The Class 5 Sectional 4 track and field meet on May 23 was not short of drama and standout performances at Lee’s Summit North High School, where Platte County, Park Hill and Park Hill South combined for a long list of state qualifiers.
Platte County’s boys delivered one of the headline moments of the day in the 4x100-meter relay. After state favorites Lee’s Summit West false-started and was eliminated, the Pirates capitalized with a blistering 40.86-second performance from Adam Gisler, Ty Christopher, Adeboye Akande and Jackson Goodale to win the sectional title and stamp themselves as legitimate state championship contenders.
It was the second time this season the Pirates’ quartet had finished in less than 41 seconds.
Park Hill’s team of Braeden Wilburn, Damariyn Ford, Damari Johnson and Sheldon Smith also secured a state berth with a fourth-place finish in 41.68 behind Lee’s Summit and Rockhurst.
In the 4x400 relay, Platte County’s team of Ty Christopher, Elijah Jackson, Cassius Guillory and Jackson Goodale benefited from some fortune. While they originally missed the cut for state qualification with a fifth-place finish in 3:21.54, Staley’s top-four finish faced disqualification, moving the Pirates up to earn the final qualification spot.
Platte County’s sprint dominance extended into the individual events. Rockhurst’s Benjamin Hayes posted the fastest sectional 100 time in Missouri at 10.51, but Christopher was right behind in 10.55 for second place while Gisler (10.66) narrowly edged out Akande (10.68) for the final state berth.
Christopher secured a runner-up finish in the 200, clocking a personal-best 21.39. Akande added another strong performance with a sixth-place finish in 21.96.
In the field events, returning state medalist Cale Buntz earned another state berth in the javelin after placing second at 54.89 meters. Freshman Jayden Horn continued his breakout postseason by qualifying in the shot put with a fourth-place throw of 15.10 meters.
Park Hill qualified for state in both sprint relays. In addition to the 4x100 qualification, the Trojans also earned a state berth in the 4x200 relay as Wilburn, Andrew Minder, Dontae Bronson and Smith placed third in 1:26.87.
Bronson nearly added an individual state qualification in the 400, narrowly missing advancement by .01 seconds after running 49.06 for fifth place. Kaiden Leonard also finished fifth in the 300 hurdles at 39.82.
Sophomore Malakot Middleton-Lewis delivered one of Park Hill’s top performances by winning the high jump sectional title with a personal-best clearance of 1.95 meters.
Park Hill South qualified senior Logan Hild in the pole vault after he cleared 4.40 meters for second place. The Panthers’ distance program also produced some of the meet’s biggest highlights.
Thomas Garrett won the 800 in a personal-best 1:53.96, then the senior returned to place second in the 1600 at 4:17.61. Simon Ketter also qualified in the 1600 with a third-place finish in 4:19.02 before narrowly missing another berth in the 3200 by taking fifth.
The Panthers’ 4x800 relay team of David Meyer, Ketter, Cole James and Garrett earned South’s lone relay qualification, placing third in 7:41.11 behind Liberty North and Lee’s Summit West.
On the girls side, Platte County senior Adi Benninghoff won the 100 hurdles championship in a personal-best 14.67 seconds, while Maggie Wagner advanced in the 300 hurdles after taking third in a personal-best 46.12.
The Pirates also received a state-qualifying performance from Adilynn Kern, who cleared a personal-best 3.15 meters in the pole vault.
Park Hill sophomore Nikyah Chappell had a standout meet for the Trojans. Chappell captured the sectional championship in the triple jump at 11.88 meters, then qualified in the 400 with a runner-up finish and personal-best 57.23.
Park Hill also advanced Gabrielle Allen in the 100 hurdles after the sophomore placed third in a personal-best 15.43.
In the throwing events, Park Hill advanced three to state. Sophomore Amaya Akinmoladun won the discus sectional title with a personal-best 37.56 meters, sophomore Elliott Harris used her first finals throw of 10.67 to qualify in the shot put with a fourth-place finish and Mandia Bock also advanced in the javelin after her final throw placed her fourth at 41.05 meters.
The Panthers’ girls added a sectional champion in freshman Lynnae Warfield, who won the high jump at 1.70 meters. Senior Zari Martin qualified in the discus with a personal-best throw of 35.79 meters.
Madilynn Conklin also advanced to state for Park Hill South after placing fourth in the 1,600 in a personal-best 4:54.01.
The state meet is slated for May 29-30 at Adkins Stadium in Jefferson City.