Track Roundup: Lauren Eftink leaves Notre Dame a champion

It took all the way to her final high school race.

But Lauren Eftink will indeed leave Notre Dame High School as a state champion. 

The graduating senior, who has led the Bulldogs for years, finished first place in the 3,200-meter race with a time of 11:09.26 in the MSHSAA Class 3 championship meet on Saturday, May 18, in Jefferson City, Missouri. 

“It feels so surreal standing up there on the podium,” Eftink said to MoMilesplit via X. “That was so awesome. I’m really grateful for everything that’s gotten me to this point.”

Eftink, who will run with her older brother, Clayton Eftink, at Southeast Missouri State in the next school year, also placed third in both the 800m (2:18.35) and 1,600m (5:08.09) races. Both her state mile and two-mile times broke her previously established school records.

Also in Class 3, Kelly junior Skyler Still won the state championship in the javelin throw with a mark of 182-03.00.

New Madrid County Central freshman Amya Bills won the state championship in the 100m, 200m, and long jump.

The Dexter boys' relay teams won state championships in both the 4x400m (3:25.38) and 4x800m (7:56.46).

In the Class 2 meet, Woodland's Hayden Vangennip won the title in the 800m (1:58.79) and Reed Layton won the 3,200m (9:45.78). The Cardinals also won the state title in the 4x800m relay.

Saxony Lutheran senior Jonathan Hartmann finished his first and only track season with a state championship in the high jump (6-06.25).

St. Vincent's Reagan Meyer won state championships in the 800m (2:18.94) and 1,600m (5:16.61).

The Charleston girls, 4x200m relay won the state title with a time of 1:47.20.

Malden's Angela Dobbins won a state title in the long jump with a mark of 18-05.25, and was 0-01.50 short of the high jump title, finishing second.

While there weren't any local state champions in the Class 1 meet, there were still a few athletes who did their small schools proud. In the shot put. Zalma junior Madison Kirkpatrick finished 12th (32-02.00) among girls, and Bell City sophomore Kale Richardson finished fourth ( 47-05.75) among boys. Hayti sophomore Jeremy Alexander placed fourth in the 100m dash (11.28) and the relay team finished second in the 4x100 (45.16).

The Class 4 and Class 5 state championships will take place next weekend, involving athletes from Cape Central, Jackson, Perryville, Sikeston, and Poplar Bluff.