 51.50

4x200m Relay: Rockwood Summit, 1:50.26

4x400m Relay: Notre Dame, 4:27.35

4x800m Relay: Jackson, 10:59.57

High Jump: Amaryllis Miles, Murphysboro, 4-11.00

Long Jump: Amya Bills, New Madrid County Central, 16-11.50

Triple Jump: Christelle Barafundi, Rockwood Summit, 36-11.25

Pole Vault: Abbie Lloyd, Dexter, 9-05.50

Discus: Emma Duenne, Notre Dame, 103-06.25

Javelin: Blaire Riley, Kelly, 116-08.75

Shot Put: Myah Herrion, Kelly, 34-00.25